If a carbonated beverage doesn’t have a marble opener, I refuse to taint my lips with it. That’s the conclusion I came to after a swift conversion to the cult of the Japanese carbonated drink Shirakiki Ramune.
The drink itself is sugary sweet without cloying, much like the Gin Rickey but about a thousand times more hip. I procured the wonder beverage at Little Dono Sushi & Grill at the Westfield Shopping Center in Palm Desert. I’m not sure if they’re sold anywhere else in the desert, but if they are they’d be worth the drive.
The packaging provides endless amusement to me. There are a series of drawings on the uniquely shaped bottle, including a watermelon, a smoking pig, a life saver and a broad-brimmed hat. They don’t bother to explain what these have to do with the refreshing beverage.
Above the ingredients list they’ve slapped a detailed warning that advises:
WARNING
Imagine if American soft drinks carried warnings like “Adults should open the bottle for small children and supervise drinking”!
