This is fascinating, at least by my diminished standards. I had no idea RC Cola and Nehi were in cahoots. The latter was given a brief if ineffectual vogue during the run of "M*A*S*H," when a character expressed a preference for a particular variant of the Nehi pantheon. I thought it was an imaginary beverage conjured by the show's writers until I had a job down South, and was honored to experience the full range of Nehi flavors.

I do wonder what happened in the soft-drink world that made it necessary to note the sterilization of the bottles, and I think we all can nod with admiration and a small amount of pity towards RC's claim to be "Best by Taste-Test." Perhaps. Doesn't matter, and it never did. There's Romulus Coke, and there's Remus Pepsi, the Founding Twins. RC shall ever be third.