ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a 'feel' for an industry at work inasmuch as this could be encountered through ethnographic fieldwork. The term 'sweet drink' is used by most Trinidadians for carbonated beverages, though it is increasingly being replaced by the international term soft drink. Solo Beverages is in many respects the core provider of sweet drinks. The Solo firm was founded in 1941, replaced this hand production with semi-automation in 1944, and achieved full automation in 1950, which the owner claimed was a first in the Caribbean. The factory moved to its current site on the East–West highway in 1959, and now employs 120 workers. The firm of Cannings is one of the oldest-established grocery firms in Trinidad. The redevelopment of the company by the founder's grandson Dr Aleem Mohammed from 1980 was seen by some as an attempt to rescue the family reputation through commercial success.
