A weird thing about human beings is that they will invent a God, and then immediately set about trying to find ways to outsmart it

Jason Lefkowitz

I visited 3 of Utah's most popular soda shops to try their famous flavor combinations. They didn't make me a die-hard soda fan but I did find a cheap, cheerful alternative to coffee.

Insider's reporter tried popular sodas at Lop's Pop Stop in Moab and Sodalicious and FiiZ Drinks in Salt Lake City with Coke, coconut cream, and lime.

Business Insider (www.businessinsider.com)

Jason Lefkowitz

If you're not familiar, Mormon scripture prohibits the consumption of "hot drinks." This has generally been interpreted to mean caffeinated beverages like coffee and tea, but it is a more open question whether it also includes modern caffeinated drinks like sodas, which are served cold. So Utah has a thriving culture of "soda shops" filling the niche that coffee shops serve pretty much everywhere else -- a place for people to socialize while tanking up on caffeine.

FAQ—Can Mormons drink coffee?—The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Learn more about Can Mormons drink coffee?, which is a frequently asked question about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

(faq.churchofjesuschrist.org)

Jason Lefkowitz

I want to emphasize that I am not trying to bag specifically on the Mormons here. The history of Jewish religious thought includes thousands of years of very smart people peering at scripture and thinking they've spotted a loophole

Michael Stanclift

@jalefkowit my dad’s brother married into the church and has a large family that now live in SLC area. Growing up whenever they would come visit for a week in the summer, my grandmothers basement pantry would, overnight, become FULLY STOCKED with Coca-Cola particularly but also every possible alternative brand and flavor combination in anticipation of their arrival.

Michael Stanclift

@jalefkowit growing up in the 80s my parents always had cans or bottles of Diet Coke in the house but nothing on the level of what happens when the Mormons came to visit.

Jason Lefkowitz

@vmstan Mormons are EXTREMELY SPECIFIC about their sodas

Michael Stanclift

@jalefkowit yeah maybe that was why there were so many options. I used the opportunity to create my own unique combinations

Janne Moren

@jalefkowit
Does that mean hot cocoa is forbidden too? Miso soup? Or is it ok as long as you use a spoon?

How about coffee jelly? It's neither hot nor a drink, and you're already allowed to have caffeine in sodas.

Jason Lefkowitz

@jannem I'm not a Mormon theologian, so I'm the wrong person to ask. Fly to Salt Lake City and you can probably provoke a very lively debate with these questions