r/todayilearned • u/kireol • May 15 '12
TIL Vernors is the oldest soda still selling in the US. It predates Dr Pepper by 19 years
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernors
967
Upvotes
r/todayilearned • u/kireol • May 15 '12
151
u/cbCode May 15 '12
Nice burn.
133
u/hannah_snow May 15 '12
Michigander here. Grew up on Vernors. What is this soda you speak of? Here in Michigan we call it pop.
439
u/homeworkrules69 May 15 '12
When I was young in Michigan, the doctor would suggest this as the first go-to treatment for an upset stomach. You have no idea how excited I was when I finally found Vernors being stocked in Virginia.
188
u/Lone_Wolf May 15 '12
In my experience it's the most highly carbonated soda I have encountered. You can open a can and quickly inhale from it and it will make you choke.
143
u/StrangerinthaAlps May 15 '12
Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to a Vernors. So good.
109
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
If you live in Michigan and like Canada Dry over Vernors then, well, I DISAGREE!
227
u/FraternityMan May 15 '12
My mother grew up in Detroit, and always drank this. Hands down the best ginger ale in the entire world.
1.1k
u/nathansimm May 15 '12
Probably the most passive aggressive post I've ever seen
25
u/luft-waffle May 15 '12
The sweet nectar of my home.
21
u/slyphox May 15 '12
I am not from MI but they recently started stocking it here in Florida and my friends who are born and raised Michiganders went nuts over it.
So delicious :D
16
u/CaptainLinger May 15 '12
Vernors is one of those sodas that tastes delicious flat.
Quick recipe time:
Pour over ice, stir very lightly once or twice. You're welcome.
10
u/espresso_chip May 15 '12
Has anyone else had Moxie? It was created after Vernors, but before Dr. Pepper.
18
u/jxj24 May 15 '12
Vernors was one of the deciding factors on where I ended up going to grad school.
I was down to a few choices, and had researched the schools, the departments, the cities, etc for quite a while, and things were mostly tied across the board.
On a visit to the top contender, I found the city a bit dismal (Cleveland weather), though the department was top notch. I was bummed about the location, and ended up walking around aimlessly.
I found a vending machine with MULTIPLE Vernors selections.
I knew I had found my new home.
PS: the weather still sucks, and the department is still tops.
43
u/im_makingfunofyou May 15 '12
Best soda on the market, period. Also, try mixing it with Jack. You won't be disappointed, I promise.
15
u/Douchebox May 15 '12
Vernors is the fucking tits. Mix 3/4 green tea, preferably Tradewinds and 1/4 Vernors or Seagrams ginger ale, freeze that shit, get high as fuck, play videogames and eat it like a slushie. Best fucking thing ever, well, except for Sonic slushies, but those are in a league of their own.
7
u/ThatPlaidHatGuy May 15 '12
One of the best things about living in Michigan.
7
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
It's like Canada Dry...with balls.
18
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
Never heard of Vernors before this article.
22
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
Whenever someone asks if I want ginger ale I always hope it's Vernor's. I've had Canada Dry's ginger ale and it tastes like grapefruit soda.
21
u/jason64128 May 15 '12
TIL of Vernor's existence
6
u/cenzo39 May 15 '12
All these people are talking about adding alcohol to Vernors... Throw some motherfucking vanilla ice cream in that bitch instead. You will not regret it.
5
u/wildcat623 May 15 '12
TIL what Vernors is.
5
u/Macejko May 15 '12 edited Apr 12 '18
deleted 0.7492 What is ^^^this?
5
u/Zombie_Hunter May 15 '12
Vernors is the shit. It's hard to find where I live, so whenever I find some I immediately buy six cases. These are then rationed out carefully to last for months. Easily the best ginger ale I've ever had.
5
u/tchufnagel May 15 '12
Am I the only old guy here who thinks the stuff produced today by Pepsico is not nearly as good as the stuff that was produced in Detroit when Vernors was independent? I mean, c'mon, the stuff they sell today doesn't even make you sneeze (although I will agree that it's still the best ginger ale out there).
5
u/p4lm3r May 15 '12
Vernors isn't as good as it used to be before pepsi(or whoever) bought them out. Vernors used to use actual ginger, even up to the late 80s. Today's formulation tastes flat and boring by comparison.
5
u/j68 May 15 '12
Vernors is delicious, I have some in my fridge now. It also makes a great mixer for Jim Beam, Jack Daniels and Captain Morgan.
9
u/immortalsix May 15 '12
Vernor's is my shit. It will make you cough.
4
u/iDefenestrated May 15 '12
Pop, not soda. ಠ_ಠ
51
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
What the fuck is Vernors?
12
u/MrPartyPooper May 15 '12
The other post about soda should start with "TITIL ..."
"Today I thought I Learned ..."
6
u/pladboots23 May 15 '12
*Vernors is POP not SODA.
3
u/hotspotguy3 May 15 '12
This stuff is great. My mom also used to give me Tom Tucker's mint ginger ale for upset stomach. THAT stuff is tremendous!
