TheSnackHound

Paper, Scissors, Rock (and Rye)

What exactly is Faygo Rock and Rye? I know it is a soft drink, but what gives it the flavor? The typical ingredients list is similar to any other soda, and the true flavor combination that causes the distinct taste is a true mystery, perhaps only known by one person at the bottling company.

Until the 1950s, Faygo pop was only available in Michigan because it would spoil. That is when they discovered there was something in the water causing that, and from there on out used a water filtration system. Through strategic marketing during Tigers games in the 1960s, and with the longer shelf life, the brand expanded to be a regional one.

I remember the commercials from the 80s

Remember when you were a kid?
Well part of you still is
That’s why we make Faygo…
Faygo Remembers…

Now, Faygo Red Pop, Cola and others have popped up around the country. Still, I have not been able to find Rock and Rye Faygo anywhere but in Michigan. There was actually an alcoholic drink called Rock and Rye. That R and R was liquer made from rye whisky with citrus flavors added, plus a piece of rock candy. I have never tried this so do not know if it was what the flavor of the Faygo version was based on, but it sure is not like any other flavor of soda that other companies carry, as far as I have tried.

Is there any other regional beverage or food you have been craving but cannot get anywhere else?

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 11th, 2008 at 5:45 am and is filed under beveraging. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “Paper, Scissors, Rock (and Rye)”

no image Stacey E (Who am I?) Says:

I was just recently drinking a bottle of Faygo Rock and Rye, and the first thought that came to me was that it tasted like red licorice. It also sort of has the “bite” to it that you find in Dr Pepper. I’m not sure that I could describe it as a flavor, as much as a “mouth feel” or whatever the fancy type people call it.
Regional foods/drinks? Mr Pibb. We used to only get it at Subway and some of the other restaurants. It can only be dispensed, because the Coca Cola company has the stupid notion that it will compete with Dr Pepper. Dr Pepper is also their product (usually) and they could only stand to make more of a profit by offering both. I could see if they weren’t making any money off of a product, to pull it from a region, but this is based on competition. And it’s competition with one of their own products. So backwards.

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2.2 (1 person)

November 24th, 2008 at 9:07 pm

no image thesnackhound (Who am I?) Says:

Ironically, I have a Rock and Rye in my hot little hands right now. Interesting comparison. You could be on to something. However, some of the licorice these days has gotten a little sickeningly sweet so sometimes i forget what it tastes like. At Halloween, Twizzlers had packs of awful red, green and blue mini licorice. The red wasn’t the usual flavor red is so it was kind of a weird thing eating it. The other colors were abyssmal.

I always wondered what Mr. Pibb was when I watched Mystery Science Theater. They would refer to it a lot. I knew it was a soft drink, but for some reason thought it was a root beer until one day I saw it in an actual establishment.

I noticed that some regional sodas started showing up in Florida EXÇEPT ROCK AND RYE because there is a market there as a huge percentage of people are not from Florida and there is a market with people who are homesick or nostalgic. Vernor’s is another one.

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3.2 (1 person)

November 24th, 2008 at 11:00 pm