The Untold TRAGIC Story of RC Cola

RC Cola is an American brand of cola invented by Claud A. Hatcher in 1905. It was originally created for Cole-Hampton-Hatcher Grocery Store as an early generic brand, to avoid the high cost of purchasing Coca-Cola syrup.

Royal Crown Ginger Ale was the first product of the RC Cola line, and it referred to the original ingredient: ginger. More ingredients were introduced under the RC Cola name including lemon, strawberry, and cane sugar. In the 1950s, Royal Crown company was leading the beverage industry to sell the first canned soft drinks, followed by the first caffeine-free cola.[4] Despite the company's innovation and mass advertising campaign, total revenue was low due to a lack of initiative in distribution.

[TheAlpineHomesteadAdirondacks]

RC tastes so much better Than Coke and Pepsi... when I was a kid in the 70's we would look for RC bottle caps on the streets of the Bronx because under the seal of the cap many had $0.25 cents, 2 caps got you a FREE 10oz bottle of RC Cola which was $0.35 cents and $0.15 cents change back... which usually went towards bazooka. A few months ago we lost a cousin in New Jersey and all of us after services met at a local Irish pub I was driving a long way back home so ordered a coke and the bartender say's is RC okay...? I and my cousins looked at each other we were in shock and happy and told the bartender yes it's preferred ...and what a sign that was for us... This Irish Pub has RC cola on Tap!

[robmorrill]

Oh the memories RC brings back! I grew up in the middle of nowhere near a major highway. All us kids would ride our bikes 5 or so miles to a motel to get sodas and candies from the shady motel owner named 'boots' he sold the candy inside but the sodas were in an ancient vending machine outside, the kind that had a long thin door and once you put in your quarter you would yank a bottle out. All us kids had quarters with a hole drilled in it with fishing line, worked half the time. He also would let us swim in the pool for like 50 cents. Nobody ever stayed at this motel, of course it was next door to an equally shady bar where one could find match books in the parking lot with 'risque' pictures on them. Being 8 years old I never made the connection lol. But those RC's were the best, big ice cold glass bottles filled with massive carbonation, great for some serious belching. The early seventies were a great time to grow up!

[epeterd]

I turn 52 in five days and this guy said the word "thus" more in under ten minutes than I have in my whole life.

[DebSherr]

I remember the late 1960's, I'd come home from school and buy an RC Cola at Fran's candy store. It was 16 ounces, cost less than coke and had bottle caps with prizes underneath the cap. I won 25 cents, I won a free soda once in a while too. It was the best cola around!

[juliewoods]

Nothing better than a RC and a Moon Pie. Brings back childhood memories.

[derekcolvin]

Keep an eye out for RC at Dollar stores in addition to Walmart sometimes you can find it cheaper at a dollar store in a 2 L bottle for $1.25 or less.
My dad grew up in Mississippi and when I was a kid and we were out on the road together he would stop and give me an RC Cola and a moon pie and I thought that was just the greatest thing in the world

[davesandlin]

As teenagers in the mid 1960`s my best friend and I would find enough empty bottles to get a RC Cola and Hostess cherry pie. We`d split the pie and each drink half the RC on our way home. He died a few years later in Vietnam and I still remember how good those RC`s tasted back then.

[brianbassettnumber]

In 1965 as a 7-year-old kid I walked into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and saw that there was no bottle of RC cola in the frig. So I went to the basement and brought a 1-quart glass bottle up. My 9-year-old sister was in the kitchen and watched me walk over to the drawer and get a bottle cap opener. As I was taking the cap off the bottle she was telling me that I shouldn't be... story of my life. The heavy ass bottle slipped out of my hand and dropped straight to the floor in slow motion. It landed flat and immediately vomited the entire contents of the bottle straight up. My mom walked in to find my sister and me laughing hysterically and RC cola dripping off the ceiling. Thinking back now I applauded her restraint.

[DS-kydl]

I have RC in my fridge...I prefer the taste. And in my area it is half the price.

