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PaperclipPerfector  6d ago (text post)   19185 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of June 29, 2026

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An example supermarket webpage lists 1.25-liter (<del>12</del><ins>42.2</ins>-ounce) bottles of soda for sale.

Yeah, those are bought sometimes, but not as commonly as 12 oz ≈ 355 ml cans. But the smaller bottles are common at businesses or vending machines, where it's tacky or unexpected to buy a can rather than a bottle. So for instance a pizza parlor might offer a choice between a 2-liter or a 1.25 liter. (Also, 12 fluid ounces is much less than 1.25 liters.)

I've never been a fan of the 2-liter bottles because you have to use them quickly or they go flat, but they're bought commonly for parties, cookouts, as a way to get a lot of soda for several people at once.

Interestingly enough cans closer to the 500 ml can size in the US are associated mostly with energy drinks, only rarely soda. And of course there's the Arizona tallboy with 23 oz ≈ 680 ml, but you wouldn't buy a soda in that size.

And of course there's the Arizona tallboy with 23 oz

Yeah, I remember when they were 24.

Shrinkflation for 12 oz cans occasionally turns them into 330 mL cans (rather than the typical 355s), unless it's a drink made in Europe (like the old San Pelligrino citrus drinks that had the foil wrapper on the lid) in which case 330 mL is normal. Same thing with the 591 mL (20 oz) bottles shrinking to 500 mL.

Interestingly enough cans closer to the 500 ml can size in the US are associated mostly with energy drinks

They're 473 mL, or half a quart. If you want an even number of ounces you have to step up to the 20 oz/591 mL cans.

There are also smaller 222mL sod cans, but they are less ubiquitous.

Yeah, the mini size. There used to be cans about the same diameter as standard cans but shorter, but they replaced those with the mini ones. I’ll be honest in saying that those are much closer to a serving of soda for me. Without ice I just get sick of the syrupy sweet well before I could finish sipping a 355ml can.

20oz (~600ml) soda bottles are reasonably common.

Well now it’s me that was confused because I was thinking of those 20oz bottles when I talked about vending machine and pizza parlor sodas. I guess I’ve vaguely seen soda bottles between them and the 2-liters in size, but I don’t know if I’ve ever bought one.

The unit conversions are getting to me now, lol. I’m not certain why the US denominates small soda bottles and cans in fluid ounces and large ones in liters.

Buh? 12 oz is not 1.25L, it is 355 mL.

Sorry, I got confused betwen the nutrition label (12 ounces or 355 milliliters per serving) and the bottle label (1.25 liters or 42.2 ounces).

Yup, they trip you up in that way. "That's way too much soda for one sitting!" "Well read the label, it has OVER THREE servings in it!"

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