Tom Angleberger

The New River Valley-based reporter answers your questions Mondays in his column, What's on Your Mind?

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Q: Please assist some of your "aged" readers in solving the mystery "what happened to our favorite soda?" Many of us remember a soft drink called Grapette that was widely available some 50-plus years ago. We all agree that it was our favorite soda. But we have different memories as to when it was no longer available. Some believe it disappeared during World War II while others think they could still get it in late 1940s or early 1950s. Thanks for any light you or your readers can shine on "what happened to the best tasting soda we ever had."

-- Walter G. Cox, Cave Springs

A: I've got good news, great news and iffy news.

The good news is that Grapette is back. The great news is that it's available locally and affordably.

The iffy news is that, after putting it to the taste test against other grape sodas, I have to wonder if it may taste better in your memory than in the 2-liter jug. It failed to stand out from Fanta and the Kroger store brand.

My wife described it as "sweetly chemical." Maybe that's what you liked about it as a kid.

Now you can try it again and see if it's as good as you remember. They've got it at Wal-Mart.

If that were all there was to this story, I probably wouldn't be writing about it. The real story is how Wal-Mart brought it back from soda-pop oblivion.

Here's the story as I've pieced it together from a 2005 news release and other information from the Grapette International Co.:

Grapette was indeed available in the '40s and '50s and, with diminishing availability, in the '60s. The '70s largely put an end to it in the United States, but Grapette International was still selling Grapette overseas.

Then came the '80s, and Wal-Mart began its reign.

You know those products called "Sam's Choice"? Well, apparently this one really was Sam's choice. Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart himself, wanted to put Grapette on his store shelves. But it seems that Grapette International wasn't able to sell the product in the U.S. under the name Grapette.

So a deal was struck, and Wal-Mart started selling Grapette products under the Sam's Choice label. Then in 2005, they were able to get the name back on the bottle.

Thus, you can now go to Wal-Mart and buy Sam's Choice Grapette. And Sam's Choice Orangette, too.

"The history of Grapette and Orangette shows us there's a demand for these items and we're proud to offer them to Wal-Mart customers to enjoy and share with a new generation who have missed these offerings the first time around," said Wal-Mart executive DeDe Priest in the news release.

n n n

Speaking of taste tests, I've finally had a chance to try Vegemite, thanks to reader Peggy Overstreet of Roanoke.

Overstreet, it seems, had befriended some Australians this summer, and one of them sent her handy little sample packages of Vegemite, along with a warning to use it sparingly.

Either through generosity or a desire to get rid of the stuff, Overstreet sent me two packs and the warning.

I put it on a cracker and ... kind of liked it.

It wasn't nearly as bad as I had been led to believe.

Salty, yes. But pungent and almost tasty. I can't think of any American product to compare it to, however. Perhaps if you put salt on one of those really strange varieties of cheese.

It's one of those things that isn't necessarily all that pleasant, but you find yourself getting another cracker and spreading on more. But don't worry, I won't pig out. I'll save the second pack for the reader who wanted it in the first place.

Got a question? Got an answer? Call Tom Angleberger at 777-6476 or send an e-mail to tomangleberger@yahoo.com. Don't forget to provide your full name, its proper spelling and your hometown.

Look for Tom Angleberger's column on Mondays.