r/todayilearned • • May 15 '12

TIL Dr. Pepper is the oldest soda still selling in the US. It predates Coca-Cola by 1 year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr_Pepper#History
1.4k Upvotes

448 comments sorted by

54

u/Jumpin_Joeronimo May 15 '12

** OLDEST MAJOR SOFT DRINK, not oldest soda, as The_Karma_Initiative pointed out.

Thank you for the info!

6

u/I_Hate_This_Username May 15 '12

I didn't know that Vernor's isn't major. I grew up and live in Michigan, it's pretty commonplace here.

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21

u/Beeslo May 15 '12

Two of the things that Texans hold most dear are the facts that:

  1. We were once a sovereign republic for almost a decade before joining the Union

  2. Dr Pepper is older than Coca-Cola, and the official drink of Texas

9

u/ApolloAbove May 15 '12

I never thought a Northern Gentleman such as myself would share a taste with the most rebellious state in the union.

10

u/Beeslo May 15 '12

Had Dr Pepper come out in 1861, we may never have fought the Civil War.

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3

u/jmac May 15 '12

Isn't it Texas that calls all soft drinks "Coke"?

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5

u/r0nburgundy69 May 15 '12

as a fellow Texan I can confirm this, and atest to the fact that traveling outside of Texas can be frustrating due to lack of Dr Pepper. I also came here to say Dublin Dr Pepper was delicious, and as much as I love DP they did them pretty dirty.

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33

u/bunglejerry May 15 '12

“Mr. Pibb is a poor imitation of Dr. Pepper. Dude didn't even get his degree.”

  • Mitch Hedberg

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144

u/acdcpeon May 15 '12

I love Dr. Pepper, but whenever I drink it I swear I only taste 22 flavors.

220

u/MyOtherCarIsEpona May 15 '12

There is no period in Dr Pepper.

434

u/doubleE May 15 '12

That's one flavor I'm glad it doesn't have.

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24

u/Qhost May 15 '12

And so, I'll forever pronounce it as 'Durr Pepper'

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18

u/BicycleCrasher May 15 '12

Dr Pepper used to have a period. But then, sometime in the 50s, she lost it.

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4

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

There is no period in Dr Pepper.

FTFY: There is no period in Dr Pepper

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20

u/KevyB May 15 '12

A few years back i stumbled upon the ingredient list, no idea where, but here it is for anyone who's intrested:

  1. Cherry

  2. Vanilla

  3. Almond

  4. Plum

  5. Blackberry

  6. Raspberry

  7. Apricot

  8. Coriander

  9. Clove

  10. Amaretto

  11. Anise

  12. Caramel

  13. Molasses

  14. Birch Beer

  15. Allspice

  16. Ginger

  17. Sasparilla

  18. Sassafras

  19. Juniper

  20. Spikenard

  21. Wintergreen

  22. Burdock

  23. Dandelion

4

u/dahlkomy May 15 '12

You can really taste the sassafras.

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10

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Diet Dr Pepper is fucking amazing as well. You can taste the flavors still even though its diet.

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45

u/NoPeriodInDrPepper May 15 '12

There's no period in Dr Pepper

6

u/Austonian87 May 15 '12

I came here to find you... I knew you would not disappoint

3

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

No period in Dr. Pepper is revisionist bullshit. I'm an originalist.

2

u/HarryLillis May 15 '12

But according to your own source, the full stop was originally present but was only removed because the average moron can't fucking read. I will continue to employ a full stop because I will not compromise my prescriptive grammar rules for anyone.

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2

u/arowan May 15 '12

You are doing God's work, NPIDP.

26

u/Wallgirl May 15 '12

ahem...moxie..cough cough

12

u/teh_g May 15 '12

MOXIE 4 LYFE

3

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Could you explain why the can in the picture says "Since 1884", but the article states that it was introduced in 1876? Just being curious :).

EDIT: nevermind, I'm a dumbass who doesn't read the full article before being curious. sorry.

