JB's Warehouse & Curio Emporium

The last in a series of testimonials from famous, semi-famous, and not-at-all-famous users of Vidal Sassoon products which, unlike the others, was printed all by its lone self. Guess the non-user had to be isolated to strengthen the punchline. Not that we mean any disrespect to Mr. Holder , whose half-century artistic career has encompassed acting, choreography and painting. He may be best known for two roles: James Bond villain Baron Samedi in Live and Let Die , and the white-suited 7UP pitchman who extolled the virtues of the non-cola during the 1970s and 1980s. Holder didn't see doing commercials for as a comedown. "I'm no snob," he noted in a 1975 interview with People magazine . "The commercial is an art form unto itself. After all, you are seducing people." View all of the ads we've found in this series . Source: a 1985 issue of Rolling Stone (forgot to note the date) - JB

Today's entry is a rewrite/update of one of the earliest posts on this site. Apologies to anyone with long memories. One of the joys of researching the pieces I write for other sites is stumbling upon pieces of my past that share the page with the topic I'm supposed to be writing about. The latest popped up while digging through stories and ads for the Grand Union/Steinberg's/Miracle Food Mart piece I recently posted on Torontoist . Proof at last that Chateau cola existed! My father used to bring cases of Chateau cola home from our local A&P - he really enjoyed guzzling it, probably due to the ultra sugar rush it provided. Chateau was an anachronism, being the only pop I remember that required a can opener to get at the ultra-syrupy liquid inside—let other soft drink makers include frills like tabs or push buttons. Punching holes into the can was appropriate, as the cola had the viscosity of motor oil. This was a small blessing, as it meant I couldn't bring a...

Now that winter's here (OK, officially it's still a day or two off), it's time to dust off seasonal drink recipes for your next soiree or ski trip. The fine folks at Dr. Pepper developed "the Boomer" to warm your spirits. Only your digestive system will determine just how devilish this concoction is. As one commenter noted when I posted this ad on Flickr, all that's missing are happy sweater-clad skiiers (it's hard to tell just what the stickman skiier on the right is wearing). Source: Playboy , February 1966 

Call these Pepsi cans cool, an 80s hangover, corporations trying to be hep to the jive, whatever. The classic summer archetypes are there: surfing, parties, neon, girls in sunglasses. I dimly remember seeing these on shelves, though I don't recall if we ever bought any. Available throughout the summer of 1990, Pepsi Cool Cans are the basis of an urban legend , specifically that stacking the black neon cans would reveal a word in the background that could end civilization as we know it. Pepsi officially denied subliminal messages, but one never knows. Stereogum has a short piece on the cans , whose TV pitchman was Young MC , fresh from the success of Bust A Move . Source: Sports Illustrated , May 14, 1990

One of the latest crazes in the drink aisle is pomegranate. Previously known as either an ingredient in Persian dishes or that funny red fruit that's neat to pluck the seeds out of, many companies have jumped on the bandwagon to promote its antioxidant levels. I'm waiting for the inevitable Larry King pomegranate AM radio ad. Loblaws has jumped into the fray with half-a-dozen pomegranate-based or related products, including today's test subject. Aside: Loblaws' attempts to compete with Wal-Mart have turned me off. I used to like their grocery chains the best, but now...meh. Business papers have reported on Loblaws' struggles with their supply chain, as the company has moved too quickly into building Real Canadian Superstores. These problems are glaring whenever you walk into their stores: half-empty shelves, items in permanent disarray, specials not in stock, etc. The household items I have tried lack quality (storage containers with lids that won't stay on...

Crush Pineapple Sobeys, Acton, ON Whenever I visit Guelph, I drive home via backroads, usually Highway 7. Except for the odd streetracer wannabe in Georgetown, it's far more relaxing than risking sleep or meeting up with south-of-the-airport traffic on 401. I'm amazed at how each time I drive along 7, Georgetown and Brampton inch that much closer together - when I owned my first vehicle in '98, Brampton sprawl began at Hurontario, now it's at broken-up Creditview Rd, with no signs of its westward march halting anytime soon. The occasional break along the way helps. One such stop, in Acton, produced today's find. This Sobeys had more drinks from the Maritimes than their Toronto locations - is there a greater concentration, per capita, of down easters in Acton? Crush Pineapple is definitely not something you see much around these parts. Package Notes: Typical Crush label, with curved logo, splash and fruit represented my artificial flavours inside the can. Wh...

