Soft Drinks

Fitz's Schuman Mule: Gut Check's Hump-Day Cocktail Suggestion

Anyone who drinks soda in the Midwest has probably heard of Fitz's. The St. Louis soda empire first churned out its famous root beer in 1947, and since then, it's become the craft-soda standard with twelve year-round sodas and numerous other seasonal and special-edition soda flavors. The best part? ... More >>

'Cue the Sights: Sugarfire Smoke House delights the eyes and the palate

Slideshow: Inside Sugarfire Smoke House

The Fitz's Election Results Are In: Did Romney Beat Obama in Root Beer Sales?

With the 2012 Presidential election cycle coming to a close next Tuesday, November 6, we at Gut Check need to check in with our ever-so-technical election predictor, the election-themed root beer sales at Fitz's Bottling Company (6605 Delmar Boulevard, University City; 314-726-9555), one final time. ... More >>

Fitz's Collaborates with Kaldi's and Pi Pizzeria To Brew Specialty Sodas

Fitz's American Grill & Bottling Works (6605 Delmar Boulevard, University City; 314-726-9555) has teamed up with two other local companies, Kaldi's Coffee Roasting Company (multiple locations) and Pi Pizzeria (multiple locations), to form a soda collaborative. Fitz's owner Michael Alter, who return ... More >>

Laumeier Sculpture Park Announces Partnership with Schlafly Beer

Laumeier Sculpture Park (12580 Rott Road Street; 314-615-5278) recently announced a new partnership with Schlafly Beer. We spoke with Jackie Chambers, development officer at Laumeier and Susan Haberer, event coordinator at Schlafly, to find out exactly how beer and art will merge, two things quite r ... More >>

Lawsuit Settled Alleging Mouse in Mountain Dew

As bizarre lawsuits go, it was the case that kept on giving. In 2009, Ronald Ball of Granite City sued PepsiCo, claiming he'd gotten sick from drinking a can of Mountain Dew.It wasn't the soft drink, though, that caused him to vomit up the neon green beverage. It was the mouse he says he found insid ... More >>

Taco Bell Test Markets MTN Dew A.M. Breakfast Cocktail, Gut Check Proposes Ten Alternatives

This week, Reddit reported that select Taco Bell locations are test marketing a new breakfast cocktail comprised of one part orange juice, one part Mountain Dew. Dubbed "MTN Dew A.M.," the drink is described as a "mixology" of the two beverages, proving that Taco Bell has no idea what "mixology" mea ... More >>

Survey Finds Busch Stadium Food, Drink Prices Above MLB Average

A couple of weeks ago, Gut Check tried the new "St. Louis Dog" from the Food Network's hot dog cart at Busch Stadium. The hot dog wasn't as awful as its toppings (barbecue sauce, Provel and crumbled Red Hot Riplets) might lead you to believe, but the real outrage was the price: $11. This year's edi ... More >>

#51: Root Beer Float at Dr. Jazz

Julia GabbertRoot beer float at Dr. Jazz​ Dr. Jazz Soda Fountain and Grille (29 N. Gore; 314-961-5299) is a homey little restaurant in charming Webster Groves. Dr. Jazz serves up your typical club sandwiches, burgers and lots of comfort food like chili fries and onion rings. The best part, th ... More >>

Bobby Flay's Spicy Mango Six Other Diet Pepsis No One Wants

Thanks, Bobby Flay. The Spicy Mango Diet Pepsi and Pineapple Chipotle Diet Pepsi you commissioned for your "Tacos & Tequila" event last weekend most certainly increased the Patron consumption. At least PepsiCo had the good sense to not put these flavors on the mass market. They already have enough ... More >>

Drive and Carl's Drive In

After the first scene of Drive, you'll be left thinking three things: this is not going to be your standard car flick; does Ryan Gosling have any lines?; Urban Outfitters is going to start selling a lot of driving gloves. Those scattered thoughts aside, the first scene will have you on the edge of ... More >>

A Root Beer Floater at Chill

Ian Froeb"Root Beer Float" frozen yogurt at Chill​The RFT likes Chill (7610 Wydown Road, Clayton; 314-932-5010). Honest we do. We named it "Best Frozen Yogurt" last year, and we take our Best of St. Louis issue almost as seriously as we do our unsolicited parenting advice.But, man oh man, the "Roo ... More >>

The New Coca-Cola Freestyle Machine Is Peachy Keen

Ian FroebCoca-Cola's new Freestyle soda fountain at the Ferguson Wingstop​On Monday, Gut Check told you about the slick new devices from Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Pepsi's "social" vending machine is still just a prototype, but Coca-Cola's Freestyle soda fountain is now available in St. Louis at the Win ... More >>

Diet Pepsi Empowers with Women's Inspiration Network

sodahead.com​ Diet Pepsi's taken some flak over the introduction of their new skinny can, intended to appeal to women concerned with the slimness and attractiveness of their diet beverage cans. The market of women who feel bad about themselves because of their soda cans is huge, we tell you. ... More >>

Coke, Pepsi Introduce Futuristic New Soda Fountains and Vending Machines

​Perhaps realizing that the "battle" between the world's two most iconic soft drinks (sorry, Dr Pepper) is simply a matter of whether you prefer the achingly sweet flavor of one or the other, both Coke and Pepsi are looking past the beverage to the beverage-delivery system as a new way to differen ... More >>

Top 3 Pet Peeves of a U. City Sandwich Maker

Photo by Nicholas PhillipsI sure could get you a to-go bag, but they're RIGHT in front of you!​In this series, food and drink professionals dish to Gut Check about their pet peeves anonymously -- but honestly.Gut Check Code Name:  Hot BunsPosition: Deli sandwich makerPet Peeve #1Hot Buns: "I ... More >>

This American Life Reveals Coca-Cola Recipe

​This weekend's edition of This American Life focused on the closely held secret recipe of Coca-Cola. (At least, as I understand it, this was the episode that aired this past weekend. Please correct me if I'm wrong! I didn't hear it myself.) You can download a podcast of that episode at the This A ... More >>

Study: Missouri Has 3rd Deadliest Eating Habits in U.S.

