Tak.a.boost (which you can also call Drink.a.Toast, and both names appear on the bottle) is exactly like flat Pepsi or Coke. You know it if you grew up in South Jersey, across from Philadelphia, by the Delware River: Riverside, Delran, Palmyra, Rancocas Woods, Cinnaminson, Burlington. Although I haven't had it since my early-teenaged years, I can still remember it as a powerfully sweet and licoricey beverage. Usually poured on ice and served to you at the day care in the bowling alley, in the municipal building where your Mom went to vote, or handed to you as you finished something like the Crop Walk, it was supposed to give you sugar and coat your stomach. I really did not like it. How many times did I eagerly approach a collapsable table thinking paper cups of Coke were sitting ready for my consumption, only to realize, too late, that the unfizzy Boost was all there was. I would rather have had Orange Drink, which seems to be the equivalent elsewhere in the country. (Note: Delran, the name of the township [not even a town] where I grew up, is not Del Ran, but Delran, a condensation of the Delaware River and Rancocas Creek, between which it lies, trying desperately not to produce the next spate of white high school shooters.)
Didn't Boost come in a weird shaped bottle, almost like a jug of moonshine, with large bottom and a tiny little neck, and a spout the size of a half-dollar? Am I remembering that right? My family never kept a bottle of it around, so maybe that's why I never developed a taste for it. Legend was that it was a sure thing for a hangover.
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Your posts make me so curious: a couple weeks ago I was googling pomegranites (to find out if they squeeze our death fruits) and then a couple days ago I was looking all over for a photo of tak-a-boost. Which doesn't exist.
i meant, squeeze "out" not "our"
We live in Tabernacle and the Shoprite of Medford sells the Boost. We used to live in Riverside and I buy the jug once every 2 weeks. In riverside you can get a jug for $9.50. Out here in Tabernacle its $10.50 for a jug. I am looking at our jug right now. If you want a pic let me know I can snap a shot of ours.
The old bottle (70's) was a glass rectanglur shape which curved in the middle (when it was empty of concentrate it was saved to mix new drinks in.. a little like a slight hour glass shape. The new gallon container they now sell looks like a moonshine whisky bottle. I make mine twice as weak as they recommend on the bottle. I also squeeze a whole lemon or whole lime into the pitchers I make of it. It really is refreshing when Ice cold and nothing I have ever had tastes like it. I grew up in Florida and only drank takaboost when I visited my relatives in NJ- they always had a bottle. I now live here in NJ and continue to buy the stuff only I buy decaf now...and again make it very weak/diluted.
Everyone has such fond memories of this drink a toast (drink a boost). I myself had never heard of such a drink until my best friend who grew up in Philly and Jersey. She no longer lives out there and has me on a hunt for a drink I've never heard of. LOL. Does anyone know of where I can order it online or how I can contact the manufacturers. I read somewhere that you can order it directly from the bottlers. Can anyone tell me how to go about ordering it? We live in Pittsburgh and don't get to Philly or Jersey very often. I would love to be able to suprise her with it. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
I remember "drink-a-toast in the '60s. I grew up in Cinnaminson and went nuts over the drink. My Mom would buy it for me regularly and my brothers and sister would make fun f me for how much I liked the stuff. I tell my wife about it and quite frankly it sounds pretty disgusting, but it brings me fond memories and I enjoyed it as a kid.
I love and still drink Boost. I live in Cinnaminson NJ and get get you a bottle of Boost whenever you want. I can get you a case of it if you like too. They come 4 one gallon jugs to a case. Boost is a concentrate, Each 1 gallon jug makes 4 additional gallons. It now comes in De-caf and diet!! If anyone has the old "mixing jug", I would be interested in it. E-mail me if interested!! Pattyg78@comcast.net
im looking for the old mixing jug.if anyone could help me locate one i would greatly appreciate it.i lost mine in a divorce
This is too funny. I grew up in Roebling a small town by the Delaware all anyone ever had to drink when I was young was Boost. Then for years after I moved away I never gave it another thought. Well, I've been back in town for a while now and my kids are hooked on the stuff! It's just too funny and the best thing is a Boost Slushie with salted pretzels. Love it!
you cant forget florence too. florence is known for having kids with a boost addiction. there is not one deli that doesnt sell boost or boost slushies there. the kids love it...must be all the sufar and caffiene.
haha im a 21 yr old from florence and im sitting here drinking a boost slush as we speak.
