There was a time, ’round these parts, that Faygo was, quite simply, summer in a bottle. There wasn’t a picnic anywhere in Detroit that wasn’t well-stocked with Redpop and Rock and Rye. The (more expensive) Coke and Pepsi were for the grownups, but we didn’t care. Why would we want some dull, brown pop (not “soda” here in the mitten state) when we could pull the tab on a fizzy, sugar-saturated tin can of bright red liquid magic? We cherished every bit of the sticky syrup as its sugar coursed through our veins and it stained our lips, hands and clothes, marking us as pink-hued warriors, battling against maturity as the impending school year loomed over the horizon like a hideous beast whose sole purpose was to remind us of the fleeting nature of childhood.

With Labor Day on its way and Summer waning quickly, we offer this love letter to the season of childhood and freedom. Enjoy.