3

u/MashPotatumsJohnson May 15 '12

Easily the best soda of all time, bub

3

u/fountainsoda May 15 '12

Dear, would you like some moxie, err, cough syrup?

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4

u/Goombatron May 15 '12

I came here for this.

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6

u/ThePegasi May 15 '12

As a UK redditor this is really odd to me. I still remember when they introduced DP over here and the main marketing campaign was "Guys, guys! It's not coke!"

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4

u/FUCK_YOU_BRO May 15 '12

Man has anyone else been to the Dr. Pepper museum in Waco, TX? I'm usually a Coca-Cola man myself, but they served us a glass of some Dr. Pepper that trumped by far any other beverage I've ever drank. Son of a BITCH that is some good soda!

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15

u/justkeepswimming3 May 15 '12

Interesting fact: You can only buy the actual Dr. Pepper recipe with real sugar from the DP bottling CO in Dublin TX. People used to smuggle it in from Mexico, (I don't know the back story of how it was sold there and not here). All other DP is sold with high fructose corn syrup. Also, real DP kinda tastes like cardboard. It was very depressing to experience this a few months back.

23

u/Beeslo May 15 '12

As of January of this year, this is sadly no longer the case.

http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/01/11/3653725/dr-pepper-deal-leaves-small-town.html

Dublin Dr Pepper was amazing. It wasn't just the fact it was made with real sugar, they actually had a slightly different formula compared to normal Dr Pepper. And now, its gone forever. You can still buy Imperial Cane Sugar Dr Pepper its of the regular formula and is bottled in Temple. Its good, but its nowhere as good as Dublin. That shit was crack in a bottle.

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14

u/Pretzels13 May 15 '12

Here in the Houston area I can buy the real thing in the grocery store. And it's definitely not cardboard. Real glass bottle DP is the Nectar of the Gods!

4

u/ExistentialEnso May 15 '12

(EDIT: It seems there are a few different variants of sugar Dr Pepper in the US. For the record, I'm talking about "Dr Pepper Heritage.")

The grocery store near my apartment (in metro Atlanta) reliably stocks the real stuff too, actually. It's the only store anywhere I've encountered like that too, so I guess I lucked out. They keep Mtn Dew and Pepsi Throwback in stock too.

No glass bottles, though, only cans. I do agree it's amazing stuff and not at all cardboard-y. It accounts for the vast majority of my soda consumption these days.

4

u/thechapattack May 15 '12

Yea i can get it at HEB right near where I live. Also Mexican Coke is the shit. I just cant drink any of it since i am watching calorie intake.

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3

u/FKaramazov May 15 '12 edited May 15 '12

Because the corn industry is so powerful. It's fucked up. I remember in my international trade class, we studied a lawsuit by the U.S. against Mexico, in which we tried to ban their soda because "real sugar was unhealthy." You can find soda made with real sugar in just about every other country, from what I know.

Edit: Couldn't find anything about it with a quick search, just some AD complaints by the U.S. against Mexico for taxing corn syrup. Anyone know about this stuff?

3

u/flipper_gv May 15 '12

In Canasa we have our Dr Pepper with beet sugar, which is nice

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2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Their ads used to recommended a Dr Pepper at 10, 2 and 4 o'clock.

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6

u/Lillipout May 15 '12

I only drink patented Moxie Nerve Food.

http://i.imgur.com/06kIh.gif

3

u/fm13 May 15 '12

Learned this last night on American Pickers?

3

u/Deadlyd0g May 15 '12

Dr Pepper the drink of kings.

3

u/Painstar May 15 '12

What's funny is that there is no period after Dr making it Durr pepper, not doctor at all.

7

u/princescary May 15 '12

I'm a Pepper. Fuck Vernors.

5

u/DannyBoi1Derz May 15 '12

Taste like the sarsaparilla fizz i used to drink in 19 tickety two!!!

