During a recent visit to Kentucky, some friends of our encouraged us to check out a local beverage, Ski. Manufactured by Double-Cola of Chattanooga, TN, this citrus drink competes with the likes of Mountain Dew, Vault, Mello Yello, and Squirt.
Created in 1956, Ski's big claim to fame is the inclusion of "lemon and orange juice concentrates" which they claim makes it a "naturally flavored citrus soda." The bottle even features the following disclaimer: "It is normal for a small amount of sediment to be found due to the presence of orange and lemon juices."
The label design seems to be inspired by water skiing and features the tagline, "Taste the Wake." Like most citrus drinks, the color scheme is yellow and green, highlighted by a Ski logo with orange and blue. The drink has a primarily Midwest/South distribution according to Wikipedia, including in Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Ohio, and Tennessee.
We found the drink to be brisk and probably on par with Sundrop, but definitely not as good. You could clearly taste the orange influence on this primarily lemon-flavored drink; I'd say it shared some elements with 50/50 as well. The aftertaste was probably the most disappointing, as it was more syrupy and fake-tasting than expected.
A full ingredient list is as follows:
Ski
Carbonated water, sugar and/or corn sweeteners, lemon and orange juice concentrates, sodium benzoate (preservative), caffeine, citric acid, natural flavors, cellulose gum (stabilizer), Yellow 5 (color)
A 8 oz. serving will cost you 120 calories, 30 mg of sodium, and 32 g of sugars.
Overall, Ski was a decent citrus-flavored soda, namely for its unique orange/lemon taste. However, the disappointing aftertaste and lack of any real kick inhibits its ability to compete with Sundrop, Dew, or Vault.
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You might want to try the Ski bottled by Excel Bottling Co., in Breese, IL. Ski has distinctly different taste in 20 oz. bottles vs. 12 oz. cans, and especially when compared with Excel's 12 oz. non-returnable glass, 12 & 10 oz. returnable glass, and pre- and post-mix syrup. Excel makes it with pure cane sugar, and the Excel version is a common breakfast drink in Clinton County, IL.
The downside is that it is fairly limited in distribution, centered on Breese, IL.
I have a home post-mix soda fountain and I have to say that many of the qualities you mention of Ski above are true for the 20 oz. plastic bottles made with HFCS, but I'd invite you to try the cane sugar variety — it provides a "cleaner" and "crisper" taste.
Ski is the hippest beverage ever! Made with real sugar, lemon & orange juice. One you've had Ski…you'll never Dew it again!
So, was this bottle of Ski made with cane sugar or HFCS? Gosh, I hate the and/or b.s.
The bottle shown was made with HFCS, the only place Ski is made with cane sugar is Breese, IL.