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A pharmacist in Belfast mixed the first ginger ale in 1852, combining ginger root, sugar, and carbonated water.
Today, over 250 million gallons of ginger ale are produced annually, shipping it to 82 countries.
Thomas Cantrell mixed the first ginger ale in his Belfast pharmacy in 1851.
He brewed it through fermentation, creating a dark drink that packed a sharp ginger punch beneath its sweetness.
This original version bore little resemblance to today's pale, fizzy soda—being closer to beer in both its brewing process and its rich color.
Vernors was founded in 1866 when Detroit pharmacist James Vernor mixed ginger root, vanilla, and spices in his oak barrels.
The amber-colored soda bubbled with a sharp bite that burned throats and cleared sinuses.
The drink's caramel sweetness and intense carbonation set it apart from other ginger ales, which tasted flat and mild in comparison.
Within decades, Vernors became the drink that defined the region's taste.
In 1904, Toronto pharmacist John McLaughlin created a new type of ginger ale.
His "Pale Dry Ginger Ale" — later "Canada Dry" — stripped away the syrupy sweetness of traditional recipes, replacing it with sharp carbonation and a clean ginger bite.
McLaughlin built this innovation on his existing business.
His Toronto factory had produced soda water since 1890, giving him deep knowledge of carbonation and bottling.
While earlier ginger ales resembled dark, sugary beer, McLaughlin's version sparkled like champagne in the glass.
Each bottle delivered a precise balance of ginger to warm the throat, enough bubbles to lift the flavor, but no lingering sweetness to mask either sensation.
This formula struck a nerve.
Drinkers who found traditional ginger ale too heavy embraced McLaughlin's crisp alternative.
His Toronto plant expanded rapidly to meet demand, and the Canada Dry name spread across North America.
Between 1920 and 1933, bartenders mixed bootleg whiskey with ginger ale to mask the burn of poorly distilled alcohol.
The crisp bubbles and sharp ginger bite of Canada Dry-style mixers covered up the chemical aftertaste of bathtub gin and basement moonshine.
Speakeasy patrons sipped these fizzy cocktails from teacups and coffee mugs, the innocent-looking ginger ale helping disguise their illegal drinks from police officers.
Chris Reed founded Reed's Inc. in 1989, launching the company with a ginger beer recipe that used fresh ginger root pieces instead of artificial flavoring.
The drink combined two ounces of fresh ginger with honey, pineapple juice, and lemon juice in each bottle.
Reed's started selling these bottles in Los Angeles health food stores, then expanded to grocery chains across California.
By 2023, Reed's products reached shelves in 35,000 stores, from Whole Foods to Walmart, making them the highest-selling ginger beverage maker in the United States.
Sales of ginger ale grew steadily from 1900-1999, with companies like Canada Dry and Schweppes distributing the drink across North America, Europe, and Asia.
Bartenders mix it with whiskey, vodka, or rum in classic cocktails like the Moscow Mule, while consumers drink it straight as a digestive aid or refreshment.
Today, manufacturers produce over 300 million gallons of ginger ale annually, generating $5.2 billion in global sales.
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