Pathmark Fruit Punch Soda Pathmark, Newark, NJ Package Notes : Dark pink can promises "tropical taste". Drawings of pineapples and cherries in the background. Drink itself is light red in colour. What's It Like? : In the battle between the natural and artificial flavours noted on the front of the can, the latter wins. Overly sweet, tasting closer to bubble gum than tropical fruit. Dumped it down the drain after a few sips. Stains tongue but good. Would You Buy It Again? : Doubt it. It was like going to a bad luau where everything is made out of sub-dollar-store plastic. - JB

MARKET BASKET SARSAPARILLA Market Basket, Billerica, MA Package Notes : Bubbly motif, used on all Market Basket sodas. "Made with Sparkling Water", as opposed to flat swill drudged from a neglected New England harbour. What's It Like?: Root beer, with a mellower taste than many brands of the foamy stuff. Market Basket also has cans of RB, but I neglected to pick any up for a direct comparison. Indistinguishable colour from RB. Would You Buy It Again?: Yes, due to that mellower taste - it's easier to polish off a can of sarsaparilla than full-strength A&W or Mug.

We're back this year with more items available exclusively at JB's Warehouse. Remember - we're there to serve your gift-buying needs! Jones Soda is launching a limited-edition, no carbs/calories pack of the following holiday-themed flavours: * Cranberry * Fruitcake * Turkey and Gravy * Mashed Potato and Butter * Green Bean Cassarole Mmmmm, artificial green bean cassarole flavour... Undaunted, the folks in product research here at the Warehouse have come up with their own unique spin on carbonated beverages. Introducing JB's Own Handcrafted Fast Food Sodas ! * Cheeseburger * Chicken Wing - available in mild, honey garlic and Buffalo varieties * Nachos with Cheese * Poutine * Veggie Dog - for the vegan/vegetarian crowd Our researchers have also come up with these exotic JB's Handcrafted flavours: * Mucus - when you want a taste of cold/flu season without the distraction of falling ill! * Candy Heart - complete with floating messages, just like...

A hardy survivor of the soft drink wars, Moxie was one of the earliest to be widely available, dating from 1884. Originally sold as "nerve food", this gentian-root based drink (whatever gentian root is) was popular in the early half of the 20th century, especially in the Northeast. One of the first soft drink to mass-merchandise itself, especially through postcards. Most of the websites out there concerning Moxie deal with these items and their collectors. Moxie's last great claim to fame was as a running joke in Mad Magazine in the late 50s-early 60s. In one of the magazine's rare attempts at soliciting advertising, publisher William Gaines reached an agreement to feature Moxie's logo in the background of articles, using it as one of the magazine's running-joke names, like "potrzebie", "veeblefetzer" and "cowznofski". Results couldn't have been too successful for either side, as the name (usually imposed on a blimp) soon dis...

Chateau Cola Availability - mid-to-late 80s, SW Ontario A&Ps My father used to bring this stuff home from the local A&P - he really enjoyed it, probably due to an uber-sugar rush. Chateau was an anachronism, being the only pop I remember that had to be opened with a can opener. No tabs or push buttons for the Chateau folks. This was appropriate, since it had the viscosity of motor oil. The can itself had a vague drawing of a castle, with a generic font for the flavour name. The taste was sickly sweet, close to pure syrup. It was the kind of stuff that could give a kid a psychedelic experience, like that episode of the Simpsons where Bart and Millhouse go for the pure syrup Squishy. There were other flavours - the ginger ale was watery but OK. There may have been orange and grape flavours. But Dad liked it, and it was cheap, so we drank it. Attempts to find any information on the web for Chateau have turned up nothing. Anybody know who made it or how long the c...