The End Of An Era

The end was inevitable, and I knew it was only a matter of time until I had to say goodbye. Ever since hearing the news on November 4, 2005, when the Coca-Cola Company announced that Vanilla Coke and its diet counterpart would be phased out of production in North America, I counted down the days until my go-to-beverage for the last two + years (Diet Vanilla Coke) was gone. But none of this made things any easier for me today when I walked into the grocery store and for the first time in a long while saw shelves that no longer were stocking Diet Vanilla Coke.

Over the years there have been many beverages that have held the honor of being called my “beverage of choice,” however my time with Diet Vanilla Coke was particularly special. For years (including most of high school and much of college) Snapple Iced Tea held the crown, and who can forget my Gatorade phase, or the few months when I insisted on drinking nothing but chocolate milk. It wasn’t until moving to Miami in an effort to change my diet habits that I made the discovery and subsequent switch over to Diet Vanilla Coke. Both my father and brother have had kidney stones, and it was suggested to me that if I was not careful my future could hold the same. Of course, normally during the day, I drink mostly water, but with dinner I prefer something with a little more kick. Obviously a glass of wine is always nice, but wine is not really able to quench one’s thirst, and so my relationship with Diet Vanilla Coke was born. Diet Vanilla Coke was to me the perfect beverage. Zero calories, no sugar, but that wonderfully sweet taste of Vanilla without the normal bad aftertaste that regular Diet Coke contains. To be honest, I enjoyed Diet Vanilla Coke so much that our relationship would have probably been a life-long one had other forces not intervened.

But, alas, Diet Vanilla Coke is no more…yes, it has been intimated that perhaps in the future production might begin once again, but this is of little comfort to me now. The worst part of the whole thing is that I didn’t have the chance to really prepare for the loss. I did not expect to find the shelves bare today, and therefore I really did not pay attention last night as I consumed (what might forever be) the last can of Diet Vanilla Coke that was in my fridge. Sure, the beverage was enjoyed (it always was), but had I known that it was going to be my last I would have savored it, I would have taken the time to truly cherish every drop. Maybe, I would have even made a nice dinner (steak or something) so that Diet Vanilla Coke could have gone out in a manner fitting its great taste.

In the end, there was none of that, just some reheated curry chicken (not to say that this is a bad dish, but you know what I mean), and within a few minutes my Diet Vanilla Coke was gone. My sorrow is compounded by the fact that two nights ago, I spilled about ¼ of a can as I attempted to throw away some garbage with the same hand that was holding my drink. Obviously, at the time I really thought nothing of it (other than shit, I just washed this shirt), but now I lament this occurring and am left with the bitter taste of irony (instead of the glorious taste of Diet Vanilla Coke) stuck in my mouth.

Since I had no choice, I purchased the new Diet Black Cherry Vanilla Coke while shopping today, and can only hope that it satisfies me a fraction as much as what Diet Vanilla used to. But for now, please, a moment of silence, as we mourn the loss of an amazing beverage passed on to that great vending machine in the sky…Goodbye Diet Vanilla Coke, you will be missed.