[MichaelMickelsen]

Back in the 60's RC was my favorite soda. My aunt would buy 8 packs of 16 ounce bottles. We would go down to the hotdog stand get a hotdog and fries for $1 and sit in the backyard with our RC in hand. Those were the days!

[PerfectDanceVideos]

Coca-Cola probably bought off that judge on the ruling that the word "cola" was proprietary. Cola is a plant genus, the seeds of which are used to derive caffeine.

[SteelToes]

I've liked RC since the 70's. It's been a couple years, because I hardly ever drink soda anymore, but every once in a while, I see one, memories return and get it.

[Darci]

I changed from Coke to RC Cola a good while back and love it.

[davedammitt]

"the store specialized in buying items at wholesale prices, and selling them at a profit."
Just like pretty much every store on planet Earth.

[jhrvta]

As a kid in the '70s, we loved the 16 ounce bottle of RC. Why? They had "Cash for Crowns." If you peeled the rubber stopper under the bottle cap, there was a chance to win $1.00! For a kid, that was some buck! Of course they had 10 cent, 25 cent and 50 cent prizes. (If you lost, it would say "keep looking" lol). But dang it was fun being with friends and if you got the $1 prize, you were boss! Unfortunately, we all lived in the "projects" and the local RC bottling company was right next door. So the big kids would go jump the fence and take the bottle caps off or loaded RC trucks. They finally electrified the fence but the big kids would still find a truck being off-loaded unguarded at a local stores. Oh well. I loved RC and their 16 ounce bottle was a treat for a small kid. Still a vivid memory.

[alanwelch]

Back in the EARLY 60'S. My parents bowled in a league on Monday nights. My two brothers and I walked about a quarter mile to a store. We were each given $2 for dinner. We each bought our own can of Bean and Bacon soup and a bottle of RC cola. We walked home and took turns heating our soup (never togrether). And we had our RC Cola. We loved it.

[roberthenleynola]

I remember in 1985, when New Coke was introduced, people HATED it ... and many of us switched to RC Cola during that time. But then Coke came back with Classic Coke, and RC Cola got bumped to the end of the line again. When I was young, there was an expression, we'd tell the clerk at the store, "I'll have an RC and a Moon Pie!"

[robertbaldwin]

When I was a kid, we had a local restaurant that served only RC Cola fountain drinks with their coneys and onion rings. It went great together and was worth the heartburn

[TrailToughTrailers]

As a young teen in the 60/70's I was called The RC Kid. I collected everything RC I could my hands on. The back of my bedroom door I had painted a mural of the "New" RC logo as it had just changed it. I had several different RC bottle styles that also had changed. I bought a large wall clock after mowing yards and saving up my allowance. EVERYTHING was RC...

I drank a 6 pack everyday in High school. In So. Calif back then, many of us were wearing Army jackets and I would slip an open bottle in the front pocket with a piece of tubing running up my sleeve towards my mouth and sip on RC all day being careful not to dump over the open bottle. As along as I stood up, or kept my sleeve tucked into the pocket just right it worked great. Sort of a 70's Camelpak...

At the end of my 11th grade I was diagnosed with a bleeding ulcer and that end my career as The RC Kid. Years later, after sharing that story with my young son, he started drinking Dr. Pepper which ended up becoming him drinking any/all surgery drinks, but especially RED BULL and Starbucks coffee. Then after years of foolishly following in his old man's footsteps he got sick and had part of his colon removed due do all the crap he had poisoned himself with (sorry son, if I had only known we would have drunk ONLY water).

Anyway.... I found collecting RC stuff fun. I have no idea what became of all of it, but my old friends and family still talk/laugh about the good old times and The RC Kid days. Lastly, the last time I had one I couldn't finish it as it was way to sweet!!!

Moral of the story.... drink ONLY pure, clean water!!!

[steviem]

Growing up near NYC, RC Cola was a fountain drink staple in just about every pizza joint...there was just something right about eating a pizza and washing it down with some RC Cola and it almost enhanced the taste of the pizza.