Whether you call it a soft drink, a carbonated beverage, a soda, a pop or you just call them all Coke there's no denying that soft drinks are appealing.
People often disagree about which type or brand of soft drink is best, but if you live in an area that has a regional brand you'd better at least pretend to like it too, because folks there are probably mighty attached to their regional brand.
These regional favorites are seen as a part of people's lives in these areas, but many residents have forgotten where these particular soft drink brands came from, not to mention why they're so popular in their region.
Take Moxie for instance- it's a big hit in New England, especially in Maine where Moxie has been the official state soft drink since 2005, and yet it tastes a bit too medicinal for most folks.
That flavor comes from the fact that the drink's inventor, Dr. Augustin Thompson, originally intended Moxie to be a tonic that "nourishes the nervous system, cools the blood, tones up the stomach, and causes healthful, restful sleep."
The soft drink craze was just taking off, so the doc decided to market Moxie as a soft drink, and the rest is New England beverage history!
Read The Stories Behind 11 Regional Soft Drinks at mental_floss