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Even if I do absolutely nothing else of measurable value before I go to bed tonight, I'll consider it a productive day if I do just this one thing – bust some myths and misconceptions about Yoo-hoo.
* Yoo-hoo is not chocolate milk (though it does contain a small amount of non-fat dry milk), hence the now-retired tagline, "If only milk tasted this good."
* Yogi Berra never owned the company. He was, however, a longtime spokesperson. One highly sought-after piece of Yoo-hoo memorabilia is a cigarette lighter that plays his rendition of the jingle "It's Me He For Yoo-hoo" when the lever is flipped.
* It's not pronounced "yah-hoo", "yay-hoo", "yoo-hooz" or any other such permutation. It's pronounced "you who".
* Neither Coke nor Pepsi owns the company.
Some things I can tell you that are indeed true (impress your friends, neighbors, and loved ones!) are...
* Over the years, there have been Yoo-hoo ice pops, doughnuts, soft-from-the-freezer ice cream and candy bars on the market for various periods of time.
* A limited edition of Yoo-hoo "Mix-Ups" included Chocolate-Mint, Chocolate-Banana, Chocolate-Coconut, Chocolate-Strawberry, Chocolate-Cinnamon and Chocolate-Raspberry. Of those, the Chocolate-Banana remained on the market for many years after. Sadly, Chocolate-Peanut and Chocolate-Orange never made it out of the lab, but original Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, Double Fudge, Dyna-Mocha, Cookies & Cream and Island Coconut have all been part of the roster at one time or another.
*
* Yoo-hoo doesn't have an expiration date. It's pasteurized in the can or bottle, and, so long as the container remains sealed, it won't go bad. Ingredients may separate a tad – hence the chocolatey sludge at the bottom of any vintage of bottle, but any true-blue 'Hoo-ligan knows you've just got to shake it up.
* Yoo-hoo was invented by Tru-Fruit beverages owner Natale Oliveri in
Why this sudden outpouring of 'Hoo trivia? Well, 'cause I recently celebrated my 'Hoo-versary. From
There's a purity to Yoo-hoo -- a hearkening back to the childhood glee of guilt-free indulgence (and yes, there is a Yoo-hoo Lite with a fraction of the sugar and calories). It's sweet, easy-sipping, and thoroughly un-serious -- perfect with a PB&J or just cold from the fridge. I will, however, note that the most exquisite Yoo-hoo I've ever had was one drunk in the company of Dr. Yoo-hoo, himself, James Mastroberti -- keeper of the secret formula (it's in a safe in his office), and longtime grand poobah of all matters in the Flavor Lab. He'd spent a couple of hours leading me through the Yoo-hoo factory (Yes,
At the point in the line where the cans of 'Hoo were cooling before being sealed up and pasteurized, Dr. Yoo-hoo grabbed one off the belt and handed it to me, still warm. He took one for himself, we toasted, and we drank. It was simply sublime -- a warm, almost caramel-sweet, smooth ribbon of chocolate flowing over my tongue, and just infusing my whole being with happiness. I looked over at Dr. Yoo-hoo. Though this was likely the ten thousandth or more time in his illustrious career that he'd tasted a Yoo-hoo, he was still smiling as if it were his first.
UPDATE - Dr. Yoo-hoo himself wrote in! See his comment!
Share your Yoo-hoo stories in the comments thread below and heck - grab a cold Yoo-hoo while you're at it. By the way, bottle may say drinkyoo-hoo.com, but yoo-hoo.com is the link that'll get you there.
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1-29-2008 @6:54AM Beth Dare said... I love my yoo-hoo, and have for decades. what i would like to share with you is that i spend 30 years with a man that was gift-challenged. The man never quite got the gist of the perfect gift for any occasion. What he did know and played often was the yoo-hoo. No matter what the occasion or how big the dog house he was in at the time, an apologie and an ice-cold yoohoo was the perfect gift. I never not smiled as I took the first sip. I love it!!! And him.
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1-29-2008 @3:02PM Kim said... I love YooHoo. The article said that there wasn't a Chocolate Orange flavor but I know for sure that there was. It was my FAVORITE! Now all I can find is original, but I still love it. My boys do too. Long live YooHoo!!!!
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1-29-2008 @3:41PM Leisha said... I used to drink yoo hoo when I was little and then I thought it tasted like chocolate but now it just tastes nasty my 20 and 26 year old sons like it though
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1-29-2008 @5:36PM Marilyn said... I've had Yoo-Hoo since I was a child and I'm 61 years old. I enjoy it as much now as I did then. I never knew how to pronounce it and I'm glad you touched on that subject. I remember Chocolate Soldiers, but Yoo-Hoo is better. Thanks for the info. Loving it in La.
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1-30-2008 @12:09AM Rebecca Lewis said... I introduced my 8 year old nephew to Yoo hoo and now he expects it everytime he comes to visit...We also have to have it on hand when vacationing. We never have enough. I can't find the Yoo hoo light either...anymore.
