Manzanita Sol

While adventuring among the antique stores and flea markets of Southern Illinois today, only one strange can caught my eye.  I snapped a picture of the red beauty (in the center of the below pic) as it sat among other drinks the shop was selling to its customers.

I approached and saw a $1 price tag on it.  I'd never heard of Manzanita Sol before.  And the can said it was an apple-flavored soda from Mexico.  Wow, what a rare treasure to stumble upon.

Well, I got home and did some research.  I overpaid!  Sure, it's from Mexico, but the Wiki for it says it's owned by PepsiCo and can be found at Walmart, Kmart, Target, H-E-B, etc.  The list goes on and on.  In fact, looking at the above pic a few minutes ago I noticed a couple of 12-packs of the drink on the floor in the lower-left corner.

Sometimes the rare prize you snatch up at an antique store isn't quite as valuable as you think.  But now I have a new drink to taste-test, and it sure sounds delicious.  And the most important thing... I have another can for my collection.

Natural Cabana

This is what was sitting on my desk at work a couple of days ago:

Natural Cabana coconut water.  One of the guys had picked these up at a discount store and put them on my desk after he drank them.  I'm not a coconut water fan (especially of the chunky, pulpy kind), but if someone else wants to drink it and give the cans to me, I'm good with that.

He said these tasted ok.  I'm not sure if there's much variance in taste from one brand to another.  These are the regular and pineapple flavors.  He said if there are other flavors he'll pick those cans up for me too.

The coincidental part of this story is the fact that these cans are tropical and show scenes of palm trees on the beach and a beautiful sunset... I have family that just went to Orlando, FL, for a warm, tropical vacation.  So relax and enjoy, we're all winners...

1893 Citrus

Almost two years ago I posted about a can of 1893 someone gave me.   And now I'm writing about another can of 1893 I just got.  It's another can with an interesting design "from the makers of Pepsi-Cola."

I haven't tried it yet, but I'm curious as to what it tastes like.  Being an orange can and listed as a Citrus Cola, I thought it might be orange flavored but the can says it's "infused with grapefruit essence."

Prior to 1893's release, Pepsi claimed this would change the taste of soda forever.  I don't think that really happened since I haven't heard anything about the brand since it released a couple of years ago.  But it must have a following if it's still being made.

But I'm still not sure why it's called 1893.

I Have a Gronk!

I've had this cool stainless steel-looking can in my pantry for a while.  I'm not sure where I got it or when, but it was at least a year or two ago.  Today I decided to get it out and see what it is.

Well, it's a Monster energy drink.  And I'll be honest, I had to Google what a "Gronk" is.  But I didn't really need to do that, the can says it all...

There's a signature at the top which turns out to be Rob Gronkowski's.  The side of the can shows a football player in a #87 jersey.  So the Gronk is obviously a football player, but for which team?



I went back to Google and found out he's on the Patriots.  Yes, even I'm aware of the Patriots.

There's also a story on the side of the can about how much of a party animal and beast he is... in other words, a real "Monster."

For me, TMI.  I like the design of the can.  I may even get around to drinking it someday.  But for now, it's back to the pantry to see what other can gems I might dig up...

A Box of Dr. Clones

I recently received an email from a fellow collector (specializing in Dr. Pepper clones) who was thinning his collection a bit.  He sent a pic of some cans that were available.  I compared it to my collection and saw several I didn't have.

I got home from work yesterday and what was on my porch?

A box.  It was brought into the house and opened.

Very well packed.  And after each can was removed from the packaging, I had eight new cans for my collection.

He and I have traded for a few years.  I'm always on the lookout for cans he may need and he's always offering cans he doesn't need, haha.  A well-oiled machine.

Thanks again, G!

My Destiny 2

Destiny 2 launched on September 6, 2017.  Destiny 2 is a futuristic first-person shooter video game set in our solar system.  It has a single-player campaign, but the meat and potatoes is the Player vs Player mode where players are thrown on a map and have to shoot at each other.  Trust me, it can be fun.  And frustrating.

To celebrate its release, Rockstar Energy Drink released a 3-can set featuring the three classes you can play in the game.  And after all these months, I still only have two of the three cans.

Each can comes with a code that you can redeem for in-game gear.  I redeemed some Destiny 1 codes and it wasn't really worth it.  So I'm collecting these cans for the designs, not the codes.

The first can I had was this blue one for the Hunter class.  

The second can was this gold one for the Titan class.

The third and final can, which is red, is for the Warlock class.

