America's Oldest Soda Isn't Your Typical Ginger Ale

In America, we love our soda. The U.S. is the birthplace of the Big Gulp and supersized drinks. It's also the home of root beer. An American even invented the pull-tab soda can, and over time, we've perfected methods of opening it (like the tapping trick that stops soda from exploding).

Many soda brands originated here, too. Among them, two are commonly thought to be the longest-operating brands: Dr. Pepper and Moxie cola. But, actually, the American fizzy drink that's still produced and is the oldest in terms of both its patent date and folklore is a lesser-known brand of ginger ale called Vernors.

Vernors is not only the oldest pop in the U.S., but it also stands out in terms of its unique production, its fabled history, and its cult following. Like other sodas that have interesting backstories (such as Pepsi, which was originally called "Brad's Drink"), the precise creation date and the exact origin story of the drink is where things get a little fizzy.

Historical accounts differ regarding Vernors creation, but the most popular version is that founder James Vernor was experimenting with a tonic composed of vanilla, ginger, and other spices that he made while working at his drugstore in Detroit, Michigan. 

Vernor soon left the job to serve in the Civil War, but he left his last batch of the mixture encased in an oak barrel. Upon returning in 1866, he opened the barrel and discovered the years-long aging process had done wonders for the tonic — it had a unique, mellow flavor he termed to be "deliciously different," which later became the slogan used for the ginger drink. 

The soda was soon available for purchase in Vernor's pharmacy before growing in commercial availability. Vernor, who was noted for his meticulousness, continued to barrel-age his ginger ale to consistently achieve the same unique flavor and quality — and it's a practice that has continued into modern-day production.

The original patent for Vernor's ginger soda states the drink was created in 1880. So, regardless of whether it was actually 1866 or 1880 when the ginger ale was born, the soda still predates Dr. Pepper, which originated in 1885, and Moxie cola, which also wasn't patented until 1885.

Today, Vernors is still popular in its birth state of Michigan, with the bulk of sales occurring there, though the drink does have a fan base elsewhere in the Midwest, and its loyal following extends northward into areas of Canada too. Fans of the drink who can't find it locally even travel to Michigan specifically to buy Vernors.