Nov 13, 2009

Judgement to the Max

You know what I love? Pepsi Max.

I just love it. I enjoy it. I relish it.

And you know what? I'm a bit tired of being judged for that.

The drinks machine at my workplace is a) expensive, and b) only contains Coca-Cola products. While I'll drink Diet Coke in a pinch, I much prefer Pepsi Max. So I bring my own supply, and leave it in the work fridge. A 2L bottle will last me three to five days, depending on how much I need that caffeine boost.

I can't tell you the number of times I go to pour myself my 250ml mug of Pepsi Max - heavily watered down due to my love of ice - and cop a jaunty yet snide dig from a co-worker.

"You LIVE on that stuff!"

"How much of THAT do you drink?"

"How do you drink soft drink so early in the morning?"

Often these people are stirring their second teaspoon of sugar into their cup of Blend 43, sucking down a Red Bull, or heading out onto the balcony for a quiet cigarette.

Well, let me tell you. I don't drink coffee, tea, alcohol, energy drinks - I barely drink fruit juice due to the sugar content. I always carry a bottle of water with me. Sometimes I'll have a milkshake. At a fancy do, I might enjoy a lemon, lime and bitters.

I know Pepsi Max is not the healthiest drink in the world. But it's got no sugar. And it goes well with a sandwich. The caffeine from a glass or two of chilled Pepsi Max is enough to get me through a 4am to midday shift. I don't criticise you for rushing off to the coffee van as soon as it arrives to nab your morning cappucino - or loudly ponder how you can put such a gluggy, hot, distasteful substance down your gullet.

So you know what?

I'm just going to go ahead and drink my Pepsi Max.

AND YOU CAN JUST KEEP YOUR TRAP SHUT.

If you're THAT worried about my health, I can tell you, the Pepsi Max I imbibe (often with a delicious slice of lime) is the least of my problems.

Bottoms up.

15 comments:

  1. ...and it doesn't cause cancer, no matter what your nanna, co-workers or fitness coach tells you. Conspiracy theory touted as fact

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  2. Pepsi Max is the cola they serve in the afterlife judged most awesome by people who have been to all the afterlives and are in a position to know which one is the most awesome.

    The only thing that is disturbing about this post is how long it takes you to drink 2 litres.

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  3. I am a pepsimaxoholic. I prefer to grab the 1.25l bottles when they're on sale for 99c, to keep the fizz for as long as possible - I can't get to the bottom of a 2l bottle before it goes flat.

    I find Coke Zero to be a fair approximation of Pepsi Max, but I won't go anywhere near a diet coke.

    You will find no judgement here.

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  4. "...cappucino - or loudly ponder how you can put such a gluggy, hot, distasteful substance down your gullet."

    GASP

    You. are. dead. to. me.

    Cappucino was the Grecian God of tastebuds and contentment, i'll have you know!.

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  5. I've just quit drinking coffee. It's hard, but I'm not just addicted to it, but I truely love it. But I've done it, and I'm proud of myself.

    It's nice to know that yes, I could have survived the last 10 years without it.

    Still working on the energy drink habit - which thankfully, isn't as ingrained in me.

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  6. You think you have it bad? My beverage of choice is Vanilla Coke. Try dealing with THAT stigma.

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  7. Do you really put a slice of lemon into your Pepsi Max?

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  8. Cola is for followers.

    I'm a Sars man.

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  9. Orin - remember, that's only the work Pepsi Max. I'm getting through a truckload at home too. ;)

    Kris - love those specials. Stock up time. I don't mind it going flat just a little bit though...

    Moko - Dead to you?!?! Just for not liking cappucino? Oh noes!

    Frazicus - Congrats. And stay away from those energy drinks...

    Dan Barrett - well, that's fair enough. Vanilla Coke?!?! ;)

    Barnesm - I shall!

    Ashmoore - not lemon - LIME. It's delicious. I got addicted to Pepsi Max Lime Twist they had for a while in the UK - never had it here. So sometimes I make my own. Very refreshing.

    Dan - Sars tastes like ars.

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  10. I'm a cola slut. Well, only just recently - was a staunch Coke fan, rejoiced when Zero was brought out and openly sneered at anyone drinking the poor cousin Pepsi. That was until the drink machine at work jacked up the price of Coke to 1.40 a can, but kept Pepsi at 1.20. I switched.

    I wonder if the very highly paid marketing boffins at either of the cola companies would be shocked to learn my loyalty was only worth 20 cents?

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  11. A mate of mine was drinking so much Coke in college at uni it was giving him grief with his health. Went to see a doctor who told him if he kept drinking that much Coke he'd get kidney stones. So he gave up Coke. Drank Pepsi instead. I mention this not to suggest one brand surpasses another but to illustrate that many people who attend university are actually quite stupid.

    Oh yeah, and Pepsi, Pepsi Max and almost the entire suite of Pepsico cola beverages are arse, but if it's what KFC are giving me, it's what I'm drinking. As for Sars, any soft drink that gets a deadly respiratory virus named after it is not on my preferential consumption list.

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  12. Nothing wrong with Pepsi Max. It's an OK drink. There are worse things to be drinking on or off the job.

    Wild Cherry Pepsi is the drink of choice at Castle YD. Don't know if you folks have that down there or not.

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  13. If they ever add vanilla to Pepsi Max I'll join the team. 'til then I'll stick with coffee ... what? someone has vanilla in cola? intriging.

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  14. And heaven forbid any one mentions Dr Pepper... Good any time of day.. Even now!!!

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