My Mother's favorite drink
She lived to be 91 and every day of her life she had to have her Coke. In Georgia, during her lifetime,it was known as "Co-cola"..and for years it came in those old fashioned, green glass bottles that kept it so cold, refreshing and frosty. Not like the cans of today.
After she entered the nursing home, when I would go visit her and take her a new sweater or new nightgowns, I always stopped by the cafeteria and dropped in my quarters in the vending machine and bought her a "Co-Cola". She was always so grateful and she enjoyed the refreshing taste.
I suppose "Coke" itself at that time was as old as Mama. She was born in Hall County Georgia,in 1893, and Coca-Cola was sold in bottles for the first time on March 12, 1894. It was sold at a few soda fountains prior to that.
Then in 1985 the Coca Cola company made a tremendous blunder.
"The Coca-Cola Company came out with "New Coke" in 1985. Coca-Cola, amid much publicity, attempted to change the formula of the drink. Some authorities believe that New Coke, as the reformulated drink was called, was invented specifically to respond to its commercial competitor, Pepsi.. New Coke was reformulated in a way that emulated Pepsi. . The commercial failure of New Coke came as a grievous blow to the management of the Coca-Cola Corporation.
It is possible that customers would not have noticed the change if it had been made secretly or gradually, and thus brand loyalty could have been maintained. Coca-Cola management was unprepared, however, for the nostalgic sentiments the drink aroused in the American public; some compared changing the Coke formula to rewriting the American Constitution."
As soon as New Coke came out I took one out to the nursing home for Mama to try. I did not tell her that "Co-Cola" had been reformulated and just asked her "How is your Co-Cola, Mama? She sounded and looked disappointed when she replied "It's all right"
Then I told her about the new version of Coke. She wanted to stick with the old standby that had served her well for almost 90 years.
I never again took her a "New Coke." She enjoyed the familiar taste of the original Co-cola too much to change. At her age she deserved to stick with the original.
10 comments:
Thanks for sharing this tale, Chancy. Obviously, you knew how to be good to your mother--by accepting her choice. Let us wish for such treatment for ourselves, in years to come! There is nothing to compare to making our own decisions!
Cop Car
I have a 92 year old neighbor who has one drink every day and it's not co-cola; it's a Vodka Martini. Her doctor asked her if she drank alcohol and she told him that promptly at 5 pm she had sipped on a Martini every day since becoming an adult and she wasn't about to stop now. He told her to continue; it seemed to be good for her and that he might recommend it to his other patients - (tongue in cheek, I am sure.)
When I was a kid, I loved an ice cold cherry coke. Not that crap they put in a can these days, the real thing, with maraschino cherries and some of the juice poured into the glass. Yum. At some point, I switched to Pepsi, not so much for the taste, but because it was cheaper. Cherry Pepsi isn't nearly as tasty.
I have been a Coke girl all my life, and I greatly preferred it back in the days of small green bottles.
Nowadays, I drink Diet Coke - mostly caffeine free, and Pepsi never passes my lips. It tastes like perfume.
I'm with your 92 year old neighbor - I'd rather have a vodka martini.
I find a coke or pepsi too sweet - if I do have one of those I will always add a little lemon juice, tastes better that way.
Millie
I'm a Coca-Cola kind of gal! Pepsi just doesn't hit the spot!!!!
I love this story Chancy...and your Mom certainly deserved her Co-Cola. When I think of all the different variations of Coke that have come out...my head spins; but there is nothing like the original.
My mother lived to be 94 and she had her set ways too. I'm sure I'll be the same if I ever make it to that exalted age. I'm sure your Mother loved that you made the effort everytime you visited.
I had no idea that Coca Cola had been around since 1893.. that is amazing. I do remember the New Coke fiasco. :-)
Interesting about co-cola and your Mom. My Mom must have remembered the days when Coke was made with actual "coke" drug in it 'cause we just didn't have it available to us as I was growing up. She strongly discouraged our drinking carbonated beverages unlike in my husband's household where they drank lots of them.
I recall liking an occasional Royal Crown Cola, a creme soda, Dad's Old Fashioned root beer over ice cream for a "brown cow." My favorite was Canada Dry Ginger Ale that my Aunt would let me have one glass of at night when I visited her in the summertime.
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