From Anthony Buccino, Nutley, New Jersey. He has been called “New Jersey’s ‘Garrison Keillor.’ ” You can read more about his writing at his website http://www.anthonysworld.com/ We would like to thank http://www.baristanet.com/ where this reminiscence first appeared. Baristanet was born in May 2004 and soon after emerged as a leader in both hyperlocal blogging and the online citizen journalism movement.
Every significant event in my life growing up in New Jersey was accentuated by Brookdale soda.
Others relished the Thanksgiving turkey or the Easter ham, but as for me, give me my Brookdale orange soda. At a repast at someone’s home between viewings at Grandpa’s wake, I was first in line for the Brookdale Kola.
Drop the easy fly ball and lose the big game: it was all okay when I consoled my soul with that bright green lemon-lime Brookdale Soda.
So now, who knows how many decades since Brookdale Beverage shut down that artesian well, burned the secret recipes and closed the show, I’m still pining for a tall glass of ice bubbling with Brookdale birch soda.
The ice-breaker, so to speak, among Jersey baby boomers is, what’s your favorite Brookdale Soda? Some people actually liked the celery flavor or root beer best.
We kids used to wonder how people in the poor countries overseas grew up deprived, without Brookdale Soda, and we always finished ours so Ma wouldn’t have to pack it up and send it to them with our unfavored vegetables.
A rough morning with the nuns at Holy Family School was always made better with a glass of Brookdale soda with my sandwich when I got home for lunch with Mom. I drank it slowly as we watched her stories, Love of Life, Search For Tomorrow, and As The World Turns.
For me, it was Love of Brookdale Soda, Search for the Bottle Opener, 
and As the Ice Melts In the Brookdale Cherry and Cherry Pit.
So when I feel I’m getting old, I flip on my Brookdale soda sign in my basement bar and listen to the familiar voices around my imaginary table.
Loved Brookdale Soda! all the flavors except “celery,” which my dad always liked. We use to shoot bottle rockets out of the empties!