Oldest Soda Pop in America was Invented in Michigan by Accident (2024)

The Civil War and a Michigan pharmacist are responsible for the accidental creation of what we now call Vernor's Ginger Ale.

Vernor's has been a Michigan staple for over 150 years. In fact, if you had an upset stomach and you grew up in Michigan, it is likely that your mother gave you Vernor's Ginger Ale instead of Pepto Bismol or Alka Seltzer. Ginger Ale is not the #1 drink of choice for most. However, it beats actual medicine.

Believe it or not, the Detroit-based pharmacist was attempting to create a medicine to relieve the common upset stomach when he accidentally invented a popular soda pop according to Pharmacy Times,

Vernors was created partially by mistake while working on a concoction to help relieve stomachaches when he was called to the Civil War in 1862. When returning from the war, he discovered that the barrel he had left was filled with a delicious beverage.

See Also

Vernor's Ginger Ale | Detroit Historical SocietyA History of Vernors | Detroit Historical SocietyWhy You Should Always Order Ginger Ale on a FlightThe oldest soda pop in America belongs to Vernor's

The 4-year aging process that took place while James Vernor was off fighting in the Civil War resulted in a yummy soda that he began selling as a fountain drink at this pharmacy in Detroit in 1866.

To put that in perspective, Dr. Pepper was invented in 1885 and co*ke in 1886. Vernor's was 20 years ahead of the soda pop boom in the United States. Vernor's, however, isn't the oldest soda pop in the world. That would be Schweppe's which was created in 1783. Ten years previous to Vernor's Hires Root Beer and Moxie were also created outside of the U.S. according to RFD TV.