Tag: vegan

Cold War Conspiracies in Your Kitchen: Lizzie No Tells All About Yoo-Hoo

Cold War Conspiracies in Your Kitchen: Lizzie No Tells All About Yoo-Hoo

Being denied sodas and sugary drinks as a child gave Sloane a particular affinity for unusual beverages, so a backstage conversation with Lizzie No inspired this conversation about 90s beverages from around the world. From New York to France, to somewhere in Eastern Europe, this week’s podcast is a trip down memory lane and the globe. 

A few highlights include a debate on if Yoo-Hoo was ever fizzy, and a conspiracy theory about Yoo-Hoo and the Cold War — it’s not what you’d think! Plus, what is the perfect shade of chocolate milk, and what makes the better real chocolate milk: Nestle Quik powder or Hershey’s syrup?

Beyond the milk, Lizzie No and Sloane travel in their memories to England, France, and Queens, NY before returning to chat about Lizzie No’s recent musical projects including a release of her EP Holidays, the Basic Folk podcast, and her upcoming work on the Black Opry Revue at the legendary Exit/In in Nashville, Tennessee in December.  

List of links

Beverage mentions

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Sneak peeks, outtakes, and bonus episodes available on Patreon.com/BubbleBottles.

DISCLAIMER:  These comedy episodes are for fun and are based solely on personal opinions of the host and/or guest, and do not claim to be fully factual or anything other than a belching good time.

AI Transcript

Lizzie No  0:09  This topic is hilarious and great to me.

Sloane Spencer  0:12  I’m obsessed with weird stuff and I didn’t even know about your Instagram when I asked you this question.

Lizzie No  0:18  Oh my god yeah, I was just thinking of you a moment ago because I made carat and collagen smoothie for drinks that I chose to actually talk about when you asked me is like the actual opposite of what like in a beverage and that’s the you know, the space between that’s interesting. It’s a hot mess Express

Sloane Spencer  0:40  Well, hey y’all Aslan Spencer here and you found us it is a bubble bottles and one of our fun new podcast where I asked music people what’s your favorite carbonated beverage now a little loose on it here and favorite can sometimes have some serious air quotes around it. Today I’m talking with someone who I just recently saw at an amazing music festival if you can imagine an entire music festival full of well partied folks silently listening to every word a musician saying that’s what happened when Lizzie no took the stage. So as you know, has a great EP that came out in 2020 called holidays. You should definitely check it out Lizzy no.com, also the co host of a great podcast called Basic folk. Welcome.

Lizzie No  1:22  Thank you so much for having me Sloane. I’m just pumped to kind of continue our backstage conversation from albinos gunk.

Sloane Spencer  1:29  Totally. So for those of y’all who don’t know, I am obsessed with weird beverages. I like regional beverages, ones that like maybe aren’t made anymore international beverages all kinds of someone’s like, really, you drank that? But I see out when I travel. And I’ve discovered I’m not the only one.

Lizzie No  1:47  Oh no, I consider myself a bed clean. But I tend to like focus on the smoothie, kombucha health side of things. But I can also be known to dabble in like a weird, awful corn syrup concoction.

Sloane Spencer  2:02  So if you want to see some of the range of this you should definitely check out Lizzy knows Instagram. There’s a whole segment dedicated to beverages.

Lizzie No  2:10  Yes, I do a highlight on like my different smoothie creations and then weird sodas I come across in New York.

Sloane Spencer  2:16  I’m a fan of the weird soda. I did my first cross country bus tour when I was a teenager. And that was when I first discovered Sasebo Marilla. So I’ve been obsessed with Rubio my whole life. I grew up in a family where I wasn’t allowed to have carbonated beverages. So once I was like finally on tour on my own, I could like drink whatever I wanted. So there I was looking for the weird root beer and like random gas stations across Texas.

Lizzie No  2:39  No, I can relate. I remember when I was 12, one of my church friends came over for a playdate and she had never had root beer because she thought it was beer like she thought, gall. And so like that was the first time I got to experience the exhilaration of like watching a friend enjoy a tasty soda beverage that I already knew and loved. Like he was like, Wow, I feel like I’m introducing you to this amazing new world. Welcome.

Sloane Spencer  3:04  So weird little side note about root beer that I learned only when I was researching some of these conversations that I’ve had with folks recently for bubble bottles. And that is that both SassaFrass and SAS Warilla are no longer allowed to be in root beer. Apparently they cause liver toxicity over time, which I did not know. You’re kidding. No true story. And I was like, really? I’m devastated. I’ve been drinking like chemical Root Beer coffees last year, like like it’s not chemical enough as is. So they’re like amazing beverages that you try as you’re on tour or in a place like New York where you have everything in the planet available to you. But they’re also there’s an amazing world of horrible beverages as well. Oh, yeah. So when asked the question, what’s your favorite? Sometimes this is like, Oh, this is my favorite. And sometimes it’s like, Yes, this is my favorite. So what’s your favorite carbonated beverage?

