Ginger

[georgersweir]

These days there are many varieties of 'sparkling soft drinks'. When I was young (in Irvine) we used the general term 'ginger' for all such drinks. So lemonade, organgeade, vimto, red cola, dark cola, limeade and pineapple were all varieties of ginger. I guess that this term came from the 'older days' when ginger beer (one of my favourite types of ginger) was the main fizzy soft drink.

The commonest brands in Irvine were Curries (made in Auchinleck I believe) and Barrs (who had a warehouse(?) at the low green in Irvine). Occasionally, we saw Struthers (from Lochwinnoch). I don't recall any other brands.

Although bottles of ginger could be bought in many 'corner shops', it was most common to buy them at fish and chip shops or from lorries that delivered to the door.

Was 'ginger' the word used in the three towns? Were Curries, Barrs and Struthers commonly available? What was your flavour of choice? Where did you buy your bottles of ginger?

[meekan]

George,
Ginger was a common name for all fizzy fruit drinks other than Coke. Curries, Barr's and Struther's were all available in the three towns, as was Turner and Ewing. The local brand was as has been mentioned on other topics, "Lee's" whose factory was in Ardrossan. I liked most flavours such as Cream soda, Red kola, Dandelion and burdock, but probably my favourite was Currie's Lime.( as opposed to limeade.)
There was another company who sold purely from vans their name was "Alpine" not as good as the other makes in my opinion.

[georgersweir]

George,
Ginger was a common name for all fizzy fruit drinks other than Coke. Curries, Barr's and Struther's were all available in the three towns, as was Turner and Ewing. The local brand was as has been mentioned on other topics, "Lee's" whose factory was in Ardrossan. I liked most flavours such as Cream soda, Red kola, Dandelion and burdock, but probably my favourite was Currie's Lime.( as opposed to limeade.)
There was another company who sold purely from vans their name was "Alpine" not as good as the other makes in my opinion.

Meekan

Thanks for reminding me. Turner and Ewing was also available from some shops in Irvine and I also remember the vans that delivered Alpine (I agree with your comment about Alpine being poorer quality).

I believe we also had an occasional delivery (weekly?) by a van selling Curries, which was certainly the most common and most popular of brands in Irvine.

I know that Lees has been discussed in connection with Ardrossan, but I don't remember that brand at all from Irvine. I guess it didn't travel well

[Wildfowler Lounge]

I said 'ginger' in the seventies. I thoroughly confused people in Ireland while on holiday by using it. The generic term here is 'mineral' (mineral waters???).

I remember Curries, the Alpine lorry and also Krystal Klear. The last, I seem to remember, was made in or near Kilmarnock and once, during a water shortage found an old disused well under their factory which, when cleaned out and tested, saved the day - and production - for them.

[georgersweir]

George,
I liked most flavours such as Cream soda, Red kola, Dandelion and burdock, but probably my favourite was Currie's Lime.( as opposed to limeade.)

Cream soda was my favourite for making ice cream drinks - a lot of the other flavours had too much colouring and it created little blobs of colour in the ice cream. I think Barrs called their flavour 'creme soda' - though I may have that wrong.

[Meg]

Piece of useless information about Cream Soda, but my mum told me that during the war they used Cream Soda to poach pears so they tasted like tinned pears!

I love ice cream drinks made with Cream Soda too:-)

Meg

[Penny Tray]

My favourite was 'appleade', usually bought in the Palazzo Cafe or other chip shops.

I would like to point out though that 'ginger' was a luxury in my time. Youngsters today seem to think its an essential right to have it available at all time. Tap water doesn't appear to be their thing.

[Meg]

It was a luxury in our house too PT - a "picnic" was a piece and tomato and a bottle filled with either water or milk. If it was eaten down the shore it was called a "chittering bite" or if it was to eat whilst doing something like gathering brambles it was a "piece" like your dad's piece for his work (and it was wrapped in the bread greaseproof paper).

Luxury ......

Meg

[georgersweir]

it was wrapped in the bread greaseproof paper)

You had bread??

We used to borrow the bread paper from a neighbour and play at wrapping picnics while we dreamt of drinking ginger

[little plum]

Cream Soda has been metioned a few times, I seem to remember it as "American Cream Soda" the flag was on part of the label.?

[morag]

Don't remember the flag but do remember it as American cream soda. We used the word lemonade generically and referred to the delivery man as the lemonade man Seems to me it was also called 'scoosh'?

[little plum]

It's all related to terminology, my sister was knocked by a lemonade lorry ( that's true)
An individual with with money we would say , and get a boatle o' ginger
Someone with a boatle o' ginger we would ask " geeza moothfa o' yir scoosh.