Give Me an RC Cola and a MoonPie (Soda Tasting #137)

In the southern United States, the combination of RC Cola and a MoonPie is legendary. No one is really quite sure how it started. According to the MoonPie website, it was in the 1930s when the duo was first paired as the “working man’s lunch.”

An NPR story indicates that one popular theory for this was because they came in bigger sizes than their competitors, giving you more bang for your buck. Workers could purchase a MoonPie and a 10 oz RC Cola for a nickel each.

In the 1950s, country artist “Big Bill” Lister released a song, “RC Cola and Moon Pie.” There is even an annual RC MoonPie Festival held in Bell Buckle, TN. This episode was recorded in LaGrange, Georgia, 43 miles away from Columbus, GA, where RC Cola was invented.

The RC Cola brand is owned by Dr Pepper Snapple Group in North America and Cott Beverages elsewhere. MoonPie is produced by Chattanooga Bakery.

Update: This soda was bottled by Dr Pepper Bottling in West Jefferson, NC. That bottler is known for only using sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. This bottle was labeled in a way that suggested it had both – with sugar as the second ingredient and HFCS as the fifth. But, after giving them a call today, it appears that the bottle is incorrect. The person I spoke with was surprised the bottle existed and I am going to follow up with them.

Update #2: I followed up with the bottler and I was told that the reason it is on the bottle is because there is HFCS in it – there is 1% HFCS and 99% cane sugar. It comes from the syrup that is used.

I’m joined by my friend Brandon Eley, who authored the book “Online Marketing Inside Out.”

Was the combination of an RC Cola and a MoonPie part of your childhood? Please let me know in the comments.

Thank you for watching.