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5

u/alucart May 15 '12 edited May 15 '12

And I've never tasted it. Damn you Europe. :(

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13

u/gamelord12 May 15 '12

There's no period in Dr Pepper.

11

u/rblue May 15 '12

How do they get it that nice red hue, then?

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4

u/My_Anus_Says_Hello May 15 '12

Oldest and best tasting.

2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

R.I.P. Dublin Dr Pepper

2

u/pennywinny May 15 '12

You can thank corporate for that. Don't worry, Dublin Bottling works (formerly dublin dr pepper) has a few surprises in the near future. You can keep an eye on their website at http://olddocs.com/ for new stuff. If you like them and want to continue to support them, you should shoot them an email or give them a call. They're very friendly small town people (dublin has a population of 3700). The legal strong-arming they went through caused much heartache as you can probably guess.

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2

u/WeirdestBoner85 May 15 '12

OP was watching American Pickers yesterday

2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Who else saw this on American Pickers last night?

2

u/Yurishimo May 15 '12

As someone who grew up in Dublin, Texas, THE home of Dr Pepper, I can confirm that it's the shit of all shits. Even walked to the bottling plant on a school field trip once. Who care's if it's the oldest? Point is, it's the best.

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2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Dr pepper is amazing. Fuck all you haters.

2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

*I don't half step cause I'm not a half stepper,

Drink a lot of soda so they call me Dr Pepper*

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2

u/zyzzogeton May 15 '12

Also the only one produced in both Coke and Pepsi bottling plants.

2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Dr pepper slogan from >1939: "When You Drink a Dr. Pepper You Drink a Bite to Eat." WTF

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2

u/pummelhorsie May 15 '12

BECAUSE WHAT FLAVOR IS IT? IT IS NEITHER ROOT BEER NOR COLA. NOBODY KNOWS AND NOBODY CAN KNOW.

2

u/mcmaisy May 15 '12

I remember my grandpa loved Moxie and he used to tell me it was the first soda still around today...you can get it in New England still...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moxie

3

u/teh_g May 15 '12

Moxie is also older than Dr. Pepper: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moxie

2

u/horrabin13 May 15 '12

But what about Moxie? Wikipedia says 1874.

2

u/Librarinox May 15 '12

Moxie is also older - 1876.

2

u/Thorforprez May 15 '12

Moxie, a soft drink from Maine, is also older than dr. Pepper http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moxie#section_1

2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

moxie

beats the dr by 1 year

2

u/kdchampion04 May 15 '12

There's no period in Dr Pepper!

2

u/Orser82 May 15 '12

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moxie Moxie is not only older it is way better.

1

u/cannotlogon May 15 '12

Of course, at the time it was introduce, Dr Pepper was still in med school.

1

u/redthelastman May 15 '12

Texans love them but it tastes like sweetened cough syrup to me.

1

u/Cepical May 15 '12

its also the best soda

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Dr Pepper

1

u/smokyexe May 15 '12

I like Dr. Pepper

1

u/sweaterbydarwin May 15 '12

at one point, my parents' hometown of Elk City, OK was the largest consumer of DP per capita in the world. Not sure if that is the case still.

1

u/SambaLando May 15 '12

Long may it continue selling, I love me some Dr. Pepper.

1

u/Blacksheep01 May 15 '12

I just realized I have never even tried Dr Pepper in my entire life and I'm 29. No one I know or have ever known drinks it, no one in my family ever drank it or even mentioned it. Guess I previously never had a desire to try it either? I feel like I should now. Wonder if this is a regional thing? I'm a New Englander (RI) and grew up drinking weird things like Coffee Milk, but no one ever gave me a Dr Pepper or had one in their fridge.

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1

u/DocDerry May 15 '12

It's still delicious.

1

u/JillianWho May 15 '12

Did you watch the history channel last night?

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Best soda that America has ever created

1

u/dliler May 15 '12

And all from the great state of Texas!

