Video: The Unique Soda Flavors Of Highland Park's Galco's

When you want a unique soda, Galco's is the perfect place in Los Angeles to go. This new video shows shop owner John Nese highlighting some unique standouts among his 700 flavors of soda. Galco's Old World Grocer in Highland Park specializes in soda pop, stocking hundreds of unique flavors and brands. A video from Tom Scott shows owner John Nese pointing out a few of his favorites. Nese's enthusiasm for soda is infectious, and he's particularly fond of small companies that use cane sugar as opposed to corn syrup.

The shop's been in Nese's family for a long time. Nese says they were once an Italian grocery store, but then larger grocery chains bought distribution markets for little stores like his, driving him out of business. But Nese was optimistic. "I said, 'You know what? You should be happy that Pepsi Cola doesn't own your shelf space and you can sell anything you want.'"

Nese began with 25 smaller brands of soda, but has obviously expanded to become a soda emporium where you can even make your own flavor.

In the video, he points out Moxie, the first soda put in a bottle, originally intended as a stomach tonic, and a line of soda from Georgia that uses naturally carbonated water. "It bubbles out of the ground that way!"

The shop also stocks beer, candies, snacks and a deli.