We have had two more days of Easter celebrations including Coke testing. If you don't know what a cola test is, just keep reading. We can say that this activity was completely new to us too, but it was really fun!
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Easter celebrations Easter Day
We came home from Ringsö in Lake Mälaren, where we were installed a chimney for a wood-burning stove, on Easter Sunday morning. A few hours later we were visited by Peter's son Robin and his wife Alexandra, and their friends Marcus and Ida.
It was a super nice afternoon and evening, first with bubbles and small picks on the deck and later with dinner in the kitchen. But in between we actually had time for a ... cola tasting!
Coke testing
Marcus and Ida surprised us by bringing eight different varieties of cola, which they bought from the Soda Nation store in Söder, Stockholm. We had never heard of this store before, but apparently it specialises in soft drinks from all over the world, from both large and small manufacturers. For our cola tasting, we took home eight types of cola:
- Karma Cola from the United Kingdom
- Jarritos from Mexico
- Curiosity Cola from the United Kingdom
- Cola Baladin from Italy
- Mexicane Cola from the USA
- Beckland Orchard Craft Cola from the United Kingdom
- Provisions Cola from Germany
- Kitty Cola from Sweden
How does a cola test work?
There are probably no rules on how to conduct a cola test. shall go to. Not that we know of anyway... But despite this, we obviously took the cola tasting very seriously! We tried one variety at a time, in small nubby glasses, and scored (1-5) on slips of paper, while wildly discussing the different flavours. Didn't one taste like cola apples ... or was it more like calippo ice cream? Didn't another have a raspberry flavour? Or perhaps of rum?
Really fun actually, and interesting to experience that cola can taste in so many different ways. Which variety "won" the cola tasting? Of course, we had different opinions, but two favourites were the German "Proviant Cola" and the Mexican Jarritos.
Easter celebrations on Easter Monday
On Easter Monday we continued the Easter celebrations with a visit from my (Helena's) mum in the houseboat. There was lunch, Easter cake and a lovely walk along the water to Huvudsta Gård. It has been a really nice and varied Easter weekend!
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Marina says:
Exciting with cola testing! I admit that I did not think there were different variants, so I have learnt something new today! (the plan is to learn at least one new thing every day, and it goes quite well actually, and this day is already saved!)
Hope you had a good Easter weekend!
23 April 2019 - 7:17
Helena says:
I didn't even realise there were different varieties (except for Pepsi). What a great plan to learn a new thing every day! I will probably have to hang on to that! 🙂
23 April 2019 - 12:52
Ama de casa says:
I was kind of addicted to Coca-cola from childhood to sometime in the 20s (when I was 20+, not the 1920s 😉 ). Then I did NOT like the fact that there were mistakes, no it would be original Coca-cola and nothing else. Anders did a blind test once (although not close to the number of varieties you had) and I picked the "right" product. Now I never drink any soft drinks at all, water is best! (Unless you get wine or beer then, that is 😉 ).
What a wonderful Easter you have had! Here the weekend itself has been rained off, but right now I see the sun again - it is welcome 😀.
23 April 2019 - 10:00
Helena says:
I'm glad you managed to kick the soda habit! We only drink soft drinks on occasion. Beer and wine we are a bit weaker for 😉.
23 April 2019 - 12:52
Anna / boihusbil.se says:
A cola tasting would have been fun, especially with my husband who is a real Coca-cola devotee. However, he buys Mercadona's cola, because it is good enough, he says 🙂.
23 April 2019 - 10:06
Helena says:
Surely even more fun if you are a "saved" cola drinker! 🙂
23 April 2019 - 12:53
Mr Steve says:
A varied and slightly different Easter celebration.
23 April 2019 - 13:45
JoY says:
Hahaha I thought it was candy caramel, which you should try, how wrong it was. Fun thing to try, had no idea that there were so many different varieties. Although we never drink soda, only tonic to GT hihihi
23 April 2019 - 13:46
Helena says:
We also drink soft drinks very rarely actually, but it was still fun to try 😉.
24 April 2019 - 5:58
Sandra Lifsresor.se says:
I had to undergo a cola test at my bachelorette party or maybe rather a cola test. I really like cola and since I don't like much else in terms of drinks, including alcohol, there will be some cola. And then it should only be the real variant. The rest are inferior substitutes I claim. However, my friends thought I was not really in control and subjected me to a test. A blind test with 7 different varieties. I started to smell one by one and at glass number 4 I said stop, this is real cola so we don't need to continue and not taste. And of course I was right...
23 April 2019 - 15:45
Helena says:
Haha, yes, if you drink it often, you'll learn to recognise the taste 😉.
24 April 2019 - 5:59
Britt-Marie Lundgren says:
What a wonderful weekend you had with both work, nature and nice socialising.
I didn't know that you could have a cola test... But that's it for me. If there is something I have never been able to drink, even as a child, it is cola. How awful...
23 April 2019 - 16:35
Helena says:
Haha, the concept of cola tasting was completely new to us too 😉.
24 April 2019 - 6:00
Husis blog says:
How cool, to try different types of cola. The owners who almost thought that it was only Cola and Pepsi that applied. This will probably be a tip on purchases for the upcoming Stockholm trip.
23 April 2019 - 18:44
Helena says:
Same here, I had no idea there was anything other than Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola. You learn new things all the time 🙂
24 April 2019 - 6:06
Emma, sun like sun? says:
Fun there with the Cola test, know that there is RC Cola and a bunch of others but not so many and not the ones you tried. Interesting!
Read about Ama's penchant and apparently she shared it with my husband. He could easily down a 2-litre Coca Cola a day. At one wedding he was called "Cocainist with lofty plans" as he was training to be a pilot. I was a "tea-drinking cat lady" but that's another story... Nowadays he drinks Pepsi and the amount has decreased significantly!
It's actually a lot of fun to do these tests!
23 April 2019 - 20:58
Helena says:
Some people drink a lot of soft drinks; I think it's easy to get "stuck" with it. But good to succeed in reducing! 🙂
24 April 2019 - 6:08
BP says:
What a fun thing - cola tasting. I've never seen these brands, and they were very nice bottles too.
Yep, you have had a great Easter weekend with many ingredients:-)
23 April 2019 - 21:24
Helena says:
Aren't those nice bottles? I agree! 🙂
24 April 2019 - 6:08
Maria/ Magnolia Magis says:
The cake didn't look bad... Yum! Cola tasting would be fun to try. We had a Christmas moustache tasting one year. Funny because we got a new favourite in the family! Zeunert or whatever it's called... Looks like Easter was good! Here too!
23 April 2019 - 21:51
Helena says:
Christmas moustache tasting? Haha, that was also interesting! 🙂
24 April 2019 - 6:10
Ruth in Virginia says:
Helena and Peter!
Why did you take it easy during Easter?
++++++++++++++++++++++
(FYI - can´t stand the taste of ANY cola)
24 April 2019 - 5:17
Helena says:
Hi Ruth! No, it doesn't feel like we've been taking it easy 😉.
24 April 2019 - 6:11
Ruth in Virginia says:
But I like the old slogan
"Rum and CocoCola" with Andrew Sisters
24 April 2019 - 5:24
Helena says:
🙂
24 April 2019 - 6:11
Lena - good for the soul says:
You seem to have had a lovely and varied Easter with nice weather, just like me!
Hug Lena
24 April 2019 - 8:01