Vernor's Ginger Ale

Images of America: Michigan

by Keith Wunderlich

Vernor's Ginger Ale has sparkling fizz, a unique taste, and a history that goes back before Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Hires, or Moxie. Upon returning from the Civil War in 1866, James Vernor opened a pharmacy in Detroit. He also opened a barrel of ginger ale extract he had created before the war. He discovered the four years of aging had mellowed the taste to perfection. A new "deliciously different" flavor had been created, and Vernor's Ginger Ale was born. From a small drugstore in Detroit to a product enjoyed across America and Canada, Vernor's is a success story. Vernor's is the story of a small back-room product turned into a highly successful brand. At over 140 years old, Vernor's is America's oldest continuously produced soft drink. Vernor's Ginger Ale takes readers on a journey from pharmacy to factory, from entrepreneur to franchised corporation.

Genres: Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published April 14, 2008

Reviews

[Polski Urban · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vernors is a great soda to begin with, as a detroiter it was nice to hear the history behind the Michigan made soda, the sorties and photos make this book well worth the read. Now toget a cold Vernors!

[Tbfrank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Give me a Vernor's any day! My grandfather always had a case in his refrigerator at his garage in Toledo. The story was he serviced the local trucks and often received a case. Vernor's and a big scoop of vanilla ice cream has always been a favorite summer staple. I was surprised to learn it was called a Boston Cooler! I didn't know there were also Vernor's Soda Shops and unfortunately it's too late to quiz my parents about the one in Toledo. Too bad this wonderful little volume didn't include some of the images in color. Thanks Keith for the great work putting this together.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vernor's, regular or diet, is the best tasting ginger ale I've ever had. I never understood why it wasn't (and still isn't) available coast to coast. This book gives no clues on that, but it does provide a visual reminiscence of the company.

There are photos of the Vernors family, early production facilities, soda bars devoted to the brand and the various advertising campaigns. I was unaware that the company changed it's name from Vernor's to Vernors.

I'd be interested in more about this company, but that is not the role of this book. This book, as part of the Images of America series, does what it sets out to do... which is to visually document a slice of American life.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series of book. Haven't read or looked at all of them by no means, but some of them have become a permanent part of my personal library collection. These books give you a view of the history of the small towns and businesses that make up the history of our country.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book didn't have exactly what I was looking for, but the local interest in the history of Vernor's is strong. I wouldn't buy it for myself, but I'm glad we have access to it in the library.