Old New Coke - Stranger Things Food Items Part 1

Stranger Things has the WORST product tie ins.

I fell in love with the show's first season, watching it through twice before it really took off and became the phenomenon we all know today. I loved the hair (except for Will's, hasn't he been through enough?), the costumes, the attention to details, the soundtracks, and all the homages to other movies and media I grew up with. What I don't love? The merch.

For something that is so popular, so beloved, created with so much passion and skilled craftsmanship...the merch is cheap as hell. But...I keep buying it. Well, the food stuff, anyway. 

For example, during the mall season, Netflix and Coke brought back NEW Coke as an online exclusive purchase with Stranger Things branding. 

The Cola that fell to Earth - Coke Starlight

I am fighting the urge to obnoxiously yell, "SPACE COKE," the same way Peter Dinklage yelled "SPACE PANTS" in his SNL skit a few years back. 

This is a novelty product. I know it, you know it, Coca-Cola knows it...but I had to buy it anyway. It's Space flavored Coca-Cola. SPACE flavored. What does that even mean? There aren't any descriptors on the packaging, and the press release online boasted a "subtle cooling sensation." Will this be like those cooling Chinese ice cream Oreos I tried a few years ago that were mentholated? (I hope not.) I guess we'll see!

Was this a mistake? - Dark Blend Coffee Coca-Cola

Dark Blend Coffee Coca-Cola - Aldi

We heard you like caffeine, so we put some caffeine in your caffeine. (Any of you out there even remember Pimp My Ride?)  Anyway, Coke released a new line of sodas blended with coffee. There are three flavors available: caramel, vanilla and dark blend. That said, my opening line is true, these do have more caffeine than normal Coca Cola, but it's still far less than a typical espresso drink or any of the energy drinks on the market. So their angle  is less about energy boosting, and more about flavor.

I guess there is an audience out there for such a product? Personally, I was really skeptical about the whole mash-up. I thought it would either be so lightly flavored you could barely taste the coffee, or it would be so over the top it would be disgusting. Needless to say, I ended up seeing a 4-pack at Aldi and decided to jump in with both feet. 

So, I have four cans of this stuff (three now that I gave one to my buddy Jared, @farbeyondsippin on Instagram), so let's see how it tastes and what I can do with it!

Soda Sipping Spree

Soda Sipping Spree   - Misc.

As soon as you put something out into the universe, like "I'm quitting soda," forces immediately start to work against you. So, here we are. Barely a week later and I have not one, not two, but THREE new sodas to try AND even more soda coming in the mail because I am a sucker for Stranger Things and their New Coke promo.

The re-released Stranger Things themed cans of New Coke use the formula previously released in 1985, which is before I was born, so I jumped at the opportunity. As for the other sodas, my fiancee bought me the Spider-man themed Dr. Pepper as a gift, because he knew I was interested in it, as well as the orange-vanilla coke. The California Raspberry coke? That was all me. 

Time to jump in and see how these taste! (Sweet sugary caffeine, how I've missed you.) 

♫ Buyin' Lots of Groceries, Gotta Drink A Lot of Peaches ♫

Georgia Peach Coca Cola - ShopRite 

Let's see if any of you former 80's-90's kids can help me solve a mystery while I sip on some fruity soda. 

Growning up we had a few PCs with...really bizarre add-ons? The first one I remember was a CRT monitor in my bedroom that was hooked up to...something. I can't remember the OS, but what I do remember is that it had several Duke Nukem games and some bizarre dungeon-shooter game where I murdered knock-off Beavis, Butthead, and Barney the purple Dinosaur. (I never did beat Barney. His singing killed me too quickly. Googled it. OMG little-me was playing some kind of modded Wolfenstien?! Kill Beavis and Butthead? Where did I even get this?!)

Eventually we worked our way up to a PC with Windows 95, which was bundled with Echo The Dolphin, and, for some reason, a CD with the music video for "Lump," by The Presidents of The United States of America. Why? I have no idea. I found this Reddit thread where two other people seemed to have gotten the same thing, while others got Weezer and a different game? Does anyone know why this was a thing? Why these particular songs? I've been spiraling down this nostalgic rabbit hole for at least an hour on Google and I have more questions now than I did when I started. 

Anyway...thanks to that CD, I was introduced to the band, and I fell in love with their quirky songs, like Peaches. Long story short (too late) let's drink some peach flavored soda.