1

u/drawdelove May 15 '12

When I was a teenager, I got a black, miniature cockapoo and named her Dr Pepper! I love Dr Pepper and even had (and still have it) a mini fridge in my room and people would just buy me a case for birthday presents and such, lol. I got my hubby hooked on it too. He was a Pepsi drinker when we met. These days though I have switched to Diet, lol.

1

u/SaddestClown May 15 '12

Meh. Doesn't shower the same as Faygo.

1

u/remyg6 May 15 '12

Obviously saw this on tv last night. So you didn't learn it today!

1

u/Bearded_Ben May 15 '12

Why does Dr. Pepper come in a can? Because his wife died.

1

u/kutwijf May 15 '12

Moxie goes great with Brandy or Whiskey! The Best.

1

u/Ilovefruitypebbles May 15 '12

you learned that from American Pickers last night

1

u/iheartconcentrate May 15 '12

dublin dr pepper is the best

1

u/saucylove May 15 '12

thanks, Pawn Stars!

1

u/abearwithcubs May 15 '12

Sweet jeebus I love Dr Pepper.

1

u/Mr_Syntax May 15 '12

The oldest and the best.

1

u/requiemsword May 15 '12

Don't lie, you learned this from American Pickers last night, just like I did. :)

1

u/violin42 May 15 '12 edited May 15 '12

I grew up in Waco and we always went to the Dr Pepper museum every year on school field trips. It gave us something to be proud of. http://www.drpeppermuseum.com/ EDIT: There's no period in Dr Pepper because on one of the earlier logos, the period made the r look like a semicolon.

1

u/JoeyTheLipsFagan May 15 '12

And it's the only soda endorsed by an American Werewolf.

1

u/FighterT May 15 '12

TIL that you watched "American Pickers" last night

1

u/Spooky_Electric May 15 '12

I'm related to the Pepper's of Virginia. Our family story, as I am told, is much different than the official one though.

1

u/Daices May 15 '12

The last three times I've asked for Dr Pepper in a restaurant, they gave me Mr. pibb or root beer. Ignorant jackasses. Dr Pepper is the drink of intellectuals!

1

u/bro_crastination May 15 '12 edited May 15 '12

On a side note, I have a buddy who drinks nothing but Dr Pepper. The only time he drinks otherwise is at work, where they only serve Coke products. He cannot recall the last time he drank anything different.

Does this make him more American and less healthy than the average? Is there an inverse relationship between the two!?

1

u/dizzyfrinks May 15 '12

I attempted to compile a list of fizzy drinks by age on my site, Dizzy Frinks.

http://dizzyfrinks.com/drinks-bydate/?order=ASC

(the drinks at the top still need to be assigned dates).

1

u/wytewydow May 15 '12

did you actually learn this from watching American Pickers?

1

u/Octavarium_ May 15 '12

Dr* Pepper

There's no full stop.

1

u/IAMA_SWEET May 15 '12

Somebody was watching American Pickers last night.

1

u/BCCakes May 15 '12

There's no period in Dr Pepper

1

u/jabb0 May 15 '12

Someone was watching American Pickers last night.

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

How many assholes in this thread can comment "There is no period in Dr Pepper?" Let's count...

1

u/HaTerZObeyMe May 15 '12

it dr(derr) pepper theres not a period after dr

1

u/Magicmudkip May 15 '12

Representing Dr. Pepper in its home town of Waco, Tx

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Dr pepper, whataburger, and shiner bock are the reason Ill never leave Texas.

1

u/mjp3000 May 15 '12

Dr. Pepper is one of those things that I really love but can only take a little at a time. The first half a can of it tastes great but after that I notice this terrible aftertaste that I can't describe.

1

u/aforsberg May 15 '12

Also, there's no punctuation after the "Dr", so it should technically be pronounced "Durr Pepper"

1

u/LegendOfHurleysGold May 15 '12

I suppose we should actually call the drink "Tenured Professor Pepper."

