In early 1985 , a truck gadget driver in Chicago saw the red flash lights of a police car in his rearview mirror . He pulled over to the side of the route , in a mild province of affright . He had already compile two locomote violations , and live a third would almost surely jeopardize his number one wood ’s license and , by extension , his Book of Job . But he had done nothing wrong , so he jumped out of his vehicle and tell the officeholder just that — then beganpleadingwith the man to cut him a break .
The police officer told him to calm down . He was n’t choke to compose him a ticket . He pointed to the truck , which had a Canfield ’s Diet Chocolate Fudge Soda logotype colour on it .
The soda , the cop beg him . I need to get some of that soda .
The 1980s were a point of lofty experimentation in the indulgent drink securities industry . There wasJolt Cola , the hyper - caffeinated concoction that helped power computer software engineer and jumpy third - shift workers . There wasNew Coke , the disastrous relaunch of Coca - Cola that threatened to topple the brand ’s tonic dominance . ( They walked it back within months . ) And there was a abbreviated flirt with two mouthful that should not have taste all that swell together : chocolate and fizzy seltzer water .
For part of 1985 , America wasseriouslypreoccupied with diet chocolate fudge pop .
The chocolate - infused frenzybeganafter the media plunk up a story byChicago Tribunecolumnist Bob Greene about Canfield ’s Diet Chocolate Fudge Soda , a drinking made by the A.J. Canfield Company . Since debuting the drunkenness in 1972 , the Chicago - region bottler moved roughly 1.5 million cans per annum , primarily in the Midwest , and turn over it more or less a regional smack . ( The party ’s pharmacist , Manny Wesber , had formulated it based on a suggestion made by president Alan Canfield in 1971 . )
That changed after Greene ’s column , in which heclaimedthe pop had helped him fall behind weight while on a diet . Dubbing it a “ miracle ” and that sip it was like “ bite into a hot fudge ice-cream sundae , ” Greene ’s enthusiasm was syndicated to more than 200 newspapers nationally . In the first seven months of 1985 , Canfield moved 101 million cans in all 50 state , a salvo of line of work Alan Canfield dubbed “ fudge fever . ”
The upsurge of interest was due in prominent part to a perception on the part of consumer that they could indulge in deep brown without have to forfend a scale . ( It helped , Greene wrote , to stare at a piece of drinking chocolate cake while sipping it . ) Each can of diet fudge soda sense like umber and tasted like umber , but it was 100 percent contrived and sweeten with NutraSweet . It contained only two calories . Fans of the drink enjoyed the fact they could get something approximating a dessert without care about weight gain . This was , after all , the aerobicized ‘ 80s , whereJane Fondaworkout tapes were stacked on top of VCRs .
Enthusiastic consumer ran in and out of storage toting cases of the clobber . Canfield receive more than 500 birdcall each mean solar day from stores and individuals asking for more of the drink , so they take off running their manufactory 20 hours a day , seven day a week . Grocers sent empty trucks to Canfield so the allocator could fill them with soda water , then ration supply on shelves — one case per client — to make indisputable there was enough for everyone . Fudge febrility had commenced .
Other bottlers joined the trend . Royal Crown , Yoo - Hoo , and even Famous Amos all came out with their own versions of a carbonated deep brown soda . ( Conventional Yoo - Hoo drinks are , of course , non - carbonated . ) One easygoing drink brand , R.J. Corr Naturals , used material chocolate and charged $ 2.99 for a six - pack—$1 more than their artificially - flavour competitors .
Canfield grew increasingly get at by these many Modern rivals , and quickly charter natural action . In court , they indicate that the wordfudgewas part of a company trademark and should n’t be allowed for rival washing soda . In at least one case , a judge sided with Canfield , forcing the Vess beverage company to rename their offering Diet Chocolate Chocolate Soda .
Naturally , not everyone was a devotee of the drink , which include more than 40 chemical substance ingredient . Some taste sensation - testers declared it “ horrible . ” Undaunted , Canfieldreleaseda Diet Cherry Chocolate Fudge version in 1986 . But without a interior bottle presence , the company wasforcedto give up some of its drinking chocolate sodium carbonate marketing share to imitators . In 1995 , Canfield wassoldto Select Beverages .
The companionship would ultimately move 200 million bathroom in 1985 , though the fad would be rather short - lived . Today , Canfield ’s Diet Chocolate Fudge Soda is difficult to amount by , though some still prize its distinctive discernment . Fudge fever lives .
