Skip to main content

Bottled Beverages

Bottle (noun) - a rigid container where the neck is smaller in the mouth than the body
Beverage (noun) - any liquid suitable for drinking

So combine the two and you get an idea where my head is going; or not.

They come in all colors, textures, flavors and yes variety of containers - not just the usual paper or plastic; or steel or glass; but also in terms of the shapes of the aforementioned containers.

Most recently I happened on a pistola or hand gun shaped glass container containing a fermented brew made from cactus paddles (as in Tequila from Jalisco province of the great country of MEXICO). Of all places it was being sold in substantial volume at a mind blowing price in the Warehouse Worship Facility called COSTCO.

All 1.75 litres of it shaped in the form of an unwieldy handgun with a free Sombrero to go with it (it always sells better when there is a value pack according to the American Marketing Specialists).

Now moving onto the less inebriating kind there are those that sometimes make your head spin. I mean there are only 180 types of colas (caramel colored carbonated drinks) that can take the form of water with or without caffeine; with or without sugar; without anything but branded 18 different ways nonetheless (the emperor has no clothes?).

They are all commanding premium because they are branded as in some cases - SMART WATER. Some bottles actually say that and the consuming public IMHO has looked anything but (At over $5 a liter when you factor in the bottle deposit and taxes). Perhaps more if you want to look smart while vacationing on a remote island.

Then there is the case (pun intended) of consuming all manners of juices (with disclaimers to fill a good sized library) which if you were to actually try to read would make you wonder if you are about to consume a science experiment gone bad or actual fruit.

Then that makes good media fodder is an absolute logical consequence, with bipartisan hearings on the merits of having certain containers being served in public school (for those not familiar with that term - its schools funded through tax payer dollars) lunches.

Certainly all that branding and advertising leads to many jobs and many consultants on planes and therefore an overall robust economy.

So its not water under the bridge - its very much in a bottle - waiting to be drunk!

Comments

  1. In India we of course have the ingenious locally branded water brands, which I suspect to be filled with tap water in many cases- which sell in billions, now that it is unfashionable to drink tap water at airports or railway stations.

    ReplyDelete
  2. From the days of Nilu Phule the bottle has been central to the Marathi culture too as epitomized in his phrase
    "Mansala don goshti havya - Bai ani Batli"

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Of chocolates

I like chocolates. Godiva Dark with Almonds - not sure of the naked woman on the horse to be the icon of some choice cocoa based products but tastes good. Started in Belgium but now owned by some Turks. Cadburys - Fruit and Nut Milk Bars - awesome combination of dried fruit pieces along with a medley of nuts makes your toungue dance - started by a Brit now owen by Kraft USA. Lindt Hazelnut spheres - made by a Swiss confectioner are divine balls that melt in your mouth with a lingering nutty taste Ghirardelli Milk Crisp Squares - crunchy and light these milk squares are easy on the palate but pack some serious calories - all good I say! Originally founded by an Italian who moved around till he landed in SF Bay today also owned by the Swiss Lindt empire.

Columbia SC

 The Palmetto state.  One of the confederate kinds. History dating couple centuries back.  We visited the capital yet again this time to take in the SC State Museum. Occupying the former digs (literally remodeled) of an erstwhile cotton mill this structure is an amazing piece of reimagination.  Four floors of excitement for kids and young at heart alike. Located on the shores of the Congaree River formed when the Broad meets up with the Saluda River, this edifice is approx. 60 years old.  The front of the building has a more modern planetarium that was added about a decade ago.  The museum itself has different areas of interest segregated on each of its four floors. The first floor has gift shop and a diorama of some of the local geography including the swamps and the state beaches with audio guides to help understand what fauna thrives locally. The second floor is all about natural history and showcases animal kingdom that may have survived on this latitud...

Cost of entrepreneurship

Last night I attended a guest lecture on the subject of disruptive technology and entrepreneurship.  Lecture was free but it was used as a pitch by the University that hosted it to attract new customers. The speaker was somewhat respectable fellow who happened to hail from India and spoke eloquently.   One of the key message was around how the professors in this university were ranked among the very best money can buy. Cost of the MBA program mere $110,000 and oh we also buy some dinner if you have late class.  So now the math is simple-  is learning to be entrepreneurial worth the cost of entry? That is assuming you end up being one.   What of those that do not?  or the ones that are not successful at being the entrepreneur?  Is that being a pessimist before even being handed the glass. What I found strange is that people will bet big money on the glimmer of hope that they might just make a entrepreneurial debut and hit it big.  The unive...