In Mexico, there's also the fact that soda is often the most easily available source of clean water. When I was in rural Chiapas and Guatemala ca 1992, I think

In Mexico, there's also the fact that soda is often the most easily available source of clean water. When I was in rural Chiapas and Guatemala ca 1992, I think I drank very little that wasn't soda during that time.¹ 1. Because the glass bottles were fairly precious by local economic standards, soda would be served "to go" in a plastic bag with a straw and a rubber band to keep it closed.