Lizzie No  3:57  It’s a hot mess Express. Oh my gosh. Yoo hoo. As a child I was a yoo hoo enthusiast. Can anyone actually say what is in there? Like I thought of it. It’s just like another fun chocolate milk. But it’s so much weirder than that.

Sloane Spencer  4:13  So it’s a super weird one. And so I’ll give my personal story with you who I wasn’t allowed to drink yoo hoo because it did not actually have milk in it. And my mom was the generation that you know like everyone should have milk with every meal because it builds strong bones so like we were not allowed to have you who and I was crushed because my cousin’s could have you who?

Lizzie No  4:33  Oh, my God, you so sad.

Sloane Spencer  4:37  Tell me about your memories of you who I have a wrong memory about it that I want to talk about.

Lizzie No  4:42  I just remember this busyness of it and like thinking it was similar to milk and like also being in the Oval team family like I feel like like growing up there was this whole category of drinks that were like chocolate milk alternatives nobody asked for that was like always available, you know, but Now that I’m actually reading about you, who did you know that they had Yogi Berra in their app? And he was a it’s a me he for you.

Sloane Spencer  5:08  So here’s the weird thing that I and my husband I actually had a whole conversation about this because okay, you said this. You remember you who being fizzy? Mm hmm. So do I. The website says it was never carbonated. Stop it. Everyone I know who’s even I was like calling my cousin’s going. You remember when your mom and have you who we were allowed to have it when we came to visit? And don’t you remember that? You had to pop the bottle off in that it was busy. And they all said yes, you website.

Lizzie No  5:33  We did like a Mandela effect where like, We’re old. Remember, fizzy group false memory.

Sloane Spencer  5:37  It’s crazy. Wait, what

Lizzie No  5:39  is going? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, it was busy. No,

Sloane Spencer  5:42  I don’t think we’re wrong. There are I think you who is wrong record.

Lizzie No  5:45  Yeah, I think you who’s wrong?

Sloane Spencer  5:47  Thank you who’s wrong? And like, I’m fixing to have like a Twitter campaign with them about this. Because it’s still around. They’ve got a strawberry flavor. Now,

Lizzie No  5:53  before you know what question comes up? Based on that? What do they have to gain by hiding the obvious business of this beverage?

Sloane Spencer  6:03  Well, right. So I’m thinking that this is an admission in the you who’s autobiography?

Lizzie No  6:09  I feel like this probably goes all the way to the top. And it’s probably a really dark conspiracy.

Sloane Spencer  6:13  Yeah, I mean, to be right. I mean, come on. So really, it’s funny, though, when you do when you go to their website, and they give their own bio, there’s this massive gap from the 1950s to the 1980s. Like you wasn’t the thing that I can tell you as a product. It was very much a thing. Do you think that that

Lizzie No  6:29  you who was like pulling the string of the Cold War? Why, and that’s why they are hiding their fizziness and their activities from the 50s to the 80s. Think about that,

Sloane Spencer  6:42  you know, as a product of the Cold War, I can say that the one big benefit I got from being a child of that era is I am highly suspicious of propaganda and fascism and I can spot it a mile away.

Lizzie No  6:56  Good as you should be.

Sloane Spencer  6:59  And that that’s why this massive gap in their history that they choose to tell about themselves is really weird. Yeah,

Lizzie No  7:05  it’s super suspicious. I think we need to dig deep into this and then like circle back

Sloane Spencer  7:10  I do I think that there is like some sort of socio geopolitical conspiracy going on here with you too. And it happened before the transition to strawberry ah, grabbers the key

Lizzie No  7:21  to everything hoping that someone is like a secret agent works at the State Department, someone who like has high security clearance that can totally into this for us, right and I’m a Scorpio which means I’m a steel trap. I never reveal a secret I just want to know

Sloane Spencer  7:37  I’m that person in the grocery line that looks really like pleasant and not scary and so people sit and tell me their life stories even when I really really really don’t want to hear it.

Lizzie No  7:44  I wouldn’t wish that crate on my worst enemy.

Sloane Spencer  7:48  So you know, it’s interesting as I’m looking at their stuff the thing that is also interesting to me about this very glaring gap from the 1950s to the 1980s is that when they do tell their own story in the 1980s which is the story of moving to juice boxes and adding strawberry it suddenly really really really resembles strawberry quick coloring everything Oh

Lizzie No  8:07  yeah. The quick of it all I actually forgot about quick

Sloane Spencer  8:11  strawberry quick you know with the rabbit and everything it really looks like it the branding is very very similar.

