What is The Best Pop/Soda?

Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: You Betcha Radio
Episode Title: What is The Best Pop/Soda?
Date: April 20, 2026
Hosts: Myles (“You Betcha Guy”), Ryan, Tyler, Jerrod (note: host names referenced as Miles, Jared, Jack, Woody throughout transcript)

This episode dives deep into the spirited, deeply Midwestern debate over the best and worst pops (sodas). The crew shares strong opinions, nostalgic stories, and plenty of laughs as they rank their all-time favorites, call out the pops they can’t stand, and reminisce about unique Midwest soda experiences. Expect a blend of nostalgia, banter, and “guy talk” charm as they defend their top picks and roast the losers.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Defining “Pop” and the Great Fresca Debate

• 00:09–00:31
  The gang kicks things off discussing Fresca—debating whether it’s soda, “soda water,” or something unique.
  • Jack: “I really love Fresca.”
  • Miles: “Does that count as soda? Yeah, I think it does, right? It's soda water.”
    Their consensus: If it’s carbonated and comes in a can, it’s pop.

Ranking the Best Pops

• 00:49–01:07
  Each host quickly shares their soda Mount Rushmore:
  • Jack: “D.C. definitely. Number one. Number two Fresca for me. And then after that, in no particular order. Love a root beer. Mountain Dew, obviously. I mean, it's just. You just can't beat that.” (00:51)
  • Jared: Originally prefers “a Ridge Original” Mountain Dew, but these days leans toward diet.

The Guts Risk: Mountain Dew & Dr. Pepper

• 01:11–01:41
  The hosts joke about the “risks” of certain sodas:
  • Jack: “If I’m drinkin’ Mountain Dew, though, I’m just gonna go for it. It's kind of like unplanned tummy ache. I'm just committing. Just going to enjoy it while it's going down and then deal with it later after some schedules.”
    They riff on Tums as the “blue-collar man’s Plan B” (01:28).

Least Favorite Pops: Harsh Words for Pepsi

• 02:32–02:44
  Brutally honest opinions on Pepsi:
  • Jack: “Pepsi's ass.”
  • Jack: “Suck my dick.” (in reference to Pepsi, 02:41)
  • Miles: “Diet and regular.”
    The group universally agrees Pepsi is a beverage of last resort unless it’s the only option.

Nostalgic and Niche Flavors: Fanta, Code Red, Purple Thunder

• 03:04–03:50
  • The guys reminisce about old-school ads (“Don’t you wanna Fanta?”) and discuss bold Mountain Dew flavors like Code Red, Live Wire, and Purple Thunder.
  • Woody: “Very plum.” (in reference to Purple Thunder, 03:49)

The RC Cola and Dr. Pepper Discourse

• 03:55–04:36
  • Debate over RC Cola’s “blue can.”
  • Jack: “I love the taste of Dr. Pepper, but it always gives me the shits. I got like 18 minutes before I got bubble guts. I need to, I need to paint—constantly paint the ceramic.” (04:03–04:20)
  • Woody: “There’s seven—those 23 flavors.” (04:27)
  • The group jokes Miles must be allergic to one of Dr. Pepper’s mysterious flavors.

The Diet & Zero-Sugar Soda Shift

• 04:47–05:11
  • Jack: “I'm just at the stage of life where I'm just trying to hit all the Diet Pops.”
  • They debate which sodas are actually good in the diet or zero-sugar versions—root beer, in particular, draws mixed reviews.
  • Miles: “The diets or zero sugar root beers are the worst compared to the originals.” (05:03–05:09)

The Ginger Ale Exception & Airplane Memories

• 05:11–05:27
  • Jack: “Once in a while, slapping a ginger ale down your throat’s pretty good.”
  • Woody: “It's a great plain drink.” (05:17)

Most Hated: Big Red, Grape Soda, and the Fruit Pop Divide

• 05:30–06:01
  • Woody: “There’s a soda called Big Red. I absolutely hate it.” (05:30)
  • Shared dislike for grape soda and most fruit flavors, though grape energy drinks and fizzy healthier “alternatives” get a partial pass.

