Carbonated Beverage Language Map
Carbonated Beverage Language Map
[A map of the United States divided into purple, red, green, blue, and yellow colored regions.]

[A purple area in North West Washington.] Fanta
[A blue area spanning the Western border of Washington and Oregon.] Söde
[A yellow area spanning the remainder of Washington, North Western Oregon, Northern Idaho and the North Western corner of Montana.] Ichor
[A green area spanning the North Eastern corner of Oregon, central Idaho and the majority of Montana.] Spicewater
[A blue area spanning Eastern Montana, the North Eastern corner of Wyoming and the majority of North and South Dakota.] Refill
[A red area spanning Eastern North and South Dakota, the majority of Minnesota, Northern Wisconsin and Michigan North of the lakes.] Mead
[A green area spanning the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin.] Canadian Ale
[A yellow area spanning the South Eastern corner of Minnesota, the North Eastern corner of Iowa and the majority of Wisconsin.] Aether
[A green area in North East Wisconsin.] Mouthwater
[A purple area covering most of Michigan south of the lakes.] Kid's coffee
[A red area covering Northeast & central New York.] Hydro
[A green area covering Vermont and spanning the border with New York.] [No word for them]
[A yellow area covering Maine and the majority of New Hampshire.] Sugar milk
[A red area spanning Eastern Massachusetts and the border with New Hampshire.] Harvard tea
[A blue area covering Rhode Island and spanning Eastern Connecticut, central Massachusetts and the South West corner of New Hampshire.] Bubbler
[A yellow area spanning the South Eastern corner of New York, the South Western corner of Massachusetts, Western Connecticut and Northern New Jersey.] Mouth Buzz
[A red area spanning North Eastern California, Southern Oregon, the South Western corner of Idaho and the majority of Nevada.] You-know-what
[A blue area spanning South Western Idaho, Eastern Nevada, the majority of Utah and the border of Utah and Arizona.] Softie
[A green area spanning Northern Utah and the majority of Colorado.] Punch
[A yellow area covering the majority of Wyoming.] Fizz ooze
[A purple area spanning the South Eastern corner of Wyoming, the North Eastern corner of Colorado, the North Western corner of Kansas, Southern South Dakota, the majority of Nebraska and Iowa, and Northern Missouri.] Tickle juice
[A blue area spanning Eastern Iowa, Southern Wisconsin, the majority of Illinois and Indiana, the Southern border of Michigan, the Western border of Ohio and North Western Kentucky.] Capri
[A green area spanning South Eastern Michigan, the majority of Ohio and Pennsylvania, South Western New York, Northern West Virginia and Western Maryland.] Medicine
[A purple area spanning Eastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey.] Brad's Elixir
[A red area spanning the South Eastern corner of Pennsylvania, Eastern Maryland, Delaware and Northern Virginia.] Hot Water
[A yellow area spanning Eastern Kentucky, the Southern border of Ohio, Southern West Virginia, the majority of Virginia and Northern North Carolina.] Broth
[A blue area in Western California, North of San Francisco.] True water
[A yellow area in Western California, South of San Francisco.] Crypto
[A green area in South Western California, North of Los Angeles.] Yum
[A blue area in South Western California, close to Los Angeles.] Sparkle fluid
[A purple area in South Western California, close to San Diego.] King cola
[A yellow area spanning South Eastern California, Southern Nevada and the North Western corner of Arizona.] Tab
[A green area spanning the South Eastern corner of California and the majority of Arizona.] Ohio tea
[A red area spanning Eastern Arizona, the majority of New Mexico, Southern Colorado and the border between New Mexico and Texas.] Fun wine
[A blue area spanning Northern Texas, South Western Kansas and the majority of Oklahoma.] Sugar oil
[A red area spanning Central and Eastern Kansas, Southern Nebraska, Central Missouri and South Western Illinois.] Bubble Honey
