by Dewayne Neeley, Flickr Creative Commons
What I do remember about R.C. Cola is that you’re supposed to drop a handful of peanuts in the bottle before taking your first sip. Kind of like the lime in a Corona bottle, except way different seeing as the lime doesn’t generally make a break for the bottle neck with every sip. I’m surprised more people haven’t choked on runaway peanuts.
How did the peanut in R.C. Cola thing get started? I suspect like many Southern traditions laziness (er…efficiency) was involved. Why go to all the trouble of getting out plates and glassware when you can enjoy a handy lunch from a bottle? With protein, even! It’s a Southern-style smoothie.
In case you’re wondering, R.C. stands for “Royal Crown.” Why a bunch of Southerners would go for a drink with a dubious aristocratic heritage I couldn’t tell you. Except that some of us do like to put on airs (or better yet, tiaras).
I wouldn’t be surprised if many of y’all haven’t heard of R.C. Cola. (It might get a little street cred if they’d change the name to “RCC” in the manner of KFC and PBR.) But surely you’ve had a Nehi once or twice. Grape was the best back in the day. I don’t know that I’d be so eager to drink grape soda now. Unless it was mixed with Everclear. Note to Washington State Liquor Control Board: Give us Purple Passion. Please!
For me, the most memorable thing about R.C. Cola was their early 70s “Me and My R.C.” campaign. Who remembers the jingle? Sing it with me: “Me and my R.CCCCCCC. Me and my R.C. What’s good enough…for other folks…ain’t good enough for me!”
stuff southern people like 
I’m enjoying reading your posts. As a displaced Georgian, now in California, I regularly shock my “foody” friends with my desire to boil up some peanuts, fry things (OMG! That’s sooo fattening!), add pork to vegetables and put salted peanuts in my Co Cola (Being from Savannah we drank that as much as RC). Thanks again for posting!
Glad you like my blog!
Send your foodie friends my way so they can learn about what’s good.
Aww Bless your heart I wish I could send you some Cheerwine and bojangles!!!
I must admit that I’d never heard of Cheerwine or Bojangles. But now that I’ve learned about them, I wish you could send some, too.
I have never been known to turn down fried chicken and super-fizzy cherry soda sounds good. How could anything called “cheerwine” not be?
Its a Carolinas thing. You cannot get Cheerwine North of Virginia or West of Alabama. And if Bojangles ever made it out of the south KFC would be out of business. Staples of Cajun Filet Biscuit (or sandwich) and natural seasoned fries that melt when you bite into them….
Thanks for including my photo! What a great way to see it used!