<description>&lt;html&gt;&lt;p&gt;Or was it invented in Paris to fight a rat infestation? Or was it accidentally made in India when they ran out of tonic to serve with gin? &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This month on the bonus episode of Seemingly Unrelated we are travelling all around the world to find out exactly who invented that sweet, bubbly, bev popular at all the Japanese vending machines but not with people who have arthritis. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Joining this month is our resident beverage expert and owner of &lt;a href="https://www.walkietalkybrewing.com/" target="_blank"&gt;Walkie Talky Brewing &lt;/a&gt;it is Michael Johnstone and the co-host of the upcoming 3rd season of Seemingly Unrelated due to premiere June 23rd as well as a legendary puppeteer and overall good hang &lt;a href="https://www.aliciabrittpuppetry.co.uk/" target="_blank"&gt;Alicia Britt&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Bibliography:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“Alexander Cameron Sim (1840-1900) - Find a Grave...” Accessed May 28, 2026. &lt;a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24018772/alexander_cameron-sim" target="_blank"&gt;https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24018772/alexander_cameron-sim&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ashcraft, Brian. “The History Of Ramune, Japan’s National Soda.” Japan. &lt;em&gt;Kotaku&lt;/em&gt;, May 20, 2020. &lt;a href="https://kotaku.com/the-history-of-ramune-japans-national-soda-1843559594" target="_blank"&gt;https://kotaku.com/the-history-of-ramune-japans-national-soda-1843559594&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Auslin, Michael R. &lt;em&gt;Negotiating with Imperialism: The Unequal Treaties and the Culture of Japanese Diplomacy&lt;/em&gt;. Harvard University Press, 2004. &lt;a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv322v49n" target="_blank"&gt;https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv322v49n&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Danovich, Tove. “How Lemonade Helped Paris Fend Off Plague And Other Surprising ‘Food Fights.’” Food History &amp;amp; Culture. &lt;em&gt;NPR&lt;/em&gt;, March 12, 2017. &lt;a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/03/12/519460915/how-lemonade-helped-paris-fend-off-plague-and-other-surprising-food-fights" target="_blank"&gt;https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/03/12/519460915/how-lemonade-helped-paris-fend-off-plague-and-other-surprising-food-fights&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Imperial War Museums. “Soft Drinks : Their Origins and History.” Accessed May 28, 2026. &lt;a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1500049544" target="_blank"&gt;https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1500049544&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Mainichi Daily News&lt;/em&gt;. “Ramune: A Japanese Traditional Summer Soft Drink Is Making Waves Worldwide.” July 11, 2024. &lt;a href="https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20240711/p2a/00m/0li/005000c" target="_blank"&gt;https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20240711/p2a/00m/0li/005000c&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Small and Medium Enterprise Agency. “Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Business Enhancement Act.” Accessed May 28, 2026. &lt;a href="https://www.chusho.meti.go.jp/sme_english/law/002.html" target="_blank"&gt;https://www.chusho.meti.go.jp/sme_english/law/002.html&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“Soft Drinks - Bottled by Design - Hull Museums Collections.” Accessed May 28, 2026. &lt;a href="http://museumcollections.hullcc.gov.uk/collections/storydetail.php?irn=134&amp;amp;master=452" target="_blank"&gt;http://museumcollections.hullcc.gov.uk/collections/storydetail.php?irn=134&amp;amp;master=452&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Spary, E. C. &lt;em&gt;Eating the Enlightenment: Food and the Sciences in Paris, 1670-1760&lt;/em&gt;. University of Chicago Press, 2014. &lt;a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/E/bo13412962.html" target="_blank"&gt;https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/E/bo13412962.html&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Watanabe, Hideo. &lt;em&gt;Foreign Settlements and Modernization: The Cases of Yokohama and Kobe&lt;/em&gt;. 8, no. 4 (2018).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Welford, Mark, and Brian Bossak. “Body Lice, Yersinia Pestis Orientalis, and Black Death.” &lt;em&gt;Emerging Infectious Diseases&lt;/em&gt; 16, no. 10 (2010): 1649–51. &lt;a href="https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1610.100683" target="_blank"&gt;https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1610.100683&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;紀伊國屋書店ウェブストア｜オンライン書店｜本、雑誌の通販、電子書籍ストア. “のじぎく文庫 使徒たちよ眠れ―神戸外国人墓地物語.” &lt;em&gt;Nojigiku Bunko: Sleep, O Apostles—The Story of the Kobe Foreigners’ Cemetery. &lt;/em&gt;Kinokuniya Bookstore Online, Magazine Subscriptions. Accessed May 28, 2026. &lt;a href="https://www.kinokuniya.co.jp/f/dsg-01-9784875214472." target="_blank"&gt;https://www.kinokuniya.co.jp/f/dsg-01-9784875214472.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/html&gt;</description>

