What I Did Last Tuesday in Cincinnati:
Finally remembered to go into a Kroger for some Vernors (no apostrophe) ginger ale, which for some reason they now call "ginger soda" (ugh). But I'd been craving it for, quite literally, the past couple of years, and OMG what a wonderful taste. Brought back a carton each of regular and diet, to compare, and both are excellent.
Vernors was kind of a special treat growing up in Columbus. We kept our share of soft drinks at the house, but for some reason my parents would only pick this up occasionally. My association with it back then involves sipping it on ice on exceptionally hot nights (in those days before air-conditioned houses). Oddly, my school years in Cleveland carried over that association. But I love the strong taste of ginger, and since you can generally only find Vernors in the Midwest, it remains a rare treat. But there's no excuse for that these days, what with online orders and such, and especially for someone like me who drives and visits those states with some regularity.
Apparently its greatest popularity is still in its home state of Michigan, with Ohio and Illinois a close second. I do remember being thrilled, when spending a couple of summers at the Meadowbrook summer musical festival (Rochester, MI) back in '68-'69, that it could be found everywhere, even in the soft drink dispenser in the school cafeteria.
Well, I should have brought back much more, because it's already disappearing. I'll do much better next time. I might even drive out of my way to find it in the plastic bottles which I far prefer to cans. (Of course I remember it in the original glass bottles, but I'll bet those aren't around.)
