Debunking the Myths About Vernors Ginger Ale, Michigan’s Oldest Pop
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Whether you call it soda or pop (in Michigan’s it’s “pop”), Vernors Ginger Ale has been a hometown favorite for more than 150 years. Grandmothers and mothers across the state swear by its healing properties, while its distinctive bite and familiar taste leave a lasting impression.
How much do you actually know about this carbonated beverage, though?
History of Vernors
According to the Detroit Historical Society, Vernors started out as Vernor’s Ginger Ale. Created by James Vernor, the drink was first served to people in 1866, making it the oldest ginger pop in the United States.
Vernor was a highly respected Detroit pharmacist and had a reputation for being meticulous with prescriptions. He started out as an errand boy for Higby & Stearns Drug Store in 1858 and was eventually promoted to junior clerk.
He experimented with a tonic of spices and vanilla for medicinal purposes and added ginger to calm stomach aches. In 1862, though, he joined the 4th Michigan Calvary to serve in the Civil War, leaving his experiment behind.
When Vernor returned four years later, he opened the oak barrel containing his experiment. What he found was a surprisingly gingery, sweet, and zesty beverage with wood notes from the aging process.
In 1866, he opened his own pharmacy and sold the ginger ale to customers. At the time, it was the only place where people could get the drink.
Vernor paid just as much attention to the ginger ale as he did the prescriptions. He was vigilant about every ingredient and used the same carbonated water that he sold in his pharmacy.
Success and Growth
With growing demand, Vernor decided to sell the pop to other soda fountains. He required the vendors to install special equipment so that they could serve the beverage as intended. The Vernor’s fountains had ornate plaster, ironwork, and lighting with a “V” design.
As word-of-mouth spread, Vernor’s Ginger Ale was sold in other Midwestern states. He opened a factory in Detroit so that he could mass produce the beverage for locals. Alongside the company’s success, the factory expanded. The last plant was located in Midtown and had a glass front where passersby could see the bottling process.
Meanwhile, the City of Detroit grew. There used to be a huge sign along the Detroit River that was illuminated with the Vernors’ logo. There was even a shop on the river that let visitors enjoy the pop while they watched it being made.
Changes & Shutdowns
In 1896, Vernor’s son James Vernor II was made president of the company, but Vernor didn’t pass away until October 1927. The family jokingly commented that he didn’t retire until a few hours before he died.
His son succeeded him, and the company flourished throughout Prohibition. In 1959, the apostrophe was dropped from the name, making it simply Vernors.
Also in the 1950s, the Vernors headquarters and bottling plant was moved after Detroit proposed building Cobo Hall and other projects on the riverfront. The new plant had many of the beloved elements as before, and tours were a major attraction for locals and visitors alike.
In 1962, Vernors 1-Calorie pop was introduced. Now, it’s called Diet Vernors.
The business remained family-operated until 1966, when it was sold to an investment group. Since then, the brand has changed hands many times. It went to American Consumer Products next and then to United Brands, which shut down the flagship bottling plant in Detroit in 1985 and granted bottling rights to Pepsi-Cola. The Midtown bottling plant was demolished as well.
In 1987, A&W Beverages bought the brand. Then, Cadbury-Schweppes purchased it in 1993. When Dr Pepper Snapple Group separated from Cadbury-Schweppes in 2008, the Vernors brand went with it.
In 2018, Keurig Green Mountain purchased Dr Pepper Snapple Group, so now Vernors is part of the Keurig Dr Pepper conglomerate.
An Alternate Story
A few details regarding the history of Vernors are up for debate.
(1) Vernor’s son says that his father didn’t create the formula for the ginger ale until after he returned from the Civil War. An Interview with former company president James Vernor Davis in 1962 confirmed this story.
(2) A 1911 trademark application for Vernor’s states that the ginger ale was first sold to the public in 1880 rather than 1866. Still, it’s the oldest pop in the nation.
No matter how it was made, Vernors is a delicious pop that Michiganders grow up with and look back on fondly. Other ginger ales just can’t imitate the intense ginger flavor.
Vernors Flavor Profile & Formula
Vernors ginger ale, known for its golden color from caramel and its bold, ginger beer-like flavor, was often mixed with other drinks before Prohibition. Since then, lighter ginger ales like Canada Dry have become the popular choice for mixing.
Vernors stands out for its intense fizz, with carbonated water as the main ingredient. Originally, its flavor was described as mellow yet zesty, attributed to aging in oak barrels and using ginger and sugar.