Lizzie No  8:17  Oh gosh, what story I’m sure I’m sure there’s like a story behind that

Sloane Spencer  8:23  has to be and they started like the coloring the font the layout everything that they were like, suddenly hiding the dash between you and who I mean, there’s an identity crisis going on here the pails

Lizzie No  8:33  that that font could tell because like I feel like kids are not drinking flavored milk like they used to

Sloane Spencer  8:41  what was your favorite flavored milk flavor? Strawberry. Same.

Lizzie No  8:45  I used to get strawberry milk at the bagel shop and the big yellow bottle.

Sloane Spencer  8:49  Oh, you were so lucky. So I think we’re gonna double down on this potential conspiracy theory behind you

Lizzie No  8:56  who I’m ready to chase this down wherever it leads. So I’m gonna get back to you once I have more info.

Sloane Spencer  9:02  Have you ever seen the various yoohoo products like frozen non dairy treats? I’m not familiar with them at all you frozen I’ve never I’m not familiar with them in the slightest. Wait like popsicles? Yeah, like in the 2000s they launched a line of frozen non dairy treats and for a while they were marketing them to vegans poor vegan

Lizzie No  9:23  they really short and this thick on so many thing probably tell I’m like on my phone trying to find frozen Yufu oh my gosh, there’s some truly disgusting looking like homemade recipes on this. How to Make Your Own yoo hoo ice cream?

Sloane Spencer  9:40  No. Oh, don’t do it.

Lizzie No  9:43  You know there are some things best left in the past and I think I just found a yoo hoo candy bar. Do you want me to buy that and

Sloane Spencer  9:54  so you who is basically water, high fructose corn syrup and some cheese Chocolate adjacent flavoring.

Lizzie No  10:01  It’s not good. Not good. But there was something so enticing about it when I was little

Sloane Spencer  10:07  I desperately wanted Yoo hoo, like deep desire, like this is something that I as a child should aim for. Yeah,

Lizzie No  10:15  I think it was sort of that like Nickelodeon marketing dominance. There were just like so many kids products being shoved in your face at all times on TV. And I think you who was among them, do you have

Sloane Spencer  10:26  any like beverages specifically from that time of your life that have stuck with you is something like this is still actually appealing in like a positive way

Lizzie No  10:33  chocolate milk flap, I feel like I kind of am undecided on whether it’s better to do the Hershey’s syrup or the quick powder, I can really get down with both. I feel like you cannot dial in your chocolate level a little bit more precisely with the syrup, some rye blean I like like a pretty light cappuccino colored chocolate milk. Like that’s still my jam.

Sloane Spencer  10:57  I get it. I like it where it’s like when I’m using the quick powder. I like it where it’s got a little bit where it’s kind of a little bit gray colored when when you stir it all. And you you can’t achieve that with the liquid. So with the liquid. I definitely want it looking more like my cafe LA. Okay, yeah,

Lizzie No  11:13  same page. If you want another drink from that time that I stand by orange Gina, which I called Orange, orange, Gina and Gina,

Sloane Spencer  11:20  the original one that actually had the little pulp in

Lizzie No  11:22  Yeah. really satisfying pear shaped bottle.

Sloane Spencer  11:27  You could hold it a certain way.

Lizzie No  11:28  I could actually still feel that bottle right now like the glass was. So

Sloane Spencer  11:33  I actually know the very first time I had that. That’s so odd. There’s everything. So I’m sure you can tell from my accent that I was born in London, England. Yeah, I was going to visit my relatives for the first time as like a sentient child. So I went back with my dad and we did a whole visit of all the various extended cousins in one night. I don’t remember what happened. But we did not eat supper. So we went down to the little market and I even know where we’re staying. This is so crazy. Sloane square, which is where I’m named for. So we stayed in a little hotel that was attached to the flat my parents used to live in it’s none of us is there anymore. And it was called the Wilbraham and so there was a little grocery store down below it. When my parents live there. It was called Oak shots, I believe. So when we went there, we went down to the little market and they had orange Gina and oh, what were the crackers. I think they were called tab crackers. They were really buttery, like rectangular with the corners cut off. I’m gonna I’m gonna look them up, but they were called. Anyway, that’s what we had for supper. I had never had a carbonated drink that actually was made from real fruit. I’d have like, yeah, Santa at that point. What’s your orange Gina experience?

Lizzie No  12:49  It’s next level. I have feel like it has a lot of big felt memories of like being in the backseat of a car drinking an orange Gina or orange Gina? Alright, orange, Gina, those in the know, call it sort of thing I would order at the hoagie Haven, Princeton, New Jersey where I grew up. I mean, it’s the huggy spot amazing sandwiches, salt and pepper fries and an orange gene on the side. Like that was my idea of like, true luxury. I mean, to this day, I don’t feel like there’s a better meal than that.

