Earlier this year, I got to go on a cross country journey. One of the places I found myself in was St. Louis, Missouri. I heard that St. Louis was the home of Vess Soda. So when I spotted some Vess soda at a gas station just outside of St. Louis, I was more than happy to pick some up. I choose their pineapple and Whistle Orange soda. The only thing I found about the name "Whistle" is that it was given by it's creator, Charles Grigg.
The Vess brand has been around since 1916. They primarily distribute in the St. Louis area, but they also have operations in North Carolina, Ohio, and Indiana. Vess is currently owned by Cott Beverages.
Vess Pineapple
Vess Whistle Orange
Both their pineapple and Whistle Orange are very similar in flavor to Faygo Pop based in my home state of Michigan. It would be interesting to see if I could tell the difference with a side by side test (I would secretly hope for Faygo to win!). Neither of these like their Faygo counterparts have a genuine flavor. It's just a good sweet artificial flavor, better than most, but not as good as the ones that are trying to taste less artificial.
Where to Buy
I found my at a gas station outside of St. Louis. It should be easy to find in that area. I heard that Dierbergs grocery stores sell it. For more information on availability, try contacting someone at Cott Beverages. Click here for their website.
MoonShot
Thank you! Heading to the nearest ice house (gas station) in St. Louis to pick some up!