I think Boost is the successor of Drink AToast, which I always used to enjoy at my childhood friend Rita's house in Pennsauken. They knew and liked it because Rita's dad is from Riverside. Rita's mom always used to serve it to us along with the Charles Chips, another local specialty. I actually have a jug of the Boost concentrate, just as the other comments described it, in my refrigerator here in Boston. I got it in Pennsauken on one of my visits to my mom.
Rita's mom, who was very dear to me, died last week, and seeing this blog brought back many fond memories. Thanks and Happy New Year!
Taka-Boost is great stuff, ever had it where club soda was used instead of regular water? I grew up on it o.o;
I actually think they make Taka-Boost down in Riverside, can't remember.
I first had Take-A-Boost when I moved to Mt. Holly in 1971. It was being ladled out of a cauldron, and my first thought on drinking it was Why are they giving us flat Pepsi?
I think by that time it had been renamed Drink-A-Toast but nobody ever called it that. It was regarded as a cheap substitute for soda and was ubiquitous at fundraisers and creepy people's houses.
There really is a good reason it's not marketed outside of BurlCo.
I haven't thought about that drink in a very long time. I grew up in Cinnaminson in the 60's and 70's. I loved the stuff! I can't believe they still make it!
takaboost.com .... for anyone looking to order it online lol I live in OR so it costs a lot to have it shipped here but my boyfriend is from Burlington NJ and has to have his boost! lol hope it helps
drink-a-toast was the proper name as I remember it, but everyone called it 'Boost', or take a boost--concentrate, mixed with water. I grew up in Willingboro, Burlington County area- and loved it!!
My name is Ken Swope and I lived a block from where they made/make 'boost'. We grew up on that drink in the 50s and 60s. As a matter of fact my sister, Linda, was one of very few privileged servers, that worked behind the counter at Faunces (where the in-crowd hung)across the street from St. Pete's parking lot and where boost was served out of a large porcelain jug. A nickel or dime got you a dixie cup, straw and pretzel which started the rest of the day after high school got out.
www.takaboost.com
They ship everywhere.
Mattsons in Burlington sells a plastic bottle of boost, than can be used as a mixing bottle, like the old glass bottles.
I have the fondest memories...I am from Cinnaminson and I grew up on take-a-boost, Tastycakes, Scrapple, and Cheesesteaks. I live in Massachusetts now and no one has ever heard of these great things...just came back from Wildwood and enjoyed having them again, glad to she that drink-a-toast is still available will be seeking to find it.
I grew up on the stuff tryed to use it with florida water and it just wasn't the same
I grew up in Edgewater Park and also have fond memories of it. We drank it all the time, but I seldom let my children have it. I did however, just buy it in the Acme in Mt. Holly to help with my daughter's 4 day vomiting jag. At the moment, I am enjoying a trip down memory lane. My daughter...not so much!
OK, I'm 58 (almost 59) and grew up on the stuff. Not living in the area, I just ordered 4 gallons on lione to be shipped to me. Ive been drinking this forever. Happy to have the suger free now, though.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2212931772/
My Great Grandfather invented Boost aka Drink-a-toast aka Take a boost. This is a face book page/group for the people that love it and want to join.
There is much good info there as well on how to order it from the plant :).
I moved out of Riverside and now have Boost shipped to me. They even ship worldwide. Call them to order: (856) 461-1000. And to the person who said Boost is like flat Coke or Pepsi: no it is not. Boost has a one of a kind flavor.
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