BUY RANCH SODA: Lester's Fixins Ranch Dressing Soda Pop, $3.75 for 12 ounces; amazon.com.
When I first heard the words "ranch dressing soda," I kind of wanted to throw up. Who in their right mind would want to drink ranch dressing?! But after a little digging, I discovered that, bizarrely, plenty of people do, and my feeling of disgust gave way to curiosity. I needed to investigate.
So in May, I flew out to Inyokern, CA, about 150 miles north of Los Angeles, and visited the company behind ranch soda, Rocket Fizz Bottling Co, to see how—and, um, why?!—they make this stuff. "We were talking about how people put ranch on everything," says ranch-obsessed co-founder Ryan Morgan. "It's the fabric of our society now. The whole idea with ranch dressing soda is that you can drink it with your food."
The ranch obsession is real: Americans consume the dressing nearly three times as much as its closest competitor, Italian, and it's been dubbed the "Swiss Army knife of salad dressings" because it can be used on literally everything, from pizza and wraps to burgers and fries.
Ranch soda, however, was just as gross as you might imagine. An ice cold bottle in 90-degree heat was hardly a thirst-quencher; the murky white beverage tastes like sweetened herb butter. Thanks, but no thanks.
But Rocket Fizz is definitely onto something: The founders have turned their "gross soda" concept into a multi-million dollar business. Beyond ranch, their top sellers include bacon, PB&J, and buffalo wing.
So, what do you think: Have they gone too far or would you try it?
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