Tried this for the first time today. I enjoy it :)

I’m aware they’re discontinued in the US

I’m looking for the zero sugar options 🤞🏽 I’ve missed these since they were discontinued in the US some years ago

If you've ever fallen in love with a seasonal tea flavor, you know that sting when it disappears. That's where a lot of us are with Caramel Apple and Wicked Potion from The Loaded Tea Shop—these two flavors are so good that waiting months to have them again honestly feels cruel.

Caramel Apple hits that perfect balance of not-too-sweet and just-a-little tart, while Wicked Potion brings this fresh blueberry and blackberry mix that tastes like late spring in a cup. They're not just limited-time treats; they're flavors that people genuinely crave year-round. Right now they're locked into seasonal rotations, which means loyal customers like us have to deal with that disappointment over and over.

There's a petition going around asking The Loaded Tea Shop to make these permanent menu items. If you've been missing these drinks as much as the rest of us, consider signing on. Who else has been wanting these to be permanently added to the menu?

https://c.org/H8bhmKhSyb

I know Diet Rite was officially discontinued 2 years ago by Dr Pepper, but I swear I saw a pallet of it this Summer at a tiny store in Wakefield, VA. Do some bottlers still bottle it? Did I make it up?! Was it just a limited edition run? Thanks!

Goa has Feni. Russia has Vodka. Assam has Apong, Jou and Xaj. So... are we sitting on a beverage goldmine and nobody told us? 😂

But here's the real question: How many people outside Assam can actually identify Apong, Jou, Judima or Bitchi without Googling them? 😂

Okay, hear me out. What if Assam's next big homegrown brand isn't another startup, café or fancy packaged drink, but something our indigenous communities have been preparing for generations?

And here's the plot twist: the Assam government was already thinking along these lines back in 2016!

When Himanta Biswa Sarma presented the 2016–17 Assam Budget as Finance Minister, he proposed researching traditional tribal brews, improving production standards and hygiene, introducing attractive bottling and packaging, and developing them as licensed heritage products.

He even brought up Goa's Feni and Russia's Vodka as examples of traditional beverages that had established wider market identities.

Basically, the idea was: why should Assam's indigenous drinks remain known only within their traditional circles when they could potentially build their own identity in the wider market?

And this wasn't just a budget-day discussion. In 2017, the Assam Cabinet approved the commercialisation of ethnic alcoholic beverages.

Fast-forward to 2026, and the conversation is getting interesting again.

The Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government has introduced community-specific safeguards for traditional beverages, with the objective of protecting the communities' cultural practices and ensuring that these products remain linked to their respective communities.

Then came another interesting moment.

On November 12, 2026, Himanta Biswa Sarma attended the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Wangala Festival in Meghalaya and personally tasted Bitchi, the traditional beverage of the Garo community.

Goa has managed to make Feni a recognisable part of its cultural and tourism identity. It has a GI tag. Mahua has a strong indigenous identity in central India. Himalayan communities have their own traditional beverages, including Chhang.

Meanwhile, Assam has an entire collection of indigenous drinks:

- Apong – Mising community

- Jou – Bodo community

- Judima – Dimasa community

- Bitchi – Garo community

- Xaj Pani – Traditional Assamese rice beverage

Just imagine the possibilities if these traditions receive proper research, documentation, branding and market support.

A few opportunities worth exploring:

1. The Feni model: Develop distinct heritage identities for Assam's indigenous beverages.

2. Tourism: Create indigenous food and beverage experiences for visitors.

3. Local entrepreneurship: Create opportunities for traditional producers, community organisations and women-led enterprises.

4. Research and innovation: Scientific documentation, quality testing, hygiene standards and responsible production.

5. Cultural preservation: Protect traditional recipes and knowledge while ensuring communities retain ownership and receive economic benefits.

Of course, this isn't about turning every cultural tradition into a commercial product. Community consent, food safety, responsible regulation and cultural sensitivities must come first.

But one thing is clear: Assam doesn't have to invent an indigenous beverage identity from scratch. It already has one.

Himanta Biswa Sarma's proposal to develop these traditional brews into heritage products dates back to 2016, followed by policy action and renewed public attention in 2026.

Maybe Goa has Feni, but Assam could have its own entire collection of heritage beverages.

We have the traditions. We have the stories. We have the diversity.

Now imagine giving them the recognition they deserve.

I didn’t like it! Has milk too!

Got a preference?

This is for my group's MKTG 407 project. We need at least 1000 impressions by the end of the week. Please help us out and if you have any suggestions on improvement please let us know!

Is there a place online I could order a mix a six pack of various cream sodas?

Pictured above is my prequel attempt at mock product humor, specifically with the hot dollar item Maruchan Ramen. A month ago, I drew a goofy version selling the Northern Pike Flavor. Now, I have come back, this time I decided to use my favorite soda. Fizzy hot soda broth has to be weird, right?

Hi all,

I’m trying to launch two non-alcoholic, still craft drinks to be sold on draught to bars and restaurants :

• a bissap (hibiscus, rose, lemon, ~25 g sugar/L)

• a maté-verbena (yerba maté, lemon verbena, lemon, ~30 g sugar/L)

pH not yet measured (test are in progress) but it's kinda low (~3 to 3.8), no preservatives.

Process : infusion at ~80-95 °C, still-fill into 20 L slim stainless kegs supplied already cleaned (steam/caustic) by a third-party keg provider, then pasteurisation of the filled keg (~65-70 °C for 20-30 min in a water bath) or hot-fill. Bottom filling, CO2 purge of the empty keg.

Use at the customer’s : keg connected to a standard CO2 beer tap (replacing a beer line), often at ambient temperature (most bars here have no cold room unfortunately...), pressure adjustable per tap, CO2 often turned off at night.

My questions :

1. What is a realistic shelf life once tapped, at ~20-25 °C and when refrigerated ? What spoilage signs should I watch for (yeast, mould, acetic bacteria, colour) ?

2. What service pressure for a still liquid, and how much should I worry about CO2 slowly dissolving into it ?

3. Is a pH ≤ 3.8 a safe margin, or should I aim lower? Any preservative strategy that doesn’t undermine a craft positioning ?

4. How big is the contamination risk from lines and taps, and how do you mitigate it (dedicated lines, rinse routines, cleaning frequency) ?

5. 10 L or 20 L kegs for slow-rotation venues ?

6. Does switching sugar (glucose, sweeteners) really help stability ?

7. Any advice on shelf-life testing or the microbiological analyses worth commissioning ?

I plan to run real-condition tests and lab analyses, but any experience (kombucha, juice, cold brew or iced tea on tap...) would help me design the protocol.

Thanks !

Ive been a few times and the sodas are okay. some get really pricey. I think they are supposed to be mixed with lean or are for addicts trying to sober up..anywho anyone ever been? thoughts?