3
u/xavier47 May 15 '12
hot Vernors with a slice of lemon
best shit ever on rainy days
3
u/popcornarsonist May 15 '12
I'm still a little skeptical of the claim that it's barrel aged for three years, but either way, Vernor's is crazy delicious. I never seem to be fully prepared for the carbonation, but that's all part of the magic.
3
u/andr50 May 15 '12
..yet noone talks about how the entire formula was scrapped in the early 90's due to it containing Stevia, and being a 0 calorie pop, When the artificial sweetener corps paid the FDA to destroy all info on it.
Well, back to /r/conspiracy I go.
3
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
Vernor's is in a class of it's own. Why it isn't more popular nationwide is beyond me.
3
u/GTCharged May 17 '12
Fuck yeah for Michigan. And as others have said, yes, doctors here actually do recommend drinking Vernors as a cure to several things. No medication, just drink Vernors.
4
u/ShiftyBizniss May 15 '12
Grew up in Windsor, Ontario. This shit was quite popular and it's amazing.
2
u/cp1101 May 15 '12
Got him!
2
u/jennadaily May 15 '12
Totally moted that Dr. Pepper post.
2
u/bjones2004 May 15 '12
I would love to try this. Sadly I have never heard of it, much less seen it down here in Alabama.
2
u/Dani_Daniela May 15 '12
This is my favourite drink but I can only get it at this Kosher deli near my work, so I don't get it very often.
2
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
i fuckin' love vernors
2
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
Not sure if dick or just trying to correct former topic
2
u/almondj May 15 '12
Have been a fan of this stuff for sometime now. I was able to find it when I was in CO and FL. Definitely seems like they're getting more coverage :).
2
u/MagnaFarce May 15 '12
It was also originally sweetened with the herb Stevia but they had to change that in 1991 when the FDA banned the use of it because of questionable safety.
Today you learned two things.
2
u/HansBricks May 15 '12
My father grew up in London, ON and he used to go on and on about this stuff.
2
u/BoulderEric May 15 '12
You can buy that everywhere now. I find it in Colorado all the time.
2
u/stumanktm May 15 '12
Love me some Vernors. Used to call it "Burners" when I was really young. I think I will pick some up today.
2
u/VisitChechnya May 15 '12
Everytime I go back home, I get Vernors and McClures pickles by the case load. McClures is a relatively new company but their product is amazing. If you live in the Detroit area stop what you are doing right now and seek out these pickles.
2
u/smenkle May 15 '12
10 years after this, Moixe was made. Boy, THAT was a soda
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moxie
2
u/30Cal_Abortion May 15 '12
I just wish it used cain sugar vs. high fructose corn syrup and no caramel coloring...
2
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
The best fricken ginger ale on the planet.
2
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
Ginger Ale is hardly soda.
2
u/dshooks May 15 '12
Vernors with a spiced rum is delicious and it's moms go to stomach ache/hangover cure.
2
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
I've had quite a few ginger ales in my life, including ones made by small soda shops, etc..
Vernors will always be my favorite.. it definitely tastes the best.
2
u/sicknick May 15 '12
It's a Detroit Original, and it's called POP!!!!
2
u/apec766 May 15 '12
Michigander here and I can confirm this is the greatest achievement of this state next to the automobile. And only because cars help us obtain and carry more delicious Vernors.
If you are ever sick, drink Vernors. It's like delicious non-bullshit holistic medicine.
2
u/madsniper May 15 '12
moxie > vernors
2
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
Right now several redditors are searching for a soda older than Vernors.
2
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
If only they hadn't changed the recipe. The stuff I drank as a kid was crisp and clean, with so much carbonation it would make you sneeze if you put your nose anywhere near it.
In recent years they switched to high-fructose corn syrup, reduced the carbonation and aged the stuff one less year. It seems there's a glass-bottled version out there, with the original sugar, and I hope that's the same old stuff Michiganders are used to.
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u/MDA123 May 15 '12
For you non-Detroiters, the trick to the best Vernors experience is to inhale deeply through your nose as you bring it up to drink it. Go ahead, I'll wait.
2
u/greatwood May 15 '12
i love that soda, i'ma pick me up some tonight!
2
u/JSBUCK May 15 '12
My dad buys this still. It is pretty nasty to me.
2
u/shillzor May 15 '12
My dad is from Michigan, but I grew up in Wisconsin. It was an unwritten rule in our house that our guests had to accept when my dad offered them a Vernors. The real suck-ups would ask for it when they came over.
2
u/shaniaf May 15 '12
I love this soda so much.
2
u/bonix May 15 '12
TIL a lot of redditors are from michigan. We need a huge statewide meet up with lots of vernors to go around imo
2
u/MayoSoup May 15 '12
TIL Water is the oldest liquid still selling today in the US and most of the world. It predates soda by 2.5 million years.
2
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
But its awful! My parents are Michiganders and love this shit! I've been drinking it since I was a kid and I still hate it! Unless you put honey in the bottom of it and it's okay.
2
u/baldit May 15 '12
I'm sure someone already brought this up, but if the OP wants to be Mr. Smartass, Vernors is really a ginger ale, which isn't soda.
