Have you ever wondered what’s the deal with cream soda? Like, where did the flavour originate from? Or, why is it the only soft drink flavour in the world that varies in colour, depending on where you find yourself? And is it still the go-to hangover remedy for the gen-z party animals of the time?

All these questions cross my mind, as I look at the glass of blue (yes BLUE) cream soda in my hand, moments before I take my first-ever sip of the electric blue coloured drink I always thought to be green.

Blue Cream Soda forms part of Jive South Africa’s latest range of innovative, at times eyebrow-raising, flavoured soft drinks. The blue soda was the first to catch my eye out of the colourful line-up of soft drinks, which include millennial pink, grass green and melon yellow, to mention a few. How blue became the “it” colour of Jive Cream Soda is unclear. Picked at random or carefully thought out by the marketing team, the blue colour of Jive Cream Soda reflects that of a police siren. Pretty ironic, won’t you say?

For the confused looking Gen-Zs reading this, the siren blue colour is ironic because many moons ago, when your grandparents dropped ecstasy with alcohol like it was going out of fashion, cream soda (also known as creme soda) was known as the Green Ambulance drink; coming to the rescue of those who are desperately hungover, if you know what that is… 😉

Green Ambulance is not the only nickname cream soda received over the years. There’s also the Green Mamba, the very potent alcoholic version of the Green Ambulance, with a double dash of cane.

At times, drinkers completely forget which one they are having, but, I guess, that comes with the craft that goes into the making of the drink. Blue or Green. Spiked or not. The unmistakable taste and flavour profile of cream soda remains consistent, regardless of the colour.

Test it for yourself if you don’t believe me. Take two glasses and fill one with Jive Blue Cream Soda and the other with Sparletta Green Creme Soda. Air out that 50-shades-of-boring scarf you bought with the book and use it to cover your eyes for the blind tasting. Without peaking or cheating, locate the two drinks and give each a good whiff. Next, give each taste. Can you tell which glass holds Jive Blue? 50 Randjies for those who do! For me, it all tastes the same. I’ll base my preference purely on colour, which in this case, turns out to be blue.

One thing is certain, this conversation-starting drink from Jive will leave those who find it odd, curious and silently envious of the drinker who holds the glass. Blue is the new green in South Africa and everyone, will eventually, want a taste of the new Blue Cream Soda that’s leaving its mark on the tongues of those who dare to try something out-of-the-ordinary.