White Rose Blooms at Galco's Soda Pop Stop

A child-like smile blooms on the face of owner John Neee when he gets his hands on a bottle of White Rose Cream Soda, the limited run pop that recently hit the old world grocery's shelves.

"It's so simple and classic looking," he said on Monday afternoon, admiring the pop's blue and white label. "And just wait until the next one comes in and we line them up next to each other."

Nese then pauses, and briefly casts his enthusiastic gaze over Galco's seemingly endless rows of rare pop.

White Rose debuted late last month during Galco's first ever , and as of this week can now be purchased for $1.99 a pop.

A portion of each White Rose purchase will be funneled into the coffers of the Friends of the Southwest Museum Coalition's legal account, to aid them in their effort to reopen the historic Mount Washington location to the public.

Click to see Patch's coverage of the Southwest Museum issue.

Nese, an avid local historian, said that the new soda offering is based on a cream soda from the Rose Springs Water and White Rose Soda bottling company,  which operated from the early 1900’s to the late 1960’s on Figueroa Street at the base of the Southwest Museum.

As for the flavor, a classic cream soda, Nese said that was also historically inspired.

"Cream sodas were by the most popular during that era," Nese said.

The small batch soda was produced specifically for Galco's by the Natrona Bottling Compnay in Pennsylvania, Nese said, with only 2,500 bottles made.

"You usually can't get a batch that small made, so we were very fortunate that they were willing to work with us," Nese said. "So far, the response has been great."

The enthusiastic grocer said that another batch of limited run, Highland Park inspired sodas should be arriving at Galco's in the spring of 2012.

"It will definitley be a fruit soda, to coincide with the season," he said. "We'd like to do one for every quarter. Those labels will just look beautiful."