29 June 2009

Popular drink

Club Cool sits at the very edge of Future World and, for guests traveling from World Showcase down the central corridor, Club Cool is one of the first experiences they come into contact with. This positioning enables Club Cool to showcase a world of beverage possibilities. Aside from Build-A-Cup Stations for frozen drinks and product specific merchandise, Coca-Cola, the space’s sponsor, provides sample soda fountains which feature eight of their more than three-thousand beverages. Most guests who indulge in the small, but free, samples fall into two categories, those who are attempting to cool off with a drink and time away from the sweltering Florida sun and those who are maniacally trying to convince friends and family members to try their ‘favorite’ beverage Beverly. What most guests miss, however, is the opportunity to really learn something about the countries represented and the countries’ inclination towards specific flavors and types of beverages.

While each beverage is available in several countries, and in several different flavors (such as Coke and Cherry Coke), here are the tidbits that are offered for the eight countries and their representative drink.

Krest (Mozambique) – Ginger has long been used as a medicinal herb throughout Africa, so it is not surprising that Krest Ginger Ale is a popular drink in Mozambique.

Fanta KoLita (Costa Rica) – Fanta KoLita captures the essence of two Costa Rican traditional drinks. Aqua dulce (sweet water) is sugar cane dissolved in water. Frescas are mixes of crushed fruit and water.

Beverly (Italy) – Beverly, with its bitter flavor, is a popular non-alcoholic aperitif that stimulates the appetite before dinner.

Mezzo Mix (Germany) – Germans often mix their beer with non-alcoholic beverages like Mezzo Mix, a combination of Coca-Cola and orange flavor, to enhance the flavor.

VegitaBeta (Japan) – In Japan, the interest in healthy consumption finds its ultimate expression in “Health” vending machines that dispense vitamin drinks like VegitaBeta.

Kinley Lemon (Israel) – Historical records from the 12th century reveal that a drink made of lemons, water, and honey was popular among Genghis Khan’s thirsty warriors.

Lift Apple (Mexico) – Water flavored with fruit juices is a traditional thirst quencher in Mexico. The Spanish name for these drinks, Aquas Frescas, means fresh water. They are made by combining iced water with crushed fruit and sugar.

Smart Watermelon (China) – The Chinese produce 40% of the world’s watermelon crop and consume millions of watermelons each summer.

4 comments:

The Disney Chick said...

Thanks for posting this! Club Cool is one of our family's favorite places in Epcot, and a great place to take a break from the heat. The apple drink from Mexico is my favorite ... but watch out for the Beverly! Ick!

Tony Caggiano said...

I am throwing out a Beverly Chugging Challenge to anyone will to accept!!!!

Princess Fee said...

I think I have mentioned this before...but as a cast member, we loved to go into club cool and have some of the drinks instead of buying drinks from the parks (hey, they didn't pay us enough!).

And a favourite prank would be to go and pretend to take a drink of Beverly, saying 'Mmm, delicious!' and 'Oh, that's the best one, mmm,' pointing at Beverly, before walking off, hiding and watching the 'tourists' fill their glasses...

Jamie Collins said...

I look forward to visiting Club Cool for the free refreshments each trip to Epcot. It is one of the not-so-secret secrets of Epcot.

I am definitely a fan of the Mezzo Mix.