Five Regional Sodas to Try on Your Next Road Trip

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Soda, pop, or Coke; everyone has a different name for the carbonated beverages that aren't of the alcohol variety. With the popularity of soda waning in light of the poor nutritional value, the craft and regional market for soda is starting to climb. More people who may be drinking less soda on a daily basis, are seeing it now more of as a treat to be enjoyed while on a vacation traveling. So here are a few favorites to try and the most popular states to find the brand.

Vernors - Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Canada and Florida

Although not the oldest ginger ale in the country, Vernors is the oldest surviving ginger ale in the U.S. Introduced in 1866, the original batch was actually accidentally oak aged. James Vernor was experimenting with flavors trying to duplicate a ginger ale imported from Dublin. When he was called off to war, he placed his syrup base for the ale in a oak cask. When he returned three years later, the flavor of the ale had absorbed the oakey-ness of the cask making the flavor what he called, "deliciously different" which remains their slogan to this day.

Cheerwine - West Virginia to Florida

Originating in 1917, Cheerwine's claim to fame is, "the oldest continuing soft drink company still run by the same family." L.D. Peeler established the Carolina Beverage Corporation in Salesbury, North Carolina and with a purchased flavor from a salesman in St. Louis, began to manufacture his cherry-flavored, red wine colored soda. Today you can find Cheerwine flavored slushies, ice cream bars, cakes and even a limited-edition Krispy Kreme Donut.

Ski - West Virginia to Alabama, Alaska, California, and Ohio to Illinois

Byron Clarson, a bottler of Double Cola, went to his bosses with a new flavor of soda. It was a citrus soda with orange and lemon flavors. Two years later in 1956, they patented it and started distributing Ski. Having a little more caffeine than regular colas, Ski has been compared to an "Adult Mountain Dew." They also have Ski flavored lollipops available as well.

Moxie - New England, Florida

Maine native Dr. Augustin Thompson created the flavor for Moxie in 1876 from Gentian root extract in Lowell, Massachusetts. They beat Dr. Pepper and Coke to market but the appeal never really spread from the New England area. Originally billed as "Moxie Nerve Food," Thompson claimed it would cure anything. President Calvim Coolidge was known to favor Moxie and Ted Williams endorsed it on the radio and in magazines and newspapers.

Nowadays, the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Northern New England, which is a subsidiary of Japan's Kirin Brewery Company, is the owner and distributor. They are trying Florida out for expansion currently, but it is still the most popular in Maine, where it is the official state soft drink.

RC Cola - The Southeast

Royal Crown Cola was actually developed over a dispute in the price of Coca-Cola. Claud A. Hatcher owned a Grocery Store in Columbus, Georgia and was buying large quantities of syrup from his local Coca-Cola salesman. Hatcher thought he should get a bulk discount and the salesman wouldn't budge on the price so the store owner vowed to get his revenge by never buying Coca-Cola again.

He then went down into the basement and came up with his first soda, a ginger ale. Then came a strawberry followed by a rootbeer, and then a name change to match their new product, Chero-Cola. After having huge success with their fruit flavored sodas and a name change to match them to Ne-Hi, the Chero-cola was reformulated and renamed Royal Crown Cola.

RC was the first company to have a diet soda and the first company to start to using cans. Although RC is more national nowadays, you'll still find it a little more prominently in the South, often paired with the old fashion treat, The Moon Pie.

There you go, just five of the many hundred or so regional sodas that are available. If you want to get them all in one place, head to Pop's Soda Ranch out on Old Route 66 just northeast of Oklahoma City. They have over 600 different sodas available at any one given time.

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