Over time, however, changes in ingredients have altered its taste. For example, high fructose corn syrup has replaced sugar, and many consumers, especially older ones, notice less carbonation.
There may also be less ginger now – while Vernor’s original recipe used real ginger, the current formula only lists “natural flavors.” Additionally, the aging period in oak barrels has shortened from four years to three.
5 Fun Facts About Vernors
#1: Vernors has used several slogans since its public debut.
In the early 1900s, it used “Detroit’s Drink.” In 1921, it changed the slogan to “Deliciously Different.” For a while in the mid-1980s, “It’s what we drink around here” was the slogan used in advertisements.
The company changed the “Aged 4 years in wood” on the label to “Flavor aged in oak barrels” at some point. Then, in 1996, it changed the label again to “Barrel Aged, Bold Taste.” The label has also read “Barrel Aged 3 years • Bold Taste” and “Authentic • Bold Taste.”
#2: Vernors has a gnome mascot named Woody.
The company had a contest in the 1970s, allowing customers to name the gnome. Jerome was the chosen name, but it was eventually changed to Woody. It’s believed that the change was made to reflect the ginger ale being aged in wood barrels.
A&W Beverages dropped the mascot during its ownership of the brand. Woody has since returned to the packaging.
#3: In the 1970s, Ronald Bialecki made personal, live-action appearances as the Vernors mascot in the “gnome mobile.”
He and his wife created the costume and vehicle for public enjoyment after ad executives at Doner Company (where he worked) and Vernors representatives agreed that he should.
#4: Vernors was once available in kegs.
Manufacturing of the beverages was eventually moved from its original home to a large plant where Detroiters could drive up and get kegs for parties and other gatherings.
#5: Along with using Vernors to mix drinks, you can use it for cooking to add spice and sweetness to dishes.
The most popular Vernors drink mix is a milkshake with vanilla ice cream, creating a Boston Cooler — the name for which Vernors copyrighted in 1967, also known as a Vernors Float. You can put one or two scoops in a glass with Vernors, or blend the mixture.
Cafe d’Mongo’s Speakeasy in downtown Detroit, you can order the Detroit Brown. This drink combines Vernors, bitters, and Crown Royal.
When it comes to cooking, Aretha Franklin famously glazes her Christmas ham with Vernors. You can also use the ginger ale to glaze salmon or add it to the batter of onion rings. Alternately, you can bake with Vernors, adding it to a boxed cake mix to make Whoopie Pies.
Vernors Cures Upset Stomach — Myth or Fact?
If you’re a Michigan native, your mother or grandmother probably told you to drink Vernors ginger ale when you felt nauseous or had a stomach ache. Some Michiganders like to drink it hot with lemon juice to alleviate sore throat and cough.
But, does the drink actually cure an upset stomach?
That was the intended purpose behind Vernor’s original formula — to soothe digestive issues and gastric discomfort. Because of its ginger content, it worked for that purpose too.
With formula changes, though, science says that there isn’t enough ginger in most current pops to have anti-inflammatory or soothing properties for gastric problems, Vernors included. Additionally, it loads you down with sugar and doesn’t offer much hydration.
Where to Buy Vernors Ginger Ale
When Dr. Pepper Snapple Group separated from Cadbury-Schweppes in 2008 and took Vernors with it, the brand was able to expand beyond the Midwest.
Currently, it’s available in grocery stores, convenience shops, and restaurants across 33 states. You can even find Vernors in Ontario. However, Michigan is still the brand’s largest market. Illinois and Ohio are large markets for the ginger ale as well.
What are your fond memories of drinking Vernors? Have you experimented with using this ginger ale in recipes? Do you have Vernors collectibles and memorabilia? Share your Vernors enthusiasm in the comments below!
I attended high school in Detroit in the mid-1960s. Often after school, I would meet my father at the church where he was minister at the corner of Woodward and Forest, right across from the Vernors plant. I would go over to the soda fountain in the plant for a Boston cooler, hot Vernors, or Vernors and chocolate milk…one of my favorites. And, my mother would give us Vernors when we were sick, which, unfortunately, often has a Pavlovian response on me.
Are you of the mind that a Boston Cooler must be blended, or do you prefer yours more like a float? I still haven’t tried Vernors and chocolate milk yet!
I’ve never tried Vernors and chocolate milk I will have to some day. Does Vernors and Chocolate Ice Cream taste similar?
Never tried it, but seems like it would.
