Nows and Forevers

Turns out soda does go bad. And sooner than you think.
I never really thought of this, as my soda intake (more than it should) is predicated on the drink-it-now strategy. I can’t remember the last time I had bought more than a 2-liter bottle and kept it.
It’s in, then out. Or consumed relatively on the spot.
We found a six-pack of Dr. Pepper that had been forgotten downstairs. (My daughter used to like Dr. Pepper.) I didn’t think much of it, other than to take one with me today.
I opened it, began to drink, and wondered where all the fizz went. It tasted … flat. Is flat still a word that’s used for soda?
Because that’s what it was.
There had been no carbonation in it, a lot like it would have been if the soda had been left opened on the counter for a day or two. Except here, I was the first to open it.
Puzzled for a minute, until I looked at the expiration date: October 2023. That’s not quite a year. If I had bothered to look, I probably would haven’t even bothered to drink it. But since I did, now I know why.
There really are expiration dates on sodas.