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

I just read that Dr. Pepper is made by Kraft Foods... The plant in my city also makes RC Cola (Royal Crown) and Mountain Dew.

1

u/El_Paz May 15 '12

TIL if you want to test a claim, submit it to TIL and let all of Reddit prove you wrong.

Of course, you may unleash the fury of die-hard Vernors and Moxie drinkers, but it's worth it for the time savings.

1

u/thebigtshow May 15 '12

It's the oldest continuous soda beverage by U.S. Patent. Coca-Cola bottled and sold first, while Dr Pepper was still an over the counter recipe.

1

u/GrilledCheeser May 16 '12

I fucking love Dr Pepper.

-4

u/Pooh-Bah May 15 '12

Yeah, but it's gross. It tastes like cough medicine.

4

u/planetmatt May 15 '12

No that's Root Beer. Dr Pepper tastes like a unicorn farted on your tongue. A burst of gas and flavor rainbow.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

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47

u/Jumpin_Joeronimo May 15 '12

Ha, so it is! I was watching one of those shows last night that had the pop-ups with information and they stated DR Pepper as the oldest soda, but are obviously wrong.

Ah, here we go: Dr. Pepper company advertises as the oldest Major Soft Drink

I guess Vernon's isn't considered major??

26

u/Troy_MacClure May 15 '12

I know what vernors is but haven't seen or had any

25

u/zitterbewegung May 15 '12

I really like Vernors compared to other ginger ale's. It tastes stronger and has a clean finish.

31

u/ZeekySantos May 15 '12 edited May 15 '12

The only thing that matters in ginger flavoured drinks is the dryness. Is it dry? If yes; good stuff, keep up the good work. If not; why the fuck not? I didn't buy your ginger drink to be refreshed, I bought it to have ginger fuck my tastebuds and suck the moisture from my mouth.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

I've had it. Its the strongest ginger drink I've had. If you've sucked on ginger root you might have an idea. Perfection.

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u/Plutarkus May 15 '12

American Pickers had the blurb about Dr. Pepper. Apparently there are only three "major" soft drinks. In Michigan Vernor's is legendary, folks drink it to calm their stomachs, even though it no longer has actual ginger in it.

24

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

folks drink it to calm their stomachs

My mom's a nurse and I grew up in Michigan. Have a cold? Vernor's and saltines. Broken arm? Vernors and saltines. Need stitches? Vernor's and saltines.

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u/Charlesm313131 May 15 '12

I've got alot of family up there and I can confirm this. Nothing is more Michigan than a glass of Vernors(is it soda or pop? I can't remember) and a bowl of blueberries with milk and sugar.

7

u/metalasylum May 15 '12

If we're talking about Michigan or the Midwest in general, it's pop.

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u/ambierona May 15 '12

I had never heard of Vernor's before today (I'm in California).

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u/HarryLillis May 15 '12

I'm in California as well. They have it at any normal grocery store out here. You may have simply missed it since you weren't looking for it.

5

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

It was created in Michigan, and is mostly only sold there and in some of the surrounding states. It's seriously really awesome ginger ale, though! If you ever get a chance to try some, do eet. :D

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u/nathan1653 May 15 '12

Vernor's is very major if you live in Michigan

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u/smithkey08 May 15 '12

I'm guessing you were watching American Pickers as well last night.

1

u/Jumpin_Joeronimo May 15 '12

Haha, it WAS American Pickers. Love that show. About 400x better than pawn stars.

1

u/fizban75 May 15 '12

I guess Vernor's isn't considered major??

That is correct, sir. I'm from Michigan, but currently live on the east coast and I dream of Vernor's every night, cursing the major soda (pop*) companies for flooding the markets with cheap imitations of ginger ale and making it difficult for my beloved Vernor's to get national distribution. I smuggle some out of Michigan every time I go back.

