Over the years I have indulged in different drinks. And truth be told, I have enjoyed most of them.

In my younger days, there wasn’t anything that quenched my thirst better than a soda.

However, thing’s has changed a lot over the years, especially when it comes to the container that holds the Liquid Candy. 

That’s what some called it back when.

Most containers back when were made from glass, and thinking about that they had some pretty fancy ones too. 

From tall to short, fancy lettering, to just plain, they had them all.

I can remember going into what they used to call a Soda Fountain. There you could get a sandwich, hot dog, ice-cream, and sodas of all kinds.

My favorite was a Cherry Coke Float mixed with ice-cream, and blended to a set texture that would be hard to copy today.

I have to tell you they were definitely tasty.

I also enjoyed the environment that I got when walking into the place. Right away you would see a bar, something like in the old Hotels they had at the time.

Actually, they made me feel like a grown up. As I could walk in and sit myself down at the bar on a stool, swirling myself around in a circle, while chatting away to the Soda Jerk. 

Most had a nice personality, and it seemed it didn’t matter what you wanted to talk about, that Soda Jerk had an answer for everything. 

I honestly don’t know how he did it.

His job consisted of working at the soda fountain, swinging the soda fountain handle back and forth when adding soda water to a fountain beverage. 

They prepared some of the best milkshakes I have ever tasted, along with other treats, using mixers, that featured spindles and agitators, that forced air into the drinks.

When them machines finished doing what they were made to do, the drinks came out smooth and fluffy. 

The next thing I enjoyed was watching how they took the steel container, pouring the milkshake, or whatever into tall glasses.

It sure was a sight to see, let me tell ya. My mouth still waters thinking about it.

You know! I could sit and watch the feller make them drinks for hours.

And the best part was, that most of the time, they didn’t mind how long I sat there, either.

Yes … things have changed over the years, I grant you that. But to this date I have never found a place that could make a Cherry Coke Float like they used to many years ago.

Anyway now that I have all your taste buds flowing, there is one last thing that I would like to talk about today.

It’s about a feller I got to know while visiting our Cottage in Sarasota, Florida many years ago.

This fellow owned a gas station, and at the back of his store, he had over the years saved, literally, hundreds of different kinds of Coca-Cola Bottles.

When he first showed me, I would have never believed that there were so many kinds.

Quite a sight to see.

Anyway, I thought I would share that with you, if for nothing else than it might make you think twice before throwing certain things away.

He told me, today his collection is worth thousands of dollars.

Until the next time. You can reach George Walters at: [email protected]