If you’re from Kentucky, you’ve probably grown up drinking Ale-8-One soda. The 91-year-old soft drink with a crisp ginger-citrus flavor has been a classic Kentucky beverage since its creation in 1926.
For most of the product’s lifetime, it was a regionally exclusive drink, but as of late, Ale-8-One has been popping up in stores all around the country. In Chattanooga, the soda is now sold in most Walmarts, Sam’s Clubs, Publix supermarkets, Food Citys, Fresh Markets and Cracker Barrels.
So why the sudden upswing in sales?
In 2017, Food & Wine magazine named Ale-8-One “the best soda in the country.” Not only is it a great fizzy drink by itself, the article said, but many people love to use it as a mixer and as a secret ingredient in an array of recipes; for instance, substituting ginger beer with Ale-8-One in a Moscow Mule, or adding it to sloppy Joe or chili dishes for an extra sweet-sour flavor.
The soda’s interesting flavor profile, with hints of ginger and citrus, and the millennial craft beverage craze are a few reasons Ale-8-One has stayed relevant and taken off as a trend in recent times, according to company President and COO Ellen McGeeney.