Charles Elmer Hires invented the first commercial Root Beer. Along with New England's Moxie and Detroit's Vernor's Ginger Ale, it's the oldest soft drink.It's a classic story of American entrepreneurialism. He first tasted a home brew root beer on his honeymoon in 1875. By the next year, he had a recipe that he introduced commercially. Initially sold as a powder in packets, by 1884 he had developed a syrup, a keg-based shipping system, and a fountain dispenser.
I'm actually old enough to remember going downtown to the drug store, which still had an old fashioned soda fountain counter. They had root beer syrup, which they'd squirt in the glass and then fill with fizzy water. Sic transit gloria mundi.
In other historical news, on this day in 1918, Congress passed and the President signed the Sedition Act of 1918, making it a criminal offense to criticize the government. Fortunately, there was an enlightened Democratic Party majority in power then, so it wasn't abused to throw gobs of people in jail or anything. Oh, wait.
But with today's Democratic Party majority, something like that would never happen. Oh, wait.
And lastly, on this day in 1836, Edgar Allen Poe married his 13 year old cousin. Who did he think he was - Jerry Lee Lewis?
I went to a real soda fountain once in Galveston and once in Independence at the one Harry truman worked at as a kid.
ReplyDeleteI guess it's not much different now the machine mixes syrup with carbonated water, but for some reason when they do it by hand it tastes better.
It's funny how root beer went out of fashion in the early 70's, and couldn't be found at fast-food outlets for over 25 years (except, of course, at A&W stands). It is a drink that never had a universal national brand such as Coca-Cola. I remember a Dad's stand next to our old motor court in Gainesville, Florida. A&W, Hires, Dad's, Barq's, and many other brands made root beer.
ReplyDeleteI think that part of the reason that root beer fell out of favor was that there are no popular cocktails or mixed drinks made with it. Can you name one?