Part of this soda adventure has been to get friends to recommend and buy sodas from round the country for my delectation. A few weeks ago I had the double pleasure of enjoying my first Ezelle's Chicken and my first taste of Faygo. I was told that the Peach Faygo was delicious and indeed it was (8 Rudys) much better than the pretty average Orange Faygo I had. When purchasing our sodas we noticed a huge selection of Faygo's on offer - two that stuck in my mind were Red Pop and Rock and Rye. I looked these up online and found out that Faygo are based in Michigan and the company was founded by Russian immigrants Ben and Perry Feigenson. The original flavors they worked on were based on cake frosting recipes. It is pretty hard to get hold of Faygo in Seattle unless you go to that fried chicken place I mentioned (other fried chicken outlets are available!). As luck would have it I had two friends who were in Michigan. So I asked them both to get me a faygo each Red Pop and Rock N Rye.
Andrew kindly bought me back a bottle of Red Pop... it was delicious! To me it had all the hallmarks of a good soda: refreshing, tasted like nothing you had ever tasted before yet tasted somehow familiar, also there was a certain level of guilt in drinking it..."I know this is not good for me but it is delicious!". The taste was a blend of cherry, strawberry, raspberry all in the artificial sense mind you with a underlying cream soda taste - (9 Rudys).
My dear friend Nina was also heading to Michigan. After we picked her up from the airport on her return she proceeded to tell me of the adventure she had getting me the one can of Rock and Rye Faygo. No one tells a story like Nina, so I couldn't even attempt to relay the chain of events to you. So.... I got her to tell the story, and here it is (word for word):
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It was the night before I was to leave Michigan and it had totally slipped my mind that I needed to get you a rock and rye. No big deal I thought and I headed over to Meijers super store where suggary drinks and processed foods flowith over. I get to meijer and to my surpise there is only rock and rye diet on the shelf. "This will not do!", I mumble out loud only to attract the attention of some balding business man wanna be. You know that kind that carries a beeper on his belt and a clippboard at all times.
After hearing my grumbles in the isle, said man offers to assist me in digging through the new shippment of Faygo sodas that are waiting to be shelved. We dig through several boxes and eventually realize we were SOL. At this time I am ready to head to another grocery mart and just as I start to walk away the business wannabe stops me to discuss a business endeavor he is pursuing. He proceeds to tell me about this energy drink that will take away my depression, anxiety, and internal toxins......for 15 minutes. In a desperate attempt to get away I tell him I am going to go ask a sales person to check in the back. Well I should have know that my new friend had a friend who had a friend who could check in the back. Ummm this is Meijers not the White House.
Anywhoo, I go to the back to wait for the word on Faygo backstock and have my next encounter. She is what you might call a townie. You can probably draw a picture yourself. We are waiting by the back deli for aprox. 15 mintues for any word. During this 15 mintues we are able to have a highly intellectual conversation about animal cruelty and veganism. 2 things I learned from her: 1) Being a vegan is super hard because you can't eat eggs. You see.....those eggs could become chickens. That's right vegans can't eat eggs! 2) Everyone should be a vegan...unless of course the 10lb ham is on sale....at which point it's just too good a deal to pass up!
Needless to say, they found me some faygo....aprox 1 hour later.
For you Rudy.....anything:)
Now that I have your rock and rye in my posession...FINALLY my last job is to adequately secure it in my luggage so as not to cause a soda explosion.
I was so busy thinking about how to keep all the beer and cans from bursting that I neglected to think about the weight. At the time I arrived to the airport I rolled up with my wheely bag feeling all sly that I had managed to fit so much bubble wrap and liquids in my bag. I print my ticket, fill out my luggage tag, and put my bag on the scale to send it on its way.
"Mam.....you are aprox. 5 lbs over and that is going to be an extra $80."
"WHATTTTTTTT". Sir, I don't think so. Can I grab something out of that bag really quick?"
"Sure, but make it quick there is a line."
In a desperate attempt to appease the long line that has formed behind me and also save myself an $80 fee I frantically start unwrapping rock and rye and handing them out to strangers. They think I am weird and that....is normal. In conclusion, 1 lonely rock and rye makes it into your hands and I am convinced I have come out on top.
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Was it worth it? Of course it was. Again Faygo did not let me down, this was a good soda! It is hard to describe the flavour, they say it is Cream soda and Cola fusion... I'm not so sure. I could taste the cream soda part and the other part was kind of dr pepper/ cola/ root beery ... but good (9 Rudys). Cheers Nina :o)
I have a backlog of sodas to rate... working on it. Teeth are holding up, well I'm brushing at least 2 times a day and using mouth rinse!
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Was it worth it? Of course it was. Again Faygo did not let me down, this was a good soda! It is hard to describe the flavour, they say it is Cream soda and Cola fusion... I'm not so sure. I could taste the cream soda part and the other part was kind of dr pepper/ cola/ root beery ... but good (9 Rudys). Cheers Nina :o)
I have a backlog of sodas to rate... working on it. Teeth are holding up, well I'm brushing at least 2 times a day and using mouth rinse!
