this post was submitted on 18 Dec 2024
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I love it with bourbon but don't want to support genocide... Tried pepsi zero, not the same and they work with sodastream...

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[–] HurlingDurling 11 points 10 hours ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

isn't that just flat favourless tonic for poor people?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

You should see some of the filtration systems I've seen mounted on the sides of rich houses I work around

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 hours ago

On the one hand, that's excessive. On the other hand, if I had the money, sure why not -- you can't trust the regulators anymore

[–] passiveaggressivesonar 3 points 10 hours ago

Go sober like the people of Gaza and make your own cola at home, lots of recipes online and it will definitely taste better

[–] [email protected] 10 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

85% of products you buy of literally anything in some form benefits towards those who do fucked up shit. You can't avoid it.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 hours ago

Not all products have an organised boycott movement behind them. The number of large-scale organised boycotts is quite small and easy to participate in.

[–] Sgt_choke_n_stroke 4 points 12 hours ago
[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 hours ago

Honestly, the best you can do is try a bunch of stuff and research the company if you like it. It also really depends on how you define an ethical company. Even if you remove capitalism from it, if you look into deeply enough you're going to find that every company has done something unethical or works with an unethical party within their supply chain.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

Cheerwine Zero exists. It is a black cherry flavored soda. Idk if it is available outside of the SE USA, where I live. Wikipedia says "It has been produced since 1917, claiming to be 'the oldest continuing soft drink company still operated by the same family.'" So, maybe less evil? I do know it tastes quite good.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 14 hours ago
[–] [email protected] 6 points 18 hours ago

Make the spice syrup at home and mix that directly into your bourbon then carbonate the results and add water as needed.

It will be a million times better and you'll only need to make new syrup a few times a year.

An example recipe is here https://www.flavorlab.xyz/recipes/cola

[–] [email protected] 4 points 16 hours ago

Fritz Kola super zero

[–] [email protected] 16 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

Almost all soda is produced by a corporation run by psychopaths. Your best bet is to stop drinking soda.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 22 hours ago

While it is a fair point that there’s no ethical consumerism under capitalism and soda is bad for you, I still want a drink and bourbon goes quite well with coke. I just hope to not support a company actively supporting genocide. I’d hope that’s a low bar for companies but you’re right it may not be.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (1 children)

Find some local alternatives. There's so many craft sodas out there these days.

My favorites around here are Northern Sodas, Lift Bridge, and 1919 Root Beer. Holy shit, pony kegs of 1919 are the best thing ever.

Edit: I forgot about Sprecher Soda somehow. Their Green River is. The. Best. Soft. Drink.

[–] BrianTheeBiscuiteer 2 points 5 hours ago

Most smaller brands don't have the excess funds to lobby, etc.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)

don't go for similar - nothing will taste close to your favorite.

find something new that you love.

asparthame is the zero-cal sweetener that tastes the best to us, so try Clear American flavored waters at Walmart

[–] HoneyMustardGas 4 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Sucralose tastes better and is healthier. SAMs club colas are pretty good

[–] testfactor 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Healthier how? Every independent study comparing sugar substitutes I've ever read puts aspartame as the healthiest/safest.

[–] HoneyMustardGas 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] testfactor 2 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Sure, of course it's better with people who have a phenylalanine allergy, lol. That's like saying peanut free candy is better for people with a peanut allergy.

The kidney thing, I'll note that your source says it "may be" better, but it's also worth noting that aspartame has had 50yrs of studies against it, and in huge volumes (largely driven by the sugar lobby in the 80s and 90s). It's the most studied food additive in the history of the FDA and has never been meaningfully linked to any sort of major negative health issues.

The acceptable level of intake for aspartame is 50mg/kg vs 5mg/kg for sucralose, and the list of potential side effects is shorter, with sucralose including "diarrhea" and "muscle aches" in the list.