Image via​Missouri has the third-deadliest eating habits in the nation, according to a study by 24/7 Wall St. and reported by Yahoo! Finance.The study considered several factors: "...income, access to healthy food sources, the ability to pay for healthy food, the concentration of fast food outlet ... More >>

Beautiful, Confident Women Drink Diet Pepsi

Image via​It's Fashion Week in New York City, and Diet Pepsi is marking the occasion by reveling in gender stereotypes.Yes, PepsiCo has unveiled a new Skinny Can to celebrate, quoting the press release announcing the can, "beautiful, confident women."Let's listen to PepsiCo chief marketing officer ... More >>

Dr Pepper Test Markets Manly Diet Soda

Across the state, Dr Pepper's trying to appeal to men who enjoy diet soda but hate how drinking it makes them look oh so very girly. The Kansas City Star reports that the company's test marketing their new product, Dr Pepper 10 to the beef-loving cowboys in Kansas City. The newspaper says, "Accord ... More >>

Hansen's Creamy Root Beer Natural Cane Soda, Winslow's Home

bridgeandtunnelclub.com​Before researching this column, Drink of the Week knew one thing about root beer: It is made from sassafras. We knew that because many years ago, on a hike in the woods with Grandpa, he pointed out a sassafras tree. He snapped off a small branch, split it with his pocke ... More >>

So If I Can See Through My Soda, It Won't Make Me Fat?

Image via​Interesting story from Advertising Age: After several years of neglect, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Dr Pepper Snapple Group are preparing major marketing pushes for their lemon-lime soft drinks (Sprite, Sierra Mist and 7Up, respectively).OK, maybe not so interesting if you aren't a food-busin ... More >>

Something Fishier This Way Comes

​Bad week for tuna lovers. On Sunday the New York Times Magazine ran a feature warning of the dwindling numbers of bluefin tuna, those big and tasty cash cows of the deep. Now the paper's Green blog brings word that saltwater fish are more apt than their freshwater cousins to cause mercury poi ... More >>

Throwback of the House: 7-Up Goes to a Party Without a Clue

Robin Wheeler​7-Up doesn't get invited to many parties. She's plain and boring. Unless she's tagging along with her pretty friend Seagram's 7, 7-Up spends most nights at home, washing her hair and talking to her cat.In 1961, the Seven-Up Company -- then based at 1300 Delmar Boulevard in St. Louis ... More >>

Illinois Man Drops Suit Alleging He Found Mouse in Mountain Dew

​Ah, yes, Daily RFT readers. We know you've been waiting with bated breath to find out the outcome of the case of Ronald Ball vs. PepsiCo. Ball, as you'll recall, is the Granite City man who claims he found a mouse in the bottom of his can of Mountain Dew. Ball made the discovery, btw, after takin ... More >>

The Best of Gut Check: Hecho en Mexico

While Gut Check is on vacation, enjoy highlights from the past two years. Every few years I fail miserably to overcome my adolescent's addiction to Coca-Cola. I make it a few weeks or months -- but then, usually without thinking about it, I'm dropping fifty cents into the office soda machine or snag ... More >>

Gut Check: When the going gets tough, the $6 Gourmet gets going

The Dish: Boylan's Natural Cane Cola

Fizzled Out: Andrew Gladney, heir to the 7-Up fortune, is off to a federal penitentiary

Savvis Co-Founder Andrew Gladney Gets 33 Months in Federal Pen

Malcolm abandons Doritos mid-Quest

New at ~scape: "Backstreet BBQ"

Springboard Ale

LeGrand's Market
4414 Donovan Avenue
314-353-6128

7-Up vs. Coke, Part 1: From dot-com darling to disaster, the spectacular flameout of Andrew Gladney. Heir to a fortune, Andrew Gladney went from John Burroughs to Yale and came home to found Savvis Inc. Then he squandered it all.

Funny Ha Ha

B-Sides finds out why Neil Hamburger isn't Yo La Tengo's favorite comic, then gets cinematic with Undertow Records' Monahans.

Designated Drivers, Start Your Engines!

Coca-Cola Blak Carbonated Fusion Beverage

Approximate retail price $1.00
(retrieved from a picnic site)

I.B.C. Root Beer

Carl's Drive-In, 9033 Manchester Road, Rock Hill; 314-961-9652.

Pop Go the Weasels

Vault

99 cents
Shell
6211 Delmar Boulevard

Cheerwine

Blues City Deli, 2438 McNair Avenue; 314-773-8225.

Mint Mentos & Diet Coke

$0.77 AND $1.34 (respectively)
World News
4 South Central Avenue
Clayton

How Sweet It Is

Jennifer's is a thick slice of Midwestern paradise

Kamata Shoten lychee-flavored ramune soda

Central Trading Company, 8150 Olive Boulevard, 314-993-4303

Best Delicatessen

Two Cents Plain

Best Gaming Store

The Gathering Ground

Captain & Captain

Gateway Lounge, 4201 Prairie, 314-371-8855

Best Orange Soda

Vess Whistle Orange

Low-Fat Menu

Crazy Bowls and Wraps

Meating Place

Clancy's Butcher Shop and Catering purveys everything from top-notch gourmet meats to down-home barbecue