[A yellow area spanning Southern New Mexico and Western Texas.] Diet
[A blue area in Southern Texas.] Code red
[A green area spanning the majority of Texas and the Southern border of Oklahoma.] The wet drink
[A purple area spanning Eastern Texas, the South Eastern corner of Oklahoma, the majority of Arkansas, Southern Missouri and Western Louisiana.] Carbonated beverage
[A yellow area spanning Eastern Louisiana, Eastern Arkansas, Southern Missouri, the South Western corner of Tennessee, the majority of Mississippi and the South Western corner of Alabama.] Skim shake
[A green area spanning the majority of Tennessee, Southern Kentucky, Northern Alabama, Northern Georgia and Western North Carolina.] Regular
[A purple area covering the majority of North Carolina.] Fluid
[A red area spanning Eastern Mississippi, Central Alabama, Northern Georgia and the South Western border of South Carolina.] Tang
[A yellow area covering the majority of South Carolina.] Coke zero
[A blue area in Central Georgia.] Fool's Champagne
[A purple ares spanning Southern Alabama, Southern Georgia and Northern Florida.] Formula
[A yellow area in Eastern Florida, near Orlando.] Carbo
[A blue area in Western Florida, near Tampa.] Quicksilver
[A red area in Southern Florida, South of Tampa and Orlando.] Glug
[A green area in Southern Florida, near Miami.] Water plus
[A yellow area corresponding to Hawaii except for the island of O'ahu.] Pepsi
[A red area corresponding to the Hawaiian island of O'ahu.] Crystal Pepsi
[A blue area covering the majority of Alaska.] Boat drink
[A red area in Southern Alaska, near Anchorage.] Melt
In the original version of this comic "elixir" was misspelled as "elixer", however this was later corrected.

In the US, people in various parts of the country refer to carbonated beverages by different names such as "soda", "pop", "coke", and others. Generally, the West Coast and Northeast say "soda", the South says "coke" and the rest of the country says "pop".
There are various maps of where these different names are used, including popvssoda.com and this map on Laughing Squid . Such maps were trending and popular in 2013.
xkcd's map is a satire of those maps – these regional terms are fake. Not only are there far more terms than are actually used by Americans, many are terms for other beverages (mead), unrelated liquids (quicksilver), or trademarked beverage names less popular than Coke / Coca Cola ( Code Red ) – and in one case, something that's not even tangible ( "Crypto" ).
[A map of the United States divided into purple, red, green, blue, and yellow colored regions.]

[A purple area in North West Washington.] Fanta
[A blue area spanning the Western border of Washington and Oregon.] Söde
[A yellow area spanning the remainder of Washington, North Western Oregon, Northern Idaho and the North Western corner of Montana.] Ichor
[A green area spanning the North Eastern corner of Oregon, central Idaho and the majority of Montana.] Spicewater
[A blue area spanning Eastern Montana, the North Eastern corner of Wyoming and the majority of North and South Dakota.] Refill
[A red area spanning Eastern North and South Dakota, the majority of Minnesota, Northern Wisconsin and Michigan North of the lakes.] Mead
[A green area spanning the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin.] Canadian Ale
[A yellow area spanning the South Eastern corner of Minnesota, the North Eastern corner of Iowa and the majority of Wisconsin.] Aether
[A green area in North East Wisconsin.] Mouthwater
[A purple area covering most of Michigan south of the lakes.] Kid's coffee
[A red area covering Northeast & central New York.] Hydro
[A green area covering Vermont and spanning the border with New York.] [No word for them]
[A yellow area covering Maine and the majority of New Hampshire.] Sugar milk
[A red area spanning Eastern Massachusetts and the border with New Hampshire.] Harvard tea
[A blue area covering Rhode Island and spanning Eastern Connecticut, central Massachusetts and the South West corner of New Hampshire.] Bubbler