One of my fonder memories…May of my 8th grade year when the weather is great and your dieing for the school year to end…I’d wake up with only enough time to throw clothes on, grab a Vernors and head out the door. It woke me right up, I swear it cleaned my teeth not having had time to brush them, and it was delicious!
Travel to Michigan twice a year to see family and restock Vernors in individual bottles. They sell it here in the south in 2 liter bottles only. My grandkids are addicted now and only Michigan Vernors will do.
Best stuff ever!
As it should be!
Vernor’s had a bottling plant in Tampa, FL. In front of the plant it had the largest moveable billboard in the South.
Neat fact!
I grew up in PA with Canada Dry ginger ale and never really liked the taste of Vernors. My Dad was a big fan however and I would always take him Vernors when we went home in the Summer. In 1993 I had open heart surgery at ST. Joes in A2. The first drink I had after surgery, cup held by the nurse, tasted SOOO good. I remember saying, “What Is That?”
“Vernor’s”, said the nurse!!
Ha ha! Glad to hear that Vernors could help in your recovery!
Since I now live in Iowa, trips to Michigan revolve around my depleting Vernors stash which I just checked after reading this article. Looks like another road trip is not to far off. I really don’t know what I would do without it.
I often send it to my mother who now lives in Tennessee!
After moving to Alaska in 2011, we were thrilled to find a couple of stores selling Vernors on the Kenai Peninsula!! What a special Treat!!
Awesome!
Being from Michigan, I loved Vernors. After moving to Texas in 2004, am still surprised that they bottle it in Plano, Texas but cannot find it in any of the stores around the Houston area! Sad.
How odd. I imagine that you can find Dr. Pepper there pretty readily. Which is one of my other favorite beverage. 🙂
We just had a brand new Kroger Market Place open in my neighborhood recently and they DO stock Vernors! I am so glad.
Another reason the Covid sucks, I used to be able to buy Vernors here in vermont but now neither walmart or Tops is carrying it any longer. When I go to my nephew’s graduation party this summer I’m bringing back three cases.
I am a southern gal and had never heard of Vernors until I moved to Michigan in 1978. When I came down with a stomach bug , I was given Vernors to drink. I told my friend to bring me some “real ginger ale”. I had to get use to the taste as it is so different from what I was accustomed to . It didn’t take long for me to love the flavor of Vernors and when I moved back south I was sad that I couldn’t find any . After a few years of living back in South Carolina , I came upon some Vernors in one of our grocers. It may not be easy to find down here, but it’s still my preferred brand of ginger ale .
I can’t imagine living without it!
Vernors was stolen from a Black share cropper .
We were born and raised in Michigan.We came to Alaska in May , 1974. We were disappointed that we couldn’t get Vernors here. However, we can now. Wonderful drink !!! LOVE, that Vernors !
It sure is a Michigan favorite! Glad that distribution has grown so you can get it in AK!
Back from our annual Michigan trip. What a great state Michigan is with so much to offer any visitor. Fire works at Arbutus Beach, lake Otsego. My first pasty at the Traverse City Pie Company, Soo good. And the pie was worth every cent. Turkey dinners at the Gobbler in Gaylord, and my first jet ski ride on lake Columbia in Brooklyn. After hours drinks at Metzger’s in Ann Arbor, N. Zeeb road. Talk about a great Manhattan, whew. And of course the resupply of my 240 cans of Vernors stock. Yea !
I cook my polish sausage in Vernors. Let it cook down and it makes a nice sweet glaze on it
Interesting tidbits about Dr. Vernor – some I knew; some I did not know! I always wondered why today’s Vernors doesn’t taste like it used to when I was a kid — no longer aged in barrels. That is truly sad. I wonder if we all did a write-in campaign to Dr. Pepper if they’d go back to the ORIGINAL way of making Vernors?!!
In my opinion I don’t think it is the same. It’s not made in Oak barrels anymore, which is probably due to cost, and it’s not made in michigan anymore. I remember when you we old open a bottle and the first sip would make you cough a little. Not a true ginger ale soda.
