Watermelon, by Cawy Bottling Co., Inc., Miami, Florida

I bought this can of pop in Mount Pleasant, Washington, DC. The writing made me wonder if it was Haitian soda. Or maybe Africa? The girl on the can caught my eye, for obvious reasons.

The area is a Latino neighborhood, so it is fertile ground for hunting "new" beers, sodas, and snacks. While waiting for a friend I jumped into Bodega Los Primos, and while I did not find any cousins, I did find this soda and another one I will review later. The place was very cluttered, but had a good beer selection (and seemed to do great business in lottery tickets).


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There were also other review worthy beverages there, so I hope to make it back there. The can may have been sitting there a while since it had a very dirty top.

After some basic online searching I learned that Cawy Bottling Co. Inc. is responsible for this product and they produce quite a few other lesser known sodas. They have more information on the watermelon soda here.

Originally a Cuban company re-formed in Miami after the triumph of the revolution in 1959, their website says they found success producing Cuban sodas from other Cuban companies. I guess patents and copyright are not a problem in this particular case. Certainly a dramatic story with hints of Bacardi.

When I opened the can there was no instant smell and it poured out in a pink color. On the first try it was sickly, sickly sweet. There was a "watermelon" smell, but almost like a Jolly Rancher. Once in the glass it was a fluorescent dirty pink.

My first reaction was that it was not horrible, but still distracting with almost a hint of a pickled taste and lingering aftertaste. The more I had the more it reminded me of medicine, Pepto Bismol. Which reminds me of an article in the New York Times that talks about how Pepto tastes like teaberry and a new group of soda jerks is using the flavor. You can check it out here.

The soda was overall, not good. There was no head, but it was carbonated. The caffeine content, if any, is not indicated on the can. I will give this a D+. I would not buy it again and had to force the rest down.

But the taste is almost beside the point since most folks would be drawn to what I assume is an image of a little black girl eating a huge watermelon. Is it a racist anachronism?

The folks at Harlem World seem to say yes, check out their video below:


I am impressed that such an obscure soda was sold at a Target. But maybe we are missing some sort of cultural context. What do Miami Cubans have to say about the issue? The dudes at the site Three Guys From Miami promise a Cuban insider's guide to the soda. Their insight on the image of the girl?

Watermelon soda has a unique, light flavor and is very refreshing on a hot day. It's a flavor that we have not seen in other parts of the country.

I guess while others may have a clearer opinion on the issue others just do not see it.