In the late 60's early 70's my grandma used to buy these fruit flavored syrups from a door-to-door salesman.  I'm not sure of the spelling of the company name but I think it was Rolieman or Rollyman, something like that, I can't seemed to find any name in that area when searching on the internet.

Anyway these syrups came in something like 2 quart bottles (maybe they were smaller than that, back then they looked huge to me) and there was a dispenser on the bottle to squirt a desired amount of syrup into a glass.  Add water and stir and you had yourself a flavored drink.  Almost like Kool-Aid but different.  Flavors I remember were cherry (my favorite), grape, lime (I detested that flavor and it always seemed to be the fullest of all the jars), and orange.  I seem to recall there were more flavors than those four.  Maybe strawberry and lemon, maybe rootbeer was there too, I don't know. 

But does anybody here know what I'm talking about and do I have the door-to-door salesman's company right?  I'm sure the saleman sold other things too, but these fruit flavored syrups are what I remember.

Not sure what these drinks were, but who buys drinks from a door to door salesman?

Not sure what these drinks were, but who buys drinks from a door to door salesman?


we used to buy bottled soda that way.  Jones Brothers I think the company was called.  The man called round every Tuesday.  I can't recall now if my mum left an order on the doorstep (like for the mikman) or if he knocked on the door to take your order.  :-\\



Those fruit flavoured syrups sound a bit like Robinsons fruit squash.  Very common drink in the UK, but pratically unheard of in the US

I'm not an expert on the history of door to door salesman, but I reckon a person could get almost anything via a salesman that came to your door back in the 60's.  Growing up in a rural area of the world, I do vividly recall different salesman making a call on our house once or twice a month, pitching their products. 

I'm thinking the large box stores put these peddlers out of business, along with people not giving it a second thought to drive an hour and a half to a larger city with one of these box stores to get the items once offered by the guy with the salesbook in hand.

One car families, stay at home moms doing the work of raising families, items offered by salesman not seen in the small stores of the area, I'm sure these were the customers of the door to door salesman. 

Much like today who would think of buying ice cream and other frozen food products off a door to door salesman, but the Schwan man seems to be a popular person, at least from what I've seen.

One fruit flavoured drink I like right now is the Co-Op's own brand of Mango and Orange Juicy Water. Even though it's fruit-flavoured, it counts as one daily portion of fruit as it contains natural fruit juices.

My stepmother used to buy this rock-bottom cheap-ass beverage called "Teeny."  It was packed in little wax bottles with an aluminum foil top.  It was marketed in different colors, but I'm hard-pressed to say different flavors.  I suppose the yellow ones were supposed to be lemon, the green ones lime, the orange ones...uh, orange, and the red ones Hawaiian punch...but they all tasted of variations on high fructose and unidentifiable chemical sludge.
8-P

Does anybody else remember when they sold Hi-C in gallon-sized steel vats?  I remember them on the bottom shelf of the beverage aisle at the supermarket.  My mom would never buy those.  My stepmom would have, though by that time Hi-C had moved into the juicebox market.  I guess I coveted those great cans of Hi-C when I was five, but Hi-C was for the same kind of rubes who bought Wonder bread.  Out of the question for conscientious consumers!
:P

I used to enjoy fruit-flavored drinks until I found out that many of them contain lots of sugar. However, once in a while I will have one.

http://thedomesticfringe.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/snapple-4.jpg

My favorite is Snapple.

http://thedomesticfringe.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/snapple-4.jpg

My favorite is Snapple.

I haven't seen Snapple in glass bottles in a long time, maybe I haven't been looking. I used to love Sobe, in particular, strawberry banana. I used to save the bottles when they were made of glass for the pictures on them. Way before that I remember cans of Fruitopia you could get in vending machines and they had different mixes. Also not long ago there was more of a variety of orange juice flavors. Orange and other fruit. Like pineapple, banana, apple, passionfruit, whatever they would mix together.

I used to enjoy fruit-flavored drinks until I found out that many of them contain lots of sugar. However, once in a while I will have one.


I agree, honestly I feel like 100% juices are the best, it taste real refreshing and natural without artificial preservatives or fake sugar. Tropicana Orange Juice, Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice, White House Apple Juice, or Welch Grape Juice immediately comes to mind. But in the end just plain water is really what we all need especially after a great workout at the gym. I still take many Gatorade's or Powerade's after a workout. Once in a while at a party or a family gathering event, I'll have a Capri-Sun, Hawaiian Punch, or some cheap sodas from the grocery store. When I was a little kid I used to crave all of those Sunny-D's, Hi-C's, Capri-Sun's, Kool-Aid's, or V8 splash drinks.

My favorite: Crystal Light Fruit Punch

I haven't seen Snapple in glass bottles in a long time, maybe I haven't been looking.


I still see many of those in the gas stations near me today.