My Latest Obsession

Black Cherry Vanilla Diet Coke. It's my latest obsession.

I've always been a sweet iced tea drinker. Have been since I was a child. I was raised on it. Sweet tea is practically a religion in the South. I grade restaurants on their sweet tea and have actually driven out of my way to go somewhere because the sweet tea was better. Fast food tea is the worst (won't even drink it). Barbecue joints have the best (Sonny's in particular). A local sandwich shop chain (The Sheik) has the ultimate sweet tea. They use a simple sugar syrup instead of granulated sugar. It's perfection.

So you see... I'm something of a sweet iced tea connoisseur. And if I wasn't drinking tea (which was rare) I would go for a Coke. Fully leaded, please. None of that diet stuff. Blech. Of course, that was all pre-South Beach. Back in the day. Now sugar is evil and I had to bid a fond farewell to my beloved beverage. I have managed to replace my sweet tea. A friend (a fellow South Beacher) told me that a local grocery store chain carries gallons of pre-made sweet tea that is artificially sweetened... but doesn't taste fake (now that's the clincher). So now I go through about a gallon a week and it's ab-fab and I am in heaven.

But I also got turned on to the new Black Cherry Vanilla Diet Coke. When I started South Beach back in January I did start drinking Diet Coke and while I did get used to it and over time forgot what "real" Coke tasted like... I've never *loved* it. It's good. I like it. I enjoy drinking it. But that's all. Then, about six weeks ago, I gave the Black Cherry Vanilla Diet Coke a try and flipped out. It's fantabulous and I love it. It's to the point that I want to sart hoarding it in case they stop making it. Sad, no? What can I say... it's my latest obsession.