Clash of the Nimbu Paanis

Pepsi and Parle Agro have both launched their first ever line of lime refreshers

This summer, the beverage market isn’t seeing a battle of dark cola bubbles. The war has gone grey-green and fizzless, with Pepsi and Parle Agro launching their first ever line of lime refreshers. With both firms displaying their remarkably poor knowledge of our gut instinct, that we Indians have always craved nimbu pani in summer. Centuries after we’ve been squeezing the life out of limes, Pepsi introduces Nimbooz and Parle LMN with ‘hygienic, affordable PET packs,’ priced at Rs 15 for 350 ml and Rs 23 for 500 ml. As outward appearances go, Pepsi scores on the form factor with a short, taut and curved bottle, LMN is clumsier, angular and nubbier. Crank their caps off, take a deep glug and your slaked throat responds with irrefutable truth about rehydration at 42 degrees of heat. Nimbooz, made with Asli nimbu juice tastes likes what it claims, fresh sap from a familiar citrus fruit, limbu. LMN makes you gag, it’s so heavily sugared we recommend it for people who like liquefied petha (pumpkin candy) packaged in a PET bottle.

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