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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.
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* 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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2-25-2008 @5:35PM Cliff Rothband said... In the Ist Cav infantry in Vietnam in "67 , nobody but me drank the Yoo Hoo, it reminded me of a better life , and it was available, while you had to pay a stiff price for a can of coke or beer. Years later when I met the distributor of Yoo Hoo and Canada Dry, I remarked about my love of Yoo Hoo, and told him I would like to thank Yogi Bera for his invention, He dialed Yogi, who told me to thank the gentleman I was with for the drink product.
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2-25-2008 @5:41PM Cliff Rothband said... Thanks- I think I will rush out for a YooHoo Right now.
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2-25-2008 @6:25PM Gerry said... I remember Yoo-Hoo from when I grew up on Long Island. I now live in Reno, NV, and is it available here?
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2-25-2008 @7:36PM Karen said... They do still make Chocolate Soldiers. My mom lives in Panama City, Fl. and they have them down there. Yoo Hoo's are awesome!!
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2-26-2008 @2:53PM Susan said... I ended up in the hospital 5 years ago with acute renal failure. I also had a SEVERE soar throat and mouth. I re-disovered Yoo-Hoo while I was in the hospital.There was a store in the hospital that sold it and my x-husband would get it for me. It was very soothing on my throat and that was all I was able to drink.I became addicted. I continued to drink for a few weeks after I was discharged. I would LOVE to have one right now!!!
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2-26-2008 @3:46PM Lauren said... I saw Yoo Hoo at Target last year and started getting those instead of juice boxes. Then my mom told me they didnt sell it anymore at Target and I havent had one since. Love the stuff though. I miss it. I knew it was old but didnt know it was made in the 20s! Never knew any of those facts except that its not milk. Pretty sweet.
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2-26-2008 @3:58PM mikec said... nothing better than two dirty water dogs and a yoo hoo
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2-26-2008 @6:05PM Sherry said... I am 48-years-old and have been a Yoo Hoo-aholic for at least 40 of those years. It was a treat as a child and I still drink one bottle (sorry cans just don't taste the same) every day. Of course I could drink more, but I try hard to control myself, which is why I don't buy the 1/2 gallon containers - because I know I could never stop at one glass! I have had to stand a lot of teasing by my co-workers - who think I should be on a commercial (and yes, I should!)only to find that they too love the incredibly wonderful drink. I think someone else said how it brings you back to the "simple times" and it surely does. I LOVE YOO HOOOOOOOO! Cheers!
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2-27-2008 @9:01PM John said... Always loved Yoo-Hoo.
I was in a Tiki hut somewhere in the Florida Keys once and the bartender told me it was a great hangover cure....
sure enough....a couple Yoo Hoo's....no hangover.
Great stuff,,,,,,,,,,
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2-26-2008 @8:55PM Monica said... My husband has grown up on yoo-hoo and introduced it to me when we met. His reciepe for yoo-hoo is as follows. Must be canned not bottle. Shake viggorously(sp?) stick in freezer for 1 hour, shake and keep in freezer for aditional 30min and shake ever 10 min or so for the next hour. this will make it into an Icee type texture and is great on a hot summer day! I know this is a little more intensive then others may have in mind, but it is well worth the wait!!! I promise!!!!! :)
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2-26-2008 @7:41PM jamie kirk said... I wish I could find the banana yahoo The only place I seen it was Florida. If you know were I could get some please let me know Ill buy every bottle .
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2-26-2008 @8:58PM MaryAnne said... My Memory is my grandma. Back in the late 50's, She had an apartment upstair's in our home. Everytime my mom would yell at me for one thing or another..I would cry and run up to grandma's. She would wipe my tears and open the frig and take out an i-c cold YOO-HOO and my little girl world would be special again(I don't think she ever drank them herself)...THANK YOU YOO-HOO!!
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3-02-2008 @3:03PM Ernest said...
It was so interesting reading about the YOO-HOO article. I will soon be 60yrs old, growing up my family could not afford the luxury of keeping YOO-HOO in the refrig,most of the time we barely had milk. When I got my first job in a grocery store at the age of 11, the first thing I bought from my very first pay check [ a wop-ping $5 dollars for a weeks work] was a can of YOO-HOO and a package of Hostess cup cake. I guess that at this time of my life, I should have acquired a more sophisticated taste for my selection of grown-up beverages, However, give me a can of YOO-HOO and I am in heaven. The little boy in me is still alive and can appreciate when life was not so complicated and all it would take was a can of YOO-HOO to feel content. Thank you for the YOO-HOO memories.
Ernest Torres
soon to be 69 yrs young
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3-02-2008 @4:06PM Peace said... Yoohoo...... coolest drink eva.
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3-02-2008 @4:37PM gary said... i remember going to my great aunts house in taswell indiana and going accross the street to the small store and getting a chocola back in the 70's. well chocola isnt around anymore and yoo hoo is just as good. i wish someone would bring back the chocola though.
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3-02-2008 @8:08PM Sam said... I love Yoo-Hoo. I drink Yoo-Hoo Lite mostly, but my favorite one EVER is the Dyna-Mocha kind. Oh man. they also need to bring back the Chocolate-Banana one.
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3-08-2008 @6:19PM chazznj said... Yoo-Hoo was made first packed in Garfield , NJ in a small brick factory.
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3-09-2008 @2:54PM Jerri Roth said... I loooove Yoo Hoo!! I can't think of anything better on a HOT Summer day. The next best drink is sweet tea or Coke in the little bottle(when you can find them)!!!! I remember Chocolate Soldiers and Brownie drinks too.
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3-09-2008 @4:33PM Shirley Hulgan said... I love Yoo Hoo! Loved it as a kid, still do at 52! LOL! God bless all the Yoo Hoo lovers! Those who hate Yoo Hoo can just drink Moo Juice!
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3-09-2008 @5:22PM Linda said... I'm from Madison, WI and I remember back in the 60's a UW student lived next door. He told me he was from New Jersey and he was trying to start a market here for YooHoo. That was the first time I ever tasted it and he always had cases of it. It has a wonderful taste and it brings back all those memories every time I taste it! Thanks for all of the great YooHoo info!
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