What Is The Oldest Soft Drink In America?

The late 19th century was, in some ways, the golden age of soda. It was during this time that many soda companies that are still around today got their start. Coca-Cola debuted in May of 1886.

Dr Pepper was released just a year prior, in 1885. But neither of these well-known soda companies are the oldest soft drink in the U.S.



No, that honor belongs to a smaller brand named Vernors – Vernors Ginger Ale, to be exact — and the bright green bottles of pop are still sold in grocery stores today. (Though still preceded Vernors by about 80 years.) Vernors soda was created more than a century and a half ago in Detroit, Michigan by James Vernor, a pharmacist who operated a small drug store.

There are conflicting legends about the exact creation of America's first soft drink. One story goes that Vernor aimed to get ahead of the ginger root trend of the 1860s by creating a "refreshing" drink, but before he could complete his creation, Vernor enlisted to fight in the Civil War, leaving his creation in a wooden barrel at home. When he returned, he discovered that mellowing out the ginger drink in a wooden barrel was the secret to success.

Another report of the soft drink's creation claims that Vernor's father was the one to invent the formula, not Vernor himself, and it was created after the war ended. The rise and fall of America's oldest soft drink Vernor began selling his fizzy ginger drink at his pharmacy in Detroit, but news of the crisp beverage spread like wildfire, and soon Vernors soda was distributed to drug store soda fountains around the state. In 1896, Vernor abandoned his pharmacy to focus on selling soft drinks.

Throughout the next few decades, James Vernor and his son, James Vernor II, opened manufacturing plants to mass-produce their creation. Unfortunately, 100 years after Vernors was initially introduced, it fell out of popularity with the public. The brand was passed between multiple investors until it eventually ended up in the hands of Keurig Dr.

Pepper, where it lives today (alongside other brands like Squirt, Crush, and Canada Dry). Vernors soda may have been the first recorded soft drink in America, but just a few short years after its invention, Dr Pepper joined the playing field and quickly soared into the hearts of the public. Many refer to Dr Pepper as America's oldest "major" soda brand, citing its invention by pharmacist Wade Morrison in 1885 as a world-changing event.

Unlike Vernors, Dr Pepper remains one of America's leading soda brands today. But don't write off Vernors too quickly! It isn't yet destined for the ! Scoop a chunk of vanilla ice cream on top of Vernors Ginger Ale and enjoy a , while reminiscing about the drink's long, long journey to reaching your hands. Recommended.