With each can you are also entered to win one of three Husqvarna motorcycles, each designed after one of the same three classes mentioned above.

We'll have to wait and see if it's my destiny to add the Warlock can to my collection...

Star Wars Space Punch

Last week a couple people alerted me to a new can series... Star Wars Space Punch.

There are twelve cans in the set featuring characters from the prequel trilogy, the original trilogy, and even from the new trilogy.  So what's the problem?

The problem is they are $3 each!  Even if someone liked to drink punch every day, there are many much cheaper alternatives.

But these certainly have a nice look to them.  I was given can #9 in the set, Boba Fett, everyone's favorite bounty hunter.  I'm glad this is the can they got me.

And I can't wait to drink it to see if the taste is worth $3.  It has only 20 calories, there's no caffeine, and it sounds pretty flavorful after looking through the ingredients (grapefruit, pear, orange, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry).

This set is certainly aimed at collectors.  But after giving George Lucas so much of my money for books, comics, figures, napkins, shampoo, and all the other Star Wars-branded merchandise, I rarely buy anything Star Wars now.  Disney certainly doesn't need my money and I don't really need more boxes of stuff in the basement. 

But after all that, it doesn't take someone with the Force to know a few more of these cans may eventually end up in my collection...

CLICK

A few years ago I purchased a lot of cans on eBay.  In addition to what was listed, the seller "threw in" a few extras.  And this six pack of Click root beer was one of the extras.

This bonus item was awesome for a few reasons.  First, this is a 6-pack still connected with the old plastic rings!  The rings were outlawed years ago because they would end up in lakes where fish swam through them and got tangled up.  That's the reason I'd heard.

Second, a little research showed these steel cans with pop tops are from the mid 1970's.

Third, the funky 70's swirly design and the brown/green color scheme are very retro.  It reminds me of some of the animated Sesame Street shorts from when I was a kid.  Pre-Elmo, of course!!!

This was the first connected 6-pack of cans in my collection. And I love that it's so old.  Definitely a piece for my Museum de Cans.

New Diet Coke Design

So I got my hands on the new Diet Coke can design today.  I read an article last month that they were changing the look early this year.  But I thought they were going to the taller, slim 12oz can.  This is the regular size 12oz can.

There are also new flavors to try.  I'll certainly be collecting them all, so I may do a quick review of each flavor as I get them.

We live in exciting times.

Are You Ready For Some Football Cans?

I'm not a sports fellow.  So when I show these football (American football) cans, I don't have much to say other than, "New cans for my collection."

And those are my newest football cans.  Go team!

Rotten Soda

So this is Rotten Soda.  Well, it's one of the Grossery Gang sets and it was given to me a few months ago on my birthday.

Remember Wacky Packages?  Or Garbage Pail Kids?  This is a modern incarnation of something like those.  And as the side of the "can" says, "It's more rotten than..." a bunch of gross stuff.

So this is one of those toys that has TONS of little collectible characters.  In this case, there are 150 to collect and this is series 2.  Doing a little research for this post I found the Official Website.  There you can play games, watch the TV commercials, and even watch the cartoon series!  

Included in this can set are four figures.  I don't know their names, or even if they have names.  You can see three of the figures in the window but the 4th is a mystery!  Which means you have to buy the can to see if it's that rare one you need for your collection.

I tell people giving things like this to me is dangerous.  I'm obviously a collector and it's easy to get me started on a new collection.  But I can pass on this one although I love this can-themed set, it fits in great with the other novelty items in my can collection. 

And what didn't show up in any of these pics is the line on the side of the can that says "Made from the finest sewer juice!"  Now that's just gross.

Havana

Havana, ooh na-na (ay)

Half of my heart is in Havana, ooh-na-na (ay, ay)

He took my back to East Atlanta, na-na-na

All of my heart is in Havana (ay)

There's something' 'bout his manners (uh huh)

Havana, ooh na-na (uh)

2017 New Dews

These are the new Mtn Dew cans I acquired in 2017.

These have been out for several months, but this is the current can design for Mtn Dew.  Above I have the regular, diet, and caffeine free diet models.

I've done several posts regarding Mtn Dew and their Game Fuel promotions for various video games.  These cans came out to promote the newest console itself, the Xbox One X.

These are two holiday-themed cans that were released.  The first was Dew USA which came out around our Independence Day.  The second one is Holiday Brew which came out for this Christmas holiday season.

I'm sure there were other designs and promotions, but these are the ones I saw.  And now let's see what 2018 brings...

Christmas 2017

MERRY

CHRISTMAS

2017

Triple Shot

BANG!  BANG!  BANG!

