Stim Apple Soda was a drink I originally discovered while trying to avoid the pulsating heat of Khartoum. And I so enjoyed not just the apple soda, but the other stem products that it made it onto my “Top Sudanese Drinks” list.
Imagine my excitement would you then when I also found this gem in Juba, South Sudan! So, what is Stim Apple Soda? Where can you get it? And can ya mix it with booze……….?
Click to read about the Best Sudanese Drinks
What the Stim?
Stim Beverages, founded in 1984, is a well-known drink company in Sudan, offering a variety of sodas and juices. Best known for its Stim Apple Soda, the company has become a staple in Sudanese homes and businesses.
In addition to the popular apple flavor, Stim also offers sodas in Orange, Lemon, and Pineapple, which are available throughout Sudan. The company also produces fruit juices like Mango and Pineapple, which are also decent.
Stim’s products are made with locally-sourced ingredients, which has helped them build a strong reputation within the country while somehow largely avoiding the affects of the current civil war.
In the south it seems to be known as Steem Apple Soda, although the packaging and the like seem to imply it is one and the same, perhaps slightly renamed due to civil war issues.
Stim Apple Soda in South Sudan
I discovered Stim Apple Soda while we went on a beer run before our trip to camp with the Mundari Tribe. It was actually quite a surprise to see it bearing in mind that Sudan and South Sudan not only both have a fair few issues still, but are not exactly BFF’s.
Apparently though the drink enjoyed popularity while there was quite literally just one Sudan and said popularity remained after the bitter divorce that left Abyei in joint custody. And while it is hard to verify much in this part of the world it seems that there are still bottling plants on both sides of the border. I only saw the apple one in Juba and cannot confirm if there are other favors here.
How does Stim Apple Soda taste?
Apple soda is often done badly, but that is very much not the case with Stim which has is similar in flavour and quality to Appletizer rather than the cheap sugar infused apple monstrosities that most apple soda makers do.
And in fact the same can be said about the other Stim products, such as their version of Coke, as well as their pineapple soda.
Can you mix Stim Apple Soda with booze?
I can now say that I have done the Stim Booze test twice and in two countries, namely Sudan and South Sudan. In Sudan this was done with Sudanese moonshine on our way to Bir Tawil with it passing great as a chaser.
In South Sudan I got a carton of 6 to go with the $12 “Prime Kisses Vodka” which was of such low quality the of the bottle broke after opening. Glass in my glass was the least of my concern though as it also stank of white spirit. Stim Apple Soda/Steem Apple Soda though managed to mask the flavour enough to ensure I had a good nights sleep before a day of watching kids get pissed on by cows…
Click to see my South Sudan Tours with Young Pioneer Tours.