The Hunt for Red Soda

When people have highly specific tastes, you find their favorites or die trying. Such is the case with Mixed Berry 7-up Plus. While two-liter bottles abound, the 20-oz bottles were discontinued many months ago. Cans are our only option, as our thermoelectric cooler (the 'frig hasn't worked since before we bought this place in Aug, 2004 but why spend hundreds to fix the sub-Zero when it will be replaced in The Renovation?) is about 10" wide x 17" high and the cooling apparatus takes up about 4" at the back.

When we moved to NYC, I found 12-packs of the cans at Gristedes once - but not again, so the hunt began. Associated/Morton Williams? No. Walgreens, CVS or Duane Reade? No. Eckerd? Yes - about a 1/2-mile walk with 10 lbs of soda...no problem. Until they stopped carrying it.

Is it bad to ask store managers to stock items that you've bought from them before? How about pestering them to do so? That didn't work, so I took another tack - accosting route drivers. The poor guy delivering regular 7-up and Canada Dry products to Associated never saw me coming. Please? Can you deliver 7-up Plus here? No, but Gristedes lets me stock with stuff they haven't ordered. So he delivered a 12-pack there the next day, and I bought it that evening.

I thanked the delivery guy the next time I saw his truck at Associated (my preferred store, as I had a big rat run right in front of my feet at the local Gristedes which makes the store somewhat less attractive for purchasing FOOD...). Yes, I ran into the store and accosted him with thanks. Now there are two more 12-packs at Gristedes of the three he dropped off on his next trip. I bought the first one, and am going back now for 12-pack #2. Tomorrow, we'll own 'em all.

Yes, in a small Manhattan apartment, I'm hoarding beverages. The happy fiance vs. storage space availability equation worked out in 7-up Plus' favor, even though I personally find the taste somewhat...interesting... ;-)