An acquaintance of mine went on vacation over the summer and returned with three cans of BANG energy drink, a brand not found where I live in the Midwest.

But the can is clear to state the energy does not come from tons of sugar, which causes a metabolic crash when it wears off.  This drink boosts you with creatine, caffeine, CoQ10 (afraid to ask what this is), and branched chain amino acids.  You know, sugar actually doesn't sound too bad.

And the flavors sound fun: Cotton Candy, Sour Heads, and Star Blast.

So for a no-carbs, no-sugar, no-calorie, no-artificial colors energy drink made in the USA, you can't beat BANG for your buck.

pew pew

Too Cold & Too Hot

In 2016 Sprite unveiled its lyric cans.  I found a few cans here and there and then decided to buy a 12-pack to see how many different cans I could get at once.  We don't drink much soda in this house, so it took a while for us to make it through that 12-pack.  In fact, one can got buried in the fridge and was in there over a year.  When I discovered it a few months ago, this is what I found:

For some reason this can must have been in a really cold spot, the top had extended.  The soda inside was not frozen, I bottom-opened the can and drained it.  This one went in the Oddities Wing of the collection.

One morning over the summer I arrived at work and in my office sat a Coca-Cola can.  In fact, it was this one:

Where had it come from?  Later that day, our delivery driver said that can had been left in one of the delivery vehicles and the summer heat must have caused the top to extend.  I told him about the similar Sprite can I had at home.  So I bottom-opened this can, drained it, and added it to the Oddities Wing of the collection.

Whether a can gets too cold or too hot, the results are the same.  Now there's a science project for you, kids.

Double Left Hook

Someone I know recently returned from a car show in Daytona Beach, FL.  As a souvenir, I was given these two Left Hook energy drink cans from there.  I've never seen that brand here in the Midwest.

The first was a mango tropical can.  I was told this was the better of the two flavors.  Left Hook is distributed by RaceTrac, located in Atlanta, GA.

The other flavor was citrus.  The caffeine content is 77 mg/ 8 oz, and since these are 16 oz cans with two servings each, that's a lot of caffeine.  For reference, a regular Pepsi has 38 mg/ 12 oz.

I wonder if the name comes from the after-effect when the caffeine wears off... like you just took a left hook to the head.

Puzzling Coca-Cola Can

My parents went on a vacation over the summer and this is the souvenir they brought home for me.

And what makes this can so special? I thought as I removed it from the gift bag.  And then I noticed it was a puzzle.  I took the can out and removed the plastic from around it and the can looked remarkably real.  It even had a fake tab on the top.

I wasn't sure how a can could be a puzzle, but when I removed the first few pieces I saw the puzzle was just a shell around a central core.

Each piece has a recessed circle which fits snugly on the pegs around the core.  Although this puzzle only has forty pieces, it's still a challenge.  

As with any other puzzle, it's easiest to start with a border.  In this case, either the top or the bottom edge of the can.

Pepsi Skinny Can

The Pepsi "skinny can" was introduced in early 2011 during Fashion Week.  It was described as a "taller, sassier" version of the traditional can, made in "celebration of beautiful, confident women."

OF COURSE that was going to cause controversy.  Some critics said it promoted the idea that skinny is better.  The National Eating Disorder Association said the new can's image was "thoughtless and irresponsible."  Others complained it conveyed the message, "If you're confident on the inside, you'll be skinny on the outside."

Pepsi replied by saying, "We are sensitive to this interpretation, and that is definitely not our intent."  They said the can and its campaign were focused on design.

Blah-blah-blah...

Last week a co-worker handed me two new Pepsi skinny cans.

The patterns on the cans could easily be missed, especially on the blue can.  But I thought they were really interesting.

What will they think of next?  Skinny jeans?

Three Cheers

Ok, Three Cheerwines. 

You know how someone will give you a soda that you don't feel like drinking at the time, so you put it in the fridge for later?  And then someone gives you another one and you put that one in the fridge for later too.  And then it happens again.  I recently took inventory of the sodas I've been given and discovered a nice little Cheerwine collection. 

One is a can labeled "Local Legends National Treasures" which requests stories of local legends be submitted to the Cheerwine website.

Another one is a glass bottle also sporting the Cheerwine Legend label.

The third one is a plastic bottle of Cheerwine Kreme, which is a combination of Cheerwine soda and a Krispy Kreme donut.  I haven't tasted it yet, but that sure does sound SWEET!

Three cheers for Cheerwine!!!