The Shasta Shout-Out

• 06:02–06:12
  • Jared: “Shasta, on the other hand… Oh, tons of different flavors.”
  • Noted for having a flavor for everything, much like RC Cola.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Tums is the blue-collar man's Plan B.”
  — Jack, (01:36)

• “Pepsi’s ass.”
  — Jack, (02:32)

• “If I’m drinkin’ Mountain Dew though, I’m just gonna go for it… unplanned tummy ache. I’m just committing.”
  — Jack, (01:15–01:18)

• “I love the taste of Dr. Pepper, but it always gives me the shits… I got like 18 minutes before I got bubble guts.”
  — Jack, (04:03–04:20)

• “Diet or zero sugar root beers are the worst compared to the originals.”
  — Miles, (05:03)

• “There’s a soda called Big Red. I absolutely hate it.”
  — Woody, (05:30)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:09–00:45 | Debating whether Fresca counts as soda/pop
• 00:49–01:07 | Pop power rankings
• 01:18–01:36 | Mountain Dew, Tums, and “unplanned tummy aches”
• 02:32–02:44 | Hot takes on Pepsi
• 03:16–03:50 | Fanta, Mountain Dew varieties, and 2000s pop nostalgia
• 03:55–04:36 | Dr. Pepper: Love, allergic reactions, and “painting the ceramic”
• 04:56–05:11 | The diet/zero sugar debate
• 05:30–06:01 | The most-hated sodas: Big Red and grape pop
• 06:02–06:12 | Shasta and “flavors for everything”

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Tone & Style

Straight-up Midwest, witty, honest, and loaded with irreverent, conversational humor. They bring nostalgic and relatable anecdotes, classic Midwestern pop culture references, and plenty of playful digs at each other—and at Pepsi.

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Conclusion

This episode is a comedic, nostalgia-fueled debate worthy of any Midwestern table, with lots of laughs for anyone who’s ever passionately defended (or hated) a certain pop. From fiery Pepsi takes to reminiscing about gas station treats, the crew delivers a hilarious, candid conversation guaranteed to make listeners thirsty for their own favorite pop.

Transcript

[Jack]

Jack.

[Woody]

Shotgun. Best and worst sodas. Obviously, fridge cigarettes are supreme.

[Jack]

You sound like you're gonna say more.

[Jared]

That's what I was waiting. Otherwise I would have went in.

[Jack]

Yeah, I mean, I'm going like, I really love Fresca.

[Jared]

Me too.

[Miles]

Does that count as soda? Yeah, I think it does, right? It's soda water.

[Jared]

It's.

[Jack]

It's pop.

[Jared]

Yeah, it's pop.

[Woody]

It's pop.

[Miles]

Fresca says soda water. On the can, it's like.

[Jack]

It says sparkling soda water, but I think they're all soda waters.

[Miles]

Yeah, I think. I don't know if it's kind of. I'm just saying that's the only one that differentiates itself by saying that on the can.

[Jared]

I think it's a. I think it's

[Jack]

just a market, so. Yeah, like a. Like A. Yeah, 100. Makes it sound fancier.

[Miles]

Yeah.

[Jack]

D.C. definitely. Number one. Number two Fresca for me. And then after that, in no particular order. Love a root beer. Mountain Dew, obviously. I mean, it's just. You just can't beat that.

[Jared]

A Ridge Original.

[Jack]

Yeah.

[Miles]

Yeah.

[Jared]

I'll take diet over original these days.

[Miles]

Mountain Dew.

[Jack]

Yeah. It's just like. If I'm a drink of Mountain Dew, though, I'm just gonna go for it.

[Jared]

Sure.

[Jack]

It's kind of like unplanned tummy ache. I'm just committing. Just going to enjoy it while it's going down and then deal with it later after some schedules.

[Jared]

I've unplanned pregnancy, too.

[Miles]

I'm a big Dr. Pepper guy.

[Jared]

Yeah.

[Jack]

Yeah. Except there's. There's no plan B for drinking a Mountain Dew, I can tell you that much. Maybe Tums.

[Jared]

Deal with it later.

[Jack]

Tums is the blue collar man's plan B. After impregnating yourself with a chuck wagon at the gas station, Some ice cream.

[Woody]

Like a Snickers ice cream.

[Jack]

After eating a. A Twix and Snickers combo ice CRE bar from the gas station. Plan B's. Tums

[Jared]

after sucking down a couple breadstick gushers.

[Woody]

I like to imagine that the Tums are like in the. I don't know, that packaging.

[Jack]

Yeah, Pop it out.

[Miles]

Yeah. Shitty. Like tinfoil wrapping almost.

[Jared]

We try like. Like really, like really perfect. The unwrapping so they all stay down in. Except the one you want.

[Miles]

My grandpa's. A stroll at the spiral wrap on the Tums.

[Jack]

Yeah, we just did that on the road Tr. Trip, Jared, remember? I was like, I gotta get some Tums.

[Woody]

Give you the best advice.

[Jack]

Yeah. I mean, Woody, in your mind, what Are some dog. I think Pepsi's ass.

