Detroit's Vernor's ginger ale is America's oldest soft drink, invented in 1866 by James Vernor , a Detroit pharmacist. In 1862, Vernor was called off to the American Civil War. According to legend, he left a mixture of ginger, vanilla and spices sitting in an oak cask in his pharmacy. After returning from battle four years later, he opened the keg and found the drink inside had been changed by the aging process in the wood. It was like nothing else he had ever tasted, and he reportedly declared it "Deliciously different," which remains the drink's motto to this day. Its current slogan is "Barrel Aged, Bold Taste!™".

The drink has particular popularity in eastern Michigan, western New York, and extreme southwest Ontario, but can be found in a few other areas throughout the United States.

The Vernor family owned the company until 1966 when they sold it to an investment group. The company was next acquired by American Consumer Products and then by United Brands before being purchased by A&W Beverages in 1987. A&W was later purchased by Cadbury Schweppes.

A "Boston cooler" is an ice cream drink made from Vernor's and vanilla ice cream, although Vernor's is practically unknown in Boston.

References

• The Vernor's Story : From Gnomes to Now, Lawrence L. Rouch, ISBN 0472066978