[–] HoneyMustardGas 2 points 7 hours ago

I know. The FDA says it is safe. Aspartame is bad for those with schizophrenia or any mental health in the fact that it can interfere with some SSRIs and antipsychotics. Caffeine is also a thing they say to limit for those taking them. The studies on some are still limited in either case. Nothing super definitive otherwise the FDA would ban it. And if it really matters, and really this will contradict my initial point, but I don't think people are really aiming for "good nutrition" anyway because soda being a junk food, lol. If people are concerned they wouldn't be drinking it, even diet because of the sodium, which is probably the worst thing, since sugar is no longer an issue.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 14 hours ago
[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Does your local grocery store have store brand softdrinks? They can taste similar. Our local store has good quality store brand products that are sometimes better than their name brand counterparts. Obviously if you only have Walmart, then that’s not a model corporation and you’re out of luck.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 22 hours ago

Yes! Is there one you could recommend?

[–] Keeponstalin 3 points 20 hours ago

Kombucha can scratch that soda itch for me. Humm makes some good ones and is not on the boycott list.

There are also Italian sodas you can make with syrup and sparkling water, let's you choose the strength of the sweetness too

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Very good as well but I love the fizz

[–] [email protected] 1 points 22 hours ago (2 children)

I guess I could carbonate one lol

[–] JackFrostNCola 1 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago)

If you after carbonated go a whiskey highball.

Having said this an old fashioned is my go-to as i am a neat scotch drinker typically and this fits well (especially while i am out somewhere and dont want to pay "bar prices" for scotch).
And since the old fashioned is a bit flexible i migrate from rye to bourbon to scotch and loop back again, it keeps it interesting and its super simple if you want to drink it at home.
All you need is bourbon/scotch/rye, bitters, cherry or orange peel & simple syrup (make your own with sugar+water).

Too sweet? Use less simple syrup or use rye whiskey.
More flavour? Use more bitters.
Like smokey? Squeeze the orange peel zest over a lighter flame

[–] [email protected] 1 points 14 hours ago

Haha. I haven't tried it myself, but I've heard carbonated oaked spirits are not that good.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

Lime and Soda, raspberry lemonade

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

would doctor pepper work. not sure about near you but they are constantly on loss leader here. it was sorta funny. they were cheap then they got second place in colas and the sales went away. I bet their sales dropped because after a few months they came roaring back. It has a nice taste like a cherry cola but lighter.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (3 children)

I totally didn't think of them! Unfortunately I just checked and they're also made by coke...

[–] [email protected] 1 points 12 hours ago

I was going to say they are their own company seperate from coke and pepsi but just looked at apparently although coke was blocked from buying them in the us the name of their products overseas was bought up by coke and pepsi. so apparently the us is the only place its an independent company.

[–] Ensign_Crab 2 points 17 hours ago

Dr Pepper is owned by Keurig, not coke.

[–] Botzo 4 points 22 hours ago

I was gonna suggest Jones soda, but they seem to be owned by a chain of increasingly weird weed and crypto parent companies now.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

non-sweetened grapefruit sparking water is a good mixer for ryes and bourbons imo

[–] 13esq 1 points 20 hours ago (4 children)

Tap water.

I used to drink a lot of carbonated drinks but after I gave them up, I don't miss them.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) (1 children)

Yeah OP, just mix tap water with your bourbon!

[–] 13esq 1 points 12 hours ago

A splash of water in whisky isn't uncommon in Scotland, however you'd also get some weird looks for mixing your whiskey with coke.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 20 hours ago

The taste and quality of tap water varies hugely where you are. I find hard water particularly unpleasant.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 16 hours ago

I mix mine with my hopes & dreams for the future.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 19 hours ago (1 children)
[–] 13esq 1 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

A splash of water in whisky isn't at all uncommon in Scotland.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

yeah but nobody in scotland would call bourbon whisky

[–] 13esq 1 points 10 hours ago

Of course not, but I think that most people would agree that they are fairly similar spirits.