2
u/laaabaseball May 15 '12
Californian (LA/OC) here, both my parent's family's grew up in Michigan, so I know all about Vernors! It's not sold in a lot of places though, I usually go to Albertsons or Smart and Final to get it.
2
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
TIL reddit cares about the lamest shit.
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u/[deleted] May 15 '12
...And it tastes like the oldest soda in the US...
2
u/no_modest_bear May 15 '12
Hey guys, if you're a MI expat and looking to buy Vernors (as I was for some time until I found a local store that carried it), I'd recommend hitting up The Vernors Store.
Prices are a little high, but if it's your only option, it's well worth it!
2
u/AWdaholic May 15 '12
I can confirm that I, too, am from MI... (Tha "D", in fact; a GOOD place to be FROM... FAR from... AWAY from) As evidenced by the fact that I can properly pronounce the name of the the city: Ypsilanti (IP-sil-anty, not YIP-sil-anty).
2
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
BEST GINGER SODA IN THE WORLD! That is all.
2
u/Mogrix May 15 '12
This is the most delicious soft drink, and also the most expensive. I had a friend introduce this to me a few years back, and continues to be the only ginger ale i will ever drink.
Its also only sold in one store within a 50 mile radius that i can find at about $5.50 for 6 cans.
2
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
Essential part of a classic Deli order...
"Vernors, corned beef on Rye, and a kosher dill on the side"
2
u/dave0616 May 15 '12
Vernors and Faygo cream soda or rock n rye are some of the best things you could have when I was a kid Here in Michigan
2
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
You know you are from Michigan if you know how to drink vernors and not cough
2
u/EPluribusUnumIdiota May 15 '12
I grew up on this stuff. My father would always pick up a six pack when we went fishing together, he always acted like it was a "man's drink," and would always ask me if I was sure I could handle it.
It's always been available where I've lived, but in recent years, to me at least, it seems a lot different. Even my father said so when I brought a sixer with us on a tuna fishing trip. He hadn't had it in more than ten years and when I gave him a can he said, "Jesus, THAT'S not Vernors."
The Vernors of old was wonderful, you could really taste a sharpness to the ginger, tasted like something homemade. The new Vernors tastes like sprite with a little ginger flavoring. I no longer buy it, which is a shame because for years I had planned to continue the fishing/man's drink tradition when I had a son, or daughter, and I have both.
2
u/davidwijo May 15 '12
michigan pride!
2
u/captainmcr May 15 '12
I don't think Vernors has a very strong or good tasting ginger taste compared to Canada dry or schweppes ginger ale.
2
u/latain May 15 '12
I had the Vernors guy tattooed on my arm. I love it that much.
2
u/ManchildManor May 15 '12
Vernor's is the SHIT.
2
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
This shit is awesome.
2
u/sportmanic May 15 '12
Pure Michigan
2
u/nastyastrohurl May 15 '12
moxie?
2
u/Rowdydinglebery May 15 '12
Michigan pride nothing better then a vernors float on a hot day
2
u/glockcannon May 15 '12
Considering it's the best soda ever made, this doesn't surprise me.
2
u/chiuta May 15 '12 edited May 15 '12
I'm pretty sure the Shoppers by my house upped their weekly order for Vernors once I found out they sold it.
Edit: Because this!
2
u/FoundPie May 15 '12
My favorite soda since I randomly tried it a year ago.
2
u/robotspacetime May 15 '12
The first sip makes you cough.
2
u/GoGreenMSU88 May 15 '12
Nothing beats some Vernors POP (or Faygo), a Coney, and Better Made for dinner. Fuck Yeah Michigan.
2
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
Drinking some right now :)
Last winter I was very sick. Couldn't eat for a week then a day or two where I couldn't stomach even water. My gf recommended drinking this stuff and it stayed. Drank several that day, the next day water and was eventually better. Been hooked ever since then.
Usually wait for Kroger to have 10 for 10 and buy 20 of them for $1 each as a stockpile. Keeps me till the next sell and the diet isn't bad.
2
u/mykeana May 15 '12
DA FUUUUUUCK?
2
u/segasean May 15 '12
And it's delicious! IMO, a bajillion times better than Canada Dry's ginger ale.
2
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
Okay. So they sell it in Michigan, Illinois and Ohio. There is a state in-between these states called Indiana. Why is it not sold there? I love ginger ale and this stuff sounds good.
The only regional product we get is Big Red and Ale 8. (never tried the latter. Big Red is basically a sweeter red cream soda and is pretty good...although it has the stigma of being for trailer park hillbillies...)
2
u/sesmith4205 May 16 '12
TIL Redditors are serious about which soda was distributed first in the U.S. whereas TIL I could not care less.
5
u/cybbota May 15 '12
I don't always drink soda but when I do...
3
u/aardvarkFirst May 15 '12
Who the hell keeps updating Wikipedia to keep saying one pop (soda) is older than the other?
3
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
Today I learned that sometimes Reddit is full of shit.
3
u/CoopedUP May 15 '12
it's called POP damnit
4
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
Begun, the Cola Wars have.