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1-30-2008 @6:07PM mary said... i didn't like yoohoo as much as kayo, or hershey's chocolate milk. i'd like to try some of the "koko blanco" flavor if they could only bring it back for summer like mountain dew "livewire" (orange mountain dew) i never did try the "blends" maybe they could make a special "limited edition" chocolate,peanut, bananna" flavor just for elvis's birthday,(jan 8) and also for the anniversary of his passing (aug 16) that i'll be a blast! ;)
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1-30-2008 @7:28PM mary said... "BROWNIE DRINKS" was the drink of choice for me as a child in the "60's). Then we found Yoo-Hoos and they became our favorite!!! Fond memories in Virginia
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1-30-2008 @6:36PM Donna said... We grew up on "BROWNIE DRINKS" here in Virginia. Then as we could only find Yoo-Hoos- it was a good replacement!!!! Donna in VA
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1-30-2008 @7:36PM mary said... maybe they can import "koko blanco" to those mexican food markets in the states by special order.
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1-31-2008 @2:01PM JeriKennedy said...
In the 50,s I loved a drink called Brownie.Later as I grew up,I couldn,t find it and saw a Yoohoo and tried it.Yes! I found a replacement
Even Better!I introduced it to my Grandchildren and we all eleven of us
enjoy it so much.Its a real treat!It is like No other.It stays with the
same recipe.Why mess with perfection!
Love my Yoohoo,Jeri
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1-31-2008 @3:14PM Sarah said... I love Yoo Hoo and one time I had a few too many drinks the night before and it took all the pain away the next day, try it.
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1-31-2008 @10:14PM C.F.M.Benenhaley said... Im fourteen years old and just love an ice cold yoo-hoo! I can never get enough of them. Chocolate is still my favorite of all the flavors..Man i could go for a nice Yoo-Hoo right now.
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2-01-2008 @4:44AM eve said... I LOVE Yoo-Hoo.
I live in Sonoma County, CA and it is no longer sold in the glass bottles at Safeway, the only store that carried it where I live. I cannot find it ANYWHERE and it's driving me mad.
Anyone know where I can buy it!!!
xxxmalosaxxx@yahoo.com
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2-01-2008 @10:36AM Tom said...
This Yoo Hoo drink of yours is fantastic. When my nephew was doing his tour of duty in Afghanistan a few years ago I sent him cases and cases of yoo hoo for himself and his outfit. They loved it and I would recommend sending it to all and any of our troops. Drinking it straight off the shelf with a few good shakes of the container you just couldn't get enough of it. Keep it coming and send the troops a few pallets . Thanks again Great drink Semper Fi , Airborne All the Way - ENJOY!!!!
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2-03-2008 @8:28PM Joyce Hasson said... When I was younger I always loved Yoo Hoo Chocolate
Drinks.
Recently, I tried to buy Yoo Hoo LITE with less
calories in the flavor chocolate.
I can't find it anywhere in the Supermarkets I shop.
Which are, Acme and Genaurdi's in Lansdale, PA.19446
Do you know where I can find Yoo Hoo Lite???
Thanks,
Joyce Hasson
e-mail: hjoyson@verizon.net
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2-01-2008 @6:20PM Jack said... Am I imagining things.
I remember having a mocha Yoo Hoo
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2-03-2008 @11:02AM Meliss S. said... Loved it then- and still love it now- I believe it is caffiene free as well- There is nothing like an ice cold yoo-hoo on a hot summer day!
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2-03-2008 @8:58PM R Jacobs said... I am 62 years old and I have always liked chocolate yoo-hoo because it didn't seem to have carbonated water in it. I have been diabetic for 15 years and would only sneak one every once in a while. I didn't realize there was a lite yoo-hoo. Hope it is available in the Macon GA area. I will go looking for it tomorrow. And because I now know that it has a long shelf life it will be in my food storage. When my grandchildren come to visit, yoo-hoo will be there for them.
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2-03-2008 @10:58PM Bronx Girl said... When I was a little girl, living in the Bronx in the 1950s, my parents had very little money. A BIG treat was to drive out on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon to City island, where we did three things:
1--We went down to the waterfront, where there was a hotdog stand that served the greatest grilled (NOT steamed!) hotdogs.
2--Then we went to a penny arcade on Main Street, where my brother played the 10-cent "shooting gallery" and I dropped a dime into a slot to get a fortune from an automated "Gypsy Fortune Teller."
3--The afternoon always ended with a stop at a local grocery, where we would fish ice-cold bottles (long necked) of Yoo-Hoo out of a top-opening cooler full of ice.
Because we ONLY had it on such trips, it was always a tremendous treat.
Every now and then, I have a bottle, just for the heck of it. It never tasted as good as it did back then, but it always brings back good memories.
It didn't take much to make a day special back then.
I also remember Yogi Berra saying "Me-hee for Yoo-Hoo! Fudge bars too-hoo!" when the frozen Yoo-Hoo bars first came out. They were kind of like Fudgsicles. mmmm!
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2-03-2008 @11:43PM V.L> Trav said... I am 55 yo. and remember doing my paper routein Long Island New York and stopping off at the hot dog wagon and eating several "dogs" for .20 cents and gulping done a refreshing Yoo-hoo for .25 cents.....thers nothing finer on earth....beats the best steak dinner in NY by far, And yes, Yogi, "me hee, for you-hoo"
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