[A yellow area spanning the South Eastern corner of New York, the South Western corner of Massachusetts, Western Connecticut and Northern New Jersey.] Mouth Buzz
[A red area spanning North Eastern California, Southern Oregon, the South Western corner of Idaho and the majority of Nevada.] You-know-what
[A blue area spanning South Western Idaho, Eastern Nevada, the majority of Utah and the border of Utah and Arizona.] Softie
[A green area spanning Northern Utah and the majority of Colorado.] Punch
[A yellow area covering the majority of Wyoming.] Fizz ooze
[A purple area spanning the South Eastern corner of Wyoming, the North Eastern corner of Colorado, the North Western corner of Kansas, Southern South Dakota, the majority of Nebraska and Iowa, and Northern Missouri.] Tickle juice
[A blue area spanning Eastern Iowa, Southern Wisconsin, the majority of Illinois and Indiana, the Southern border of Michigan, the Western border of Ohio and North Western Kentucky.] Capri
[A green area spanning South Eastern Michigan, the majority of Ohio and Pennsylvania, South Western New York, Northern West Virginia and Western Maryland.] Medicine
[A purple area spanning Eastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey.] Brad's Elixir
[A red area spanning the South Eastern corner of Pennsylvania, Eastern Maryland, Delaware and Northern Virginia.] Hot Water
[A yellow area spanning Eastern Kentucky, the Southern border of Ohio, Southern West Virginia, the majority of Virginia and Northern North Carolina.] Broth
[A blue area in Western California, North of San Francisco.] True water
[A yellow area in Western California, South of San Francisco.] Crypto
[A green area in South Western California, North of Los Angeles.] Yum
[A blue area in South Western California, close to Los Angeles.] Sparkle fluid
[A purple area in South Western California, close to San Diego.] King cola
[A yellow area spanning South Eastern California, Southern Nevada and the North Western corner of Arizona.] Tab
[A green area spanning the South Eastern corner of California and the majority of Arizona.] Ohio tea
[A red area spanning Eastern Arizona, the majority of New Mexico, Southern Colorado and the border between New Mexico and Texas.] Fun wine
[A blue area spanning Northern Texas, South Western Kansas and the majority of Oklahoma.] Sugar oil
[A red area spanning Central and Eastern Kansas, Southern Nebraska, Central Missouri and South Western Illinois.] Bubble Honey
[A yellow area spanning Southern New Mexico and Western Texas.] Diet
[A blue area in Southern Texas.] Code red
[A green area spanning the majority of Texas and the Southern border of Oklahoma.] The wet drink
[A purple area spanning Eastern Texas, the South Eastern corner of Oklahoma, the majority of Arkansas, Southern Missouri and Western Louisiana.] Carbonated beverage
[A yellow area spanning Eastern Louisiana, Eastern Arkansas, Southern Missouri, the South Western corner of Tennessee, the majority of Mississippi and the South Western corner of Alabama.] Skim shake
[A green area spanning the majority of Tennessee, Southern Kentucky, Northern Alabama, Northern Georgia and Western North Carolina.] Regular
[A purple area covering the majority of North Carolina.] Fluid
[A red area spanning Eastern Mississippi, Central Alabama, Northern Georgia and the South Western border of South Carolina.] Tang
[A yellow area covering the majority of South Carolina.] Coke zero
[A blue area in Central Georgia.] Fool's Champagne
[A purple ares spanning Southern Alabama, Southern Georgia and Northern Florida.] Formula
[A yellow area in Eastern Florida, near Orlando.] Carbo
[A blue area in Western Florida, near Tampa.] Quicksilver
[A red area in Southern Florida, South of Tampa and Orlando.] Glug
[A green area in Southern Florida, near Miami.] Water plus
[A yellow area corresponding to Hawaii except for the island of O'ahu.] Pepsi
[A red area corresponding to the Hawaiian island of O'ahu.] Crystal Pepsi
[A blue area covering the majority of Alaska.] Boat drink
[A red area in Southern Alaska, near Anchorage.] Melt
In the original version of this comic "elixir" was misspelled as "elixer", however this was later corrected.