Sloane Spencer  13:18  I have a friend with a podcast. It’s about mental health. But one of the questions it’s called crashing rod Gilson, check it out. One of the things that he asks folks regularly is what’s your favorite meal you’ve ever had? And almost all the time. It’s not the food. It’s the feeling

Lizzie No  13:32  Oh, yeah. For me, that’s the hoagie and orange Sina feeling is like I’ve made it through hours of church services, right? I’ve stepped free into the sunlight. And now I get a meal that’s going to make me take a nap. It’s that emotional roller coaster of like, if I can just make it through church, I get fries and right. Oh,

Sloane Spencer  13:54  my goodness. So you do have this whole Instagram about beverages that y’all definitely need to check out. It’s in the I guess it’s in the real, the real the highlight reel, you highlight some great ones that you discover. And what I really like is like the brief review,

Lizzie No  14:08  thank you. There I voice is needed in this conversation. So I do not shy away from saying what I really think

Sloane Spencer  14:14  what have been some gems you’ve come across. There’s some just really sort of

Lizzie No  14:17  hard to find European sodas that are sold in the grocery stores in Queens. I’m going to be cancelled because I can’t remember or correctly pronounce the names of some of these eastern European like cherry sodas that I’ve tried. But if you’re ever in Astoria, go to the little Greek grocery store and like go down the soda aisle and you will not be disappointed. I actually once went on a second date just to the grocery store to like look at the various sodas.

Sloane Spencer  14:43  What a great

Lizzie No  14:44  idea if my passion. I get it so it looks like

Sloane Spencer  14:48  a soda flight. So I call weird little investigations like that adventures. So I go on these little adventures and I usually drag a friend belong but I’m all about going on an adventure. by myself if somebody doesn’t appreciate my deep love for weird beverages, I’ll just go do it on my own so

Lizzie No  15:05  oh yeah a one woman so the flight is a very good night to have what I’ve been drinking lately and they were kind enough to actually send me a crate of this seltzer which is just how I know I’ve made it. There’s this company called free rein that makes like herbal seltzer. Oh, one for focus. There’s one to like, make you feel sexy. There’s one to make you feel calm. They’re all very good stuff to me. That’s like my like, Oh, I’m having a like a heightened something special without going drinking. You know?

Sloane Spencer  15:38  So it’s like bubbly herbal tea.

Lizzie No  15:41  Yeah, cool, really good.

Sloane Spencer  15:44  I will have to check that out. And thanks to them for hooking you up with that.

Lizzie No  15:47  Thank you for your rain very much.

Sloane Spencer  15:52  It’s very cool. So this has been a super fun conversation. I want to be sure folks get a chance to find out what you’re doing musically. You have not only some gorgeous recorded music available to folks you are doing some really powerful musical events as well.

Lizzie No  16:07  Yes, I’m wearing my producer hat a bit these days and if people are in or around Nashville on December 18 I am going to be performing with the black opera your review which is just a collective of a bunch of different black artists in country and Americana. We are going to be at the exit in and Frankie Stayton is going to be our special guests so I’m so excited for that and people can of course find me on Spotify and Instagram and all the places where you find music. Yeah, I’m working on new music but I also put out an EP last year called holidays

Sloane Spencer  16:40  Lizzy no last name in Lizzy no died like no

Lizzie No  16:48  I’ve been no thank you

Sloane Spencer  16:53  so Lizzy no definitely check out her work the most recent EP again his holidays also the co host of the basic folk podcast for grab those tickets now the legendary exit in in Nashville and amazing music club hanging in there and in an area of town that is rapidly changing. The event is the black Opry review it’s happening December 18. Tickets are available guaranteed to sell out don’t sleep on it definitely a thing you might want to travel for if you’re not in the Nashville area, from Four Loko to Yoo hoo Orangina to Seltzer and cherry soda from Eastern Europe y’all we have in place today on this episode of bubble bottles. You want to find out more about the crazy beverages that we have talked about in the past you can find them at bubble bottles.com You can support us at patreon.com/bubble bottles but the important part is that you find your new favorite musician and you can do that with Lizzy know when it was you know.com Thank

Lizzie No  17:48  you so much. Well, this has been the most fun. Thank you so much. My pleasure.

Sloane Spencer  17:54  Take it easy and thanks everybody for listening. Thanks to Jacob for for our theme music you can find his catalogue at Jacob farrar.bandcamp.com That’s JCOBF you are are not bandcamp.com Thanks so much for our graphic design and logo from Keith Brogdon you can find his work thinking out loud design.com our show notes are crafted by freelance writer April Blake for you can find at the April Blake .com.