Results: * The History of Ginger Ale *

One of the nation's oldest soft drinks, Vernor's Ginger Ale was first served to the public in 1866. The drink was created by Detroiter James Vernor, a well-respected pharmacist with a reputation for meticulous care with his prescriptions. Experimenting with a medicinal tonic of vanilla and spices, adding ginger to calm the stomach, he left the mixture in an oak barrel when he went to serve in the Civil War in 1862. The popular story is that when Vernor returned from the war, he opened the barrel and was surprised by its delicious contents. The beverage had a zesty, sweet, gingery flavor that was accentuated by the wood's aging process. The barrel aged version was Ginger Beer rarher than Ginger Ale. Have you ever tried Ginger Beer?

He opened his own pharmacy in 1866 and for several years, Vernor's soda fountain was the only place where one could purchase the beverage. As demand grew, Vernor began to sell his product to other soda fountains, requiring them to install special equipment in order to properly serve the soda.. As its fame grew, Vernor's became available throughout the Midwest. A plant was soon opened in Detroit so that Vernor's could be mass produced locally. The company remained in family hands until 1966. Vernor's and the City of Detroit grew together. A massive sign that illuminated the company logo was located along the Detroit River where ferries took passengers to Windsor, Bob-lo, and Belle Isle. In the 1940s, a shop opened along the river that allowed visitors to watch soda production as they enjoyed their drinks. Have you ever visited Detroit?

It is popularly reported that, following a trip to Europe, John McLaughlin wanted to create a ginger ale formula with an effervescence and lightness that resembled champagne. The result, introduced in 1904, was a lighter, less sugary beverage initially marketed as McLaughlin's "Canada Dry" Pale Ginger Ale. McLaughlin was a Canadian pharmacist. He invented the modern Canada Dry version of Ginger Ale in 1907. McLaughlin graduated from the University of Toronto in 1885 with a Gold Medal in Pharmacy. By 1890, John McLaughlin opened a carbonated water plant in Toronto, Canada. He sold his product to local drugstores that used the carbonated water to mix with fruit juices and flavoring to create delicious sodas to sell to their soda fountain customers. Have you ever tried Canada Dry Ginger Ale?

McLaughlin also developed a method of mass bottling his Ginger Ale leading to successful sales. Each bottle of McLaughlin Belfast Style Ginger Ale featured a map of Canada and a picture of a beaver (the national animal of Canada) on the label. By 1907, John McLaughlin had refined his recipe by lightening the dark color and improving the sharp taste of his first Ginger Ale. The result was Canada Dry Pale Dry Ginger Ale, which John McLaughlin patented. On May 16, 1922, "Canada Dry" Pale Ginger Ale was trademark registered. "The Champagne of Ginger Ales" is another famous Canada Dry trademark. This "pale" style of ginger ale made a fine, flavorful substitute for club soda, especially during the Prohibition era in the U.S., when the spice of the ginger ale covered up the less-than-refined illegal alcoholic spirits available. Canada Dry was sold to P.D. Saylor and Associates in December 1923 for $1 million. Merged into the newly formed Norton Simon Inc. in 1968, it was sold to the Dr Pepper Company in 1982. After a series of subsequent corporate deals and rebrandings, it is now part of Keurig Dr Pepper. Were you aware that Canada Dry had gone through many mergers and acquisitions?

A highly carbonated beverage, Vernor's is often used to cure stomachaches or mixed with lemon juice and served hot to nurse a sore throat or cough. Dry ginger ale is enjoyed as a soft drink and as a mixer for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. It is also commonly used to combat stomach upset. Ginger has been proven beneficial to digestion for centuries, and scientific studies have indicated that ginger ale is somewhat beneficial in combatting nausea. The Vernor family sold the company to an investment group in 1966; it was later owned by American Consumer Products, United Brands and then A&W Beverages. Purchased by Cadbury-Schweppes in 1993. Did you know that today Vernors is part of Dr. Pepper Snapple, one of the nation's largest beverage producers?