Comments (23)

• Ryan

  Sean Malone, as in prog-rock bass god Sean Malone?

  Published: November 6, 2009 7:47 AM

• Artisan

  Fascinating : the guy reminds me of my old raw milk cheese vendor in ... Vichy. He used to sell first class manufactured cheeses from all over Europe.

  By the way, did the guy say Vichy water? Vichy is the tiniest town in the French Auvergne Mountains, can it be that all Americans know that name?! Hey! That's where I live! Cool!

  Published: November 6, 2009 8:49 AM

• J Cortez

  This is one of the coolest videos I've ever seen posted on this site. Theory is great, but seeing it in action is even better. A highly specialized business model that is fun and succeeds. Maybe it's confirmation bias, but everything he said about his business and business in general, I agreed with. I liked his stories about foreign brands. Some of that product is stuff people would never even think of or much less try to make in the US.

  I was interested in some of this already because, for health reasons, I actively seek out and buy the cane sugar versions of Pepsi and Coke. To do so, you need to buy the "Mexican" versions, meaning they were manufactured in Mexico and then imported into the US. The problem with this is that they're more expensive and also harder to find. Funny thing is, Mexican Pepsi's are actually illegal in the US. Something about nutritional labeling, I think. There was actually a distributor that was sued for selling them.

  I'm going to find out more about this store. I'm curious what rose and cucumber soda tastes like.

  Published: November 6, 2009 9:34 AM

• Ron

  As soon as I started watching this I wondered if he carried RC Draft, so I was pleasantly surprised that he mentioned it, even if it's no longer available. I bought 2 six-packs of RC Draft in West Virginia about 15 years ago, and it was fantastic! It was such a treat that I drank it from a frosty mug and gave it as much reverence as I would a good beer. I've looked for it high and low ever since, but I was never able to find it again.

  It's such a shame that we in the U.S. are prevented from enjoying so many new and interesting things from other places because of dug-in interests and their partnership with government. The rest of the world sees Americans as ignorant simpletons because our government shuts the rest of the world out. How sad.

  Published: November 6, 2009 10:58 AM

• Chris

  Great video. That guy has some real sense. I frequent CHOW, but I hadn't come across that particular post. I was bummed when I found out his shop is over 2,000 miles away from me.

  Artisan, I think Americans know of Vichy mostly because of its status as administrative center of "Vichy" France during WWII. It's also known by some for its mineral water. Oh and Vichyssoise, the cold leek and potato soup.

  Published: November 6, 2009 11:06 AM

• Michael A. Clem

  It just goes to show how government regulation discourages alternatives and restricts consumer choices. And the use of HFCS is the result of a combination of tariffs on sugar and subsidies for corn growers.

  Published: November 6, 2009 11:29 AM

• Sean Malone

  "Sean Malone, as in prog-rock bass god Sean Malone?"

  No. As in media producer, composer & vibraphonist, "Sean Malone". The guy from Gordian Knot annoyingly keeps me in 3rd place on Google searches! Though I won't deny that he is a fine bass player.

  :P

  Published: November 6, 2009 11:48 AM

• Core

  You know, I loved this video. He's an energetic guy.
  What I loved even more, was the fact he actually has a website up and running where I can buy his product.

  Going to place me an order and try some of the sodas out.

  If it hadn't been for a recent purchase of an off brand soda, glass bottle and all, at a out of the way convenience store the other day. I don't know if I would have given this video the appreciation it deserved.

  The soda that I tried was:
  Black Cherry
  Company was 'Boylan Bottle Works' Been going since1891, Family run. It tasted great.

  Cream soda was really good to.

  I'm not a huge soda pop fanatic. But every now and then its like a treat.

  Published: November 6, 2009 11:51 AM

• Joshua

  Pops in Arcadia, OK on Route 66 is another great place to get hard to find root beer and soda.

  http://www.pops66.com/

  I drop by there on the way to visit in-laws to get root beer I've never tasted and as many Henry Weinhard root beers as I dare.

  Published: November 6, 2009 12:03 PM

• Michael A. Clem

  The guy from Gordian Knot annoyingly keeps me in 3rd place on Google searches!
  
  One of the downsides of Google--finding out that, not only are you not unique, but that somebody else with your name gets more Google hits than you do.

  Published: November 6, 2009 12:37 PM

• Sean Malone

  "One of the downsides of Google--finding out that, not only are you not unique, but that somebody else with your name gets more Google hits than you do."

  What's worse is that he is ALSO a musician, and a more famous one ;)

  That said, I'm quite happy doing what I'm doing...

  Published: November 6, 2009 1:37 PM

• Curt Howland

  I wonder if Penguin cream soda still exists...

  I think I remember RC Draft. There's something from the very bottom of the memory.

  Published: November 6, 2009 1:37 PM

• Nate Y

  John Nese is the coolest person on the planet.

  Published: November 6, 2009 3:15 PM

• Artisan

  @Chris
  yes I thought so. you mostly get remembered for the worst things you do... Most French won't know where it sits on the map nowadays.

  Vichy is a nice town though. Somewhat rainy. It wasn't destroyed at all during the war. In fact it was apparently chosen for the pro-Nazi Government HQ simply because it hosted more hotels than any other French town besides Paris.

  Published: November 6, 2009 3:32 PM

• EIS

  An American entrepreneur squeezed by government and special interests. What a tragedy, it really puts Shakespeare to shame.

  Published: November 6, 2009 4:09 PM

• Greg

  wonderful human being. I hope his business survives the coming depression.

  Published: November 6, 2009 8:43 PM

• Nate

  Only a government bureaucrat would think an individual store owner offering their own money for glass bottle returns would be a "restraint of trade"

  Published: November 7, 2009 1:36 PM

• Alexander S. Peak

  I loved this video!

  Alex

  Published: November 7, 2009 2:32 PM

• O_Brien

  He talks about big government but funny thing is socialistic universal health care would be beneficial for his business at this point. He probably pays big premiums for himself and his employers probably don't have insurance at all.

  Published: November 7, 2009 6:22 PM

• poppies

  I went to this store today. The service was super friendly and the selection was amazing. The number of people in line belied any concerns about how this business is weathering the recession.

  Published: November 7, 2009 6:39 PM

• mpolzkill

  O_Brien says: "socialistic universal health care would be beneficial for his business at this point"

  I take it by your "at this point" that you understand this, but: this man either intuitively or explicitly understands Bastiat and the things that "are not seen." For one thing, he probably knows damn well what will happen to his specialty/luxury business when his customers are ravaged by this abomination of a bill looming over us (maybe the worst abomination yet).

  Published: November 7, 2009 6:46 PM

• Ryan

  No doubt Barry Schwartz's head would explode upon entering that store.

  Published: November 8, 2009 6:06 PM

• Whit

  Isn't amazing how well a store can do when that store offers choice? And I love how he admits that there is no best cola. All tastes are subjective. Like Hayek said, only we as individuals can properly decided what is best for ourselves. Sorry Mr. The State, your good intentions can only hurt us so... no thanks.

  Published: November 9, 2009 3:12 PM