We had an excellent “Date Night” meal last night at Magna Kusina, established only two months ago and owned by a Filipino chef. The only problem was that we had to drive 15 minutes to get there, when I’m now spoiled and used to walking everywhere. We got to sit at their make-shift chef’s counter and had a wonderful exchange of conversation with the team while watching them prepare our dinner. The flavors were exceptional and the crispy, whole Rock-fish reminded us of our recent trip to Thailand. The experience was well under budget thanks to the fact that they have yet to get their liquor licence. I ordered a Squirt instead.

I’m not exactly sure why the twisted glass Squirt bottle took me back to my childhood. I also can’t remember when I last tasted it, having gravitated more to Fresca. (See Post #147). In fact, I couldn’t recall much about either product without some help from Google. The soft drink was “created by Herb Bishop in 1938, after experimenting with a citrus drink known as Citrus Club. The result used less fruit juice and less sugar than some other drinks, and Bishop claimed it had the “freshest, most exciting taste in the marketplace”. In 1941, a mascot named “Lil’ Squirt” was created for marketing the product. In the 1950s, it became commonly used as a mixer used in cocktails. The brand has changed ownership several times, and is currently property of Keurig Dr Pepper.”

I can’t say that I was drawn to the product by the unfamiliar Lil’ Squirt promotional character. I’m guessing that my mom introduced it to me because it was less sugary and didn’t have caffeine. She continued to buy it because I liked it. I immediately recognized the distinctive bottle when they delivered it to the counter last night. It’s very refreshing and I probably should have had two. Fresca, on the other hand, was created by the Coca-Cola company in 1966. Similar in flavor, a combination of lime and grapefruit, I recall drinking it primarily from a can. It brings back memories of eating fried chicken while boating with friends on Lake Decatur. By that stage in life, I’m sure I was more drawn to the fact that it was a sugar-free diet soda. Plus, I’ve always been loyal to the Coca-Cola brand. Fresca was a caffeine-free alternative to Diet Coke, my personal addiction. 

I may have to try Diet Squirt, since I’m not much into sugar sodas any more. I certainly enjoyed the refreshing taste of the original last night and the fact that it stimulated childhood memories. For some reason, I remember pouting in front of our living room window after my mom put her foot down on my drinking a Squirt before bedtime. I think she was concerned about a late-night sugar high or worse yet an accidental squirt in the middle of the night.