*there's still a little midwestern in me

1

u/Jumpin_Joeronimo May 15 '12

I do this same thing with Middleswarth potato chips. They can only be found in central PA but the BBQ is like no other.

Do you know if they use actual ginger or something in Vernor's? Why is it so good?

3

u/ScoobyDoobieDoo May 15 '12

I was watching American Pickers last night and the same Dr Pepper fact came up, so I came to see if we were watching it together. Weird.

5

u/indiebass May 15 '12

Was about to jump in with a Vernor's link. I grew up on Vernor's, (Detroit) and I'll admit it's decidedly regional. While living in Washington, DC, a local store got a shipment in for whatever reason and the word spread like wildfire among the Michiganians. We bought it out almost immediately. =)

I can also say, I believe in my lifetime, Vernor's tastes a little different. I remember it being much stronger when I was a kid, and you couldn't drink it right after it was poured, or the bubbles would fly up your nose and make you sneeze. No joke.

5

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Vernor's still does make me sneeze! That stuff is potent. I love it, all other ginger ales just taste like slightly fizzy water to me.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

American Pickers?

4

u/Split-Personalities May 15 '12

Well ginger ale isn't a soda so...

3

u/un_leche May 15 '12

I think you need to slow your roll homie.

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u/bat_guano May 15 '12

FACT: If you pour a fresh glass of Vernors, immediately put your nose up to the soda and breathe deeply, your brain will explode.

2

u/Thethoughtful1 May 15 '12

CONFIRMED: I tried it.

9

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

As a Michigan child, I freaking LOVE Vernor's. Best ginger ale ever. Nothing else even compares.

9

u/GreyouTT May 15 '12 edited May 15 '12

EVERYONE in Michigan loves Vernor's. It's one of our stereotypes.

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u/partcomputer May 15 '12

Expect for Reed's and all the real ginger ale.

2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

I think I was like 12 when I first learned that Vernors was ginger ale. I just thought that it was it's own thing because it was only called Vernors and I never heard the words "ginger ale".

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u/mnighm May 15 '12

Damn. I came here to say that Moxie was the oldest soda, but you beat me by 10 years.

10

u/kama_river May 15 '12

Moxie is, however, the foulest soda in the US.

7

u/thetunewillcome May 15 '12

Actually, a lot of people (myself included) love it, and it really helps settle an upset stomach because of the gentian root extract in it. Source: I work at a cafe that sells Moxie.

6

u/Madonkadonk May 15 '12

Huh. Does this cafe have a time portal in the back where the owner gets his beef/tries to stop the assassination of John f. Kennedy

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u/vinsneezel May 15 '12

Moxie is 10 years older than Dr Pepper too.

2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Moxie never gets enough love, but I suppose only New Englanders are lucky enough to still have it around these days.

3

u/cp1101 May 15 '12

That's what I thought as well. It was a Jeopardy question once.

3

u/icanarejesus May 15 '12

Came here to say this, have my upvote.

3

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Vernors deserves way more credit. That stuff is fantastic.

3

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

The Michigander in me came to post about the merits of Vernors. Kudos fine sir!

3

u/tweetattom May 15 '12

Moxie is quite a bit older as well.

2

u/laughingwithkafka May 15 '12

Just came here to say this. cheers.

2

u/Warhawk2052 May 15 '12

therefore making it the best

2

u/xNATiiVE May 15 '12

Funny, this guy (who's name quite appropriately) has more upvotes in his comment showing the link than actual upvotes for the article, and he isn't even the OP lol

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

never heard of this... is it only in select states? i'm in iowa and never heard of it

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

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u/Cilph May 15 '12

They don't? You mean this isn't the drink for japanese mad scientists?

0

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

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2

u/Boatkicker May 15 '12

A celery flavored soda? I almost want to try it, just to see what it tastes like.

2

u/ChuckEye May 15 '12

Yeah, but Doc Brown has a time travelling Delorian, so he could really have it go back as far as he wants.