[Miles]

Yeah. Diet and regular.

[Jack]

Suck my dick.

[Jared]

I can handle a diet. I just don't prefer it.

[Jack]

Yeah, yeah. It's like, I'll drink it.

[Woody]

I love that.

[Miles]

But really, it's just like I've never, like, if they're. Pepsi's the only option. I'm never picking it. And the only time I'm ever getting Pepsi is if I order a Diet Coke and they're like, we only have Pepsi and then I'm too lazy to choose something else.

[Jared]

I'm going die Mountain Dew then.

[Miles]

Yeah.

[Jared]

Yep.

[Miles]

I'm not big on any of like the fruit pops, like orange pop or grape pop.

[Jack]

Don't you want Fanta? Never seen that.

[Jared]

Yeah, it's an old school Fanta commercial.

[Jack]

Don't you wanna. Wanna Fanta

[Jared]

Fanta?

[Miles]

What about.

[Jack]

What about Mountain Dew? Code Red?

[Woody]

I love Code Red.

[Miles]

Code Red. That was a. That was really great. But it was out when I was like 10.

[Jared]

I was more of a live.

[Jack]

What about Live Wire? Those are good.

[Jared]

Yeah.

[Jack]

What about Purple Thunder? Purple thunder.

[Miles]

Those were fun.

[Jack]

They were. They're good.

[Miles]

Yeah.

[Jared]

Yeah, they were solid.

[Woody]

Very plum.

[Miles]

Yeah. Wow.

[Jack]

What a poll.

[Jared]

What's that? RC Cola in the blue? Is it like a blue can?

[Woody]

That's not bad.

[Jared]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Jack]

So I love the taste of Dr. Pepper. Isn't that like their slogan? Anyways, I. I feel like I just word for word did a commercial there. I love the taste of. Of Dr. Pepper, but it always gives me the shits. Sure.

[Miles]

Dr. Pepper.

[Jack]

I got like 18 minutes before I got bubble guts. I need to. I need to paint constantly paint the ceramic.

[Woody]

There's seven. Those 23 flavors.

[Jack]

This is one of those 23 flavors. Does not sit well with me.

[Miles]

Miles is just allergic to one of them.

[Jared]

Porcelain Picasso.

[Woody]

It's like cinnamon or something.

[Miles]

Yeah.

[Jared]

I actually Diet Dr. Pepper is probably my third favorite. Diet Pop, D.C. dM. DP. Okay.

[Jack]

Yeah. I'm just at the stage of life where I'm just trying to hit all the Diet Pops.

[Jared]

Yeah.

[Jack]

Like we were talking about zero sugar root beer the other day. Pretty good.

[Woody]

Love it.

[Miles]

Yeah, I'm out there. I think like the diets or zero sugar root beers are the worst compared to the originals.

[Woody]

Must be something with a taste you don't like.

[Jared]

I'm a big cream.

[Miles]

That's definitely it.

[Jack]

Also, once in a while, slapping a. A ginger ale down your throat's pretty good. Yeah, I'm not doing that a lot.

[Woody]

It's a great plain drink

[Jack]

like my grandparents used to have. It at their house. They'd were Diesel Cokes and ginger ale, and so that was always nice.

[Jared]

Yeah.

[Woody]

There's a soda called Big Red. I absolutely hate it.

[Jack]

Really? Like, spicy.

[Woody]

Like, I don't remember it. I just remember hating it a lot. I think it's more in the South.

[Jared]

I think I've had that before.

[Woody]

Didn't like it.

[Jared]

I. I don't remember.

[Jack]

I'm not a grape soda guy.

[Miles]

Yeah. None of the. None of the fruit ones. I'm out of all those.

[Jared]

Yeah. Yeah. See, the thing is, though, I do like grape energy drink. And, like, the grape Ollie pop or poppy or whichever one it is kind of fire.

[Miles]

Okay.

[Jared]

But great pop. Yeah.

[Miles]

Yeah.

[Jared]

Shasta, on the other hand, I'll a.

[Jack]

Shasta isn't Shasta have a bunch of different flavors?

[Miles]

Yeah.

[Jared]

Oh, tons of different flavors.

[Miles]

It's just. It's like RC cooler. They have one flavor for every other one.

[Jared]

Yeah.

[Jack]

Guys, if you want more, you bet your radio, you gotta check out our Patreon. You gotta go to patreon.com you betsradio or look us up on the app. And we have hundreds of hours of other episodes on there that you can't get unless you're signed up. So you got to check us out on Patreon. You bet your radio, baby.