Seemingly Unrelated Podcast

Seemingly Unrelated Podcast

Was Ramune Invented in Scotland? (preview)

MAY 29, 202617 MIN
Seemingly Unrelated Podcast

Was Ramune Invented in Scotland? (preview)

MAY 29, 202617 MIN

Description

<html><p>Or was it invented in Paris to fight a rat infestation? Or was it accidentally made in India when they ran out of tonic to serve with gin? </p><p>This month on the bonus episode of Seemingly Unrelated we are travelling all around the world to find out exactly who invented that sweet, bubbly, bev popular at all the Japanese vending machines but not with people who have arthritis. </p><p>Joining this month is our resident beverage expert and owner of <a href="https://www.walkietalkybrewing.com/" target="_blank">Walkie Talky Brewing </a>it is Michael Johnstone and the co-host of the upcoming 3rd season of Seemingly Unrelated due to premiere June 23rd as well as a legendary puppeteer and overall good hang <a href="https://www.aliciabrittpuppetry.co.uk/" target="_blank">Alicia Britt</a>. </p><p></p><p>Bibliography:</p><p>“Alexander Cameron Sim (1840-1900) - Find a Grave...” Accessed May 28, 2026. <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24018772/alexander_cameron-sim" target="_blank">https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24018772/alexander_cameron-sim</a>.</p><p>Ashcraft, Brian. “The History Of Ramune, Japan’s National Soda.” Japan. <em>Kotaku</em>, May 20, 2020. <a href="https://kotaku.com/the-history-of-ramune-japans-national-soda-1843559594" target="_blank">https://kotaku.com/the-history-of-ramune-japans-national-soda-1843559594</a>.</p><p>Auslin, Michael R. <em>Negotiating with Imperialism: The Unequal Treaties and the Culture of Japanese Diplomacy</em>. Harvard University Press, 2004. <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv322v49n" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv322v49n</a>.</p><p>Danovich, Tove. “How Lemonade Helped Paris Fend Off Plague And Other Surprising ‘Food Fights.’” Food History &amp; Culture. <em>NPR</em>, March 12, 2017. <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/03/12/519460915/how-lemonade-helped-paris-fend-off-plague-and-other-surprising-food-fights" target="_blank">https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/03/12/519460915/how-lemonade-helped-paris-fend-off-plague-and-other-surprising-food-fights</a>.</p><p>Imperial War Museums. “Soft Drinks : Their Origins and History.” Accessed May 28, 2026. <a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1500049544" target="_blank">https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1500049544</a>.</p><p><em>Mainichi Daily News</em>. “Ramune: A Japanese Traditional Summer Soft Drink Is Making Waves Worldwide.” July 11, 2024. <a href="https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20240711/p2a/00m/0li/005000c" target="_blank">https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20240711/p2a/00m/0li/005000c</a>.</p><p>Small and Medium Enterprise Agency. “Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Business Enhancement Act.” Accessed May 28, 2026. <a href="https://www.chusho.meti.go.jp/sme_english/law/002.html" target="_blank">https://www.chusho.meti.go.jp/sme_english/law/002.html</a>.</p><p>“Soft Drinks - Bottled by Design - Hull Museums Collections.” Accessed May 28, 2026. <a href="http://museumcollections.hullcc.gov.uk/collections/storydetail.php?irn=134&amp;master=452" target="_blank">http://museumcollections.hullcc.gov.uk/collections/storydetail.php?irn=134&amp;master=452</a>.</p><p>Spary, E. C. <em>Eating the Enlightenment: Food and the Sciences in Paris, 1670-1760</em>. University of Chicago Press, 2014. <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/E/bo13412962.html" target="_blank">https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/E/bo13412962.html</a>.</p><p>Watanabe, Hideo. <em>Foreign Settlements and Modernization: The Cases of Yokohama and Kobe</em>. 8, no. 4 (2018).</p><p>Welford, Mark, and Brian Bossak. “Body Lice, Yersinia Pestis Orientalis, and Black Death.” <em>Emerging Infectious Diseases</em> 16, no. 10 (2010): 1649–51. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1610.100683" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1610.100683</a>.</p><p>紀伊國屋書店ウェブストア｜オンライン書店｜本、雑誌の通販、電子書籍ストア. “のじぎく文庫 使徒たちよ眠れ―神戸外国人墓地物語.” <em>Nojigiku Bunko: Sleep, O Apostles—The Story of the Kobe Foreigners’ Cemetery. </em>Kinokuniya Bookstore Online, Magazine Subscriptions. Accessed May 28, 2026. <a href="https://www.kinokuniya.co.jp/f/dsg-01-9784875214472." target="_blank">https://www.kinokuniya.co.jp/f/dsg-01-9784875214472.</a></p></html>