<3 Oh, I love spreading the story of Vernors. And yes, I bake my hams with it. 😉 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/85f028f19b44231928b2dee56b79ed278d66ea397d1c82ada562306896e12a29.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1db564d602d4a9ee8f9c8f0ef1f581af7c401ec0cd57ec29b12cf94ac3872667.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/83757112fa3ac3c2ef4c4ee64ef0c63cb3957c97cae9684a9d5e4f34c8265d41.jpg
Used to make the secret formula
I remembe4 being a young child, my uncle used to come in once a year for a few weeks from Cincinnati each year to stay with us to visit Michigan relatives. We would go to the Detroit train station to pick him up and our first stop was the Vernors plant to get a refreshment. Uncle Joe always insisted on paying the tab, and we got to choose anything to drink that we wanted.. This treat was always a wonderful thing, pop wasn t a household item. Vernor s on the other hand was usually in the house in case someone got sick, never as a pop, but used for upset tummy s.
I attended Vernor Elementary School on Pembroke in Detroit. Vernors was served at every school function. I remember there was a portrait of Dr. Vernor that hung in the stairwell. Thankfully, I can buy Vernors in OK!
I also went to Vernor Elementary in the mid-50’s to 1966 (as it also became a middle school/junior high). I still do a Zoom call every week with some fellow Vernorites. I remember that every Easter and Christmas time they used to bring in a barrel and we would each get a dentist cup size cup of Vernors, After kindergarten we were first in the portables and then back in the main building for our final years. Free Vernors twice a year!! We felt VERY special because of that. I moved to Florida after graduating from the Big M (Go Blue!) and used to bring back Vernors whenever I’d visit or have friends or relatives coming down bring me some. We can now buy it here, but it isn’t the same as when it was aged 4 years in wood and you had to wait after you poured it into a glass so you didn’t get it fizzing up into your nose.
I’m from Michigan and grew up drinking and loving Vernors but can no longer find it in Oklahoma. We have Dr Pepper but no Vernors anymore. It was always sold as a drink mixer instead of a pop. Big mistake! No one knows what it tastes like (unless they’re from Michigan) and wouldn’t buy it. I miss drinking Vernors and am willing to drive out of state to buy it but don’t know where it’s being sold, other than a full day’s drive away. Any ideas?
I bought a few cases around Christmastime but it cost $20 a case. Ouch!
I can only hope that someone someday will make a Vernors soda of old when they used real ginger, lots of carbonation, and little sugar or maybe stevia if possible!! When I win the lottery I will try….
I grew up on Vernors. I went to the original bottling plant with my parents in1949.
I now live in California and my local store has it, but the shift to high fructose corn syrup ruined Vernors for me. I spit it out the last time I tried it, and then rinsed my mouth out.
High fructose corn syrup? Are you people crazy?
Fortunately, in Southern California, we can buy “Mexican Coke,” made with REAL SUGAR. Wake up Vernors…
Real sugar is real sugar. High fructose corn syrup is a chemical goo related to a gasoline additive that damages engines.
I remember when I was younger, my mom would by Vernor’s ice cream cones. They were sold at the Sander’s store in Oakland Mall. It was like eating a Boston Cooler in a cone! SO Delicious!! Wish they would be made again.
Glad Vernors Elementary School mentioned. Vernors sent oak barrels to the school on various holidays. One of the benefits of being on the safety patrol was running the taps as classes came by for a cup of Vernors…refills! Field trips to the Vernors plant was another bonus.
My Parents met working at the Vernors plant, so I geuss I am a by product of Vernors…. Love drinking Vernors but never cooked with it.
Oh my gosh, Vernors. Remember fondly visiting the “brewery” in Detroit. Boston Coolers are blended and so delicious. I have always baked my hams using Vernors! Love mixing Southern Comfort in Vernors too! My sister in law moved to Philly in the 70’s and we would drive out with a couple of cases of Vernors since it wasn’t sold there!
If you review the current Vernors logo (Keurig Dr Pepper) reference to being aged in barrels has been removed. Logo simply says “Authentic Bold Taste” in a circle around a barrel. No reference to oak or actually being inside an oak barrel.
I have also noticed that it is Ginger Soda and not Ginger Ale. I do not know when it changed.
My son picked up some of the “Black Cherry Ginger Soda” for me and is bringing it home soon. I am a big fan of Franks Black Cherry Wishniak that was produced in Philly (not from there, went to school in Philly) it was hands down the best.
Terrific job on the informative & nostalgic Vernor’s article and comments! My mom was from Michigan and served as a nurse in Washington, DC during World War II. She remembers the reaction of the guy at the soda counter when she ordered, “a Vernor’s please!” and was so disappointed that it wasn’t available. We loved getting it at the fountain when we visited our Michigan grandparents and they brought a couple of cases (on the plane!) whenever they came to visit in the 1950s & 60s — Mom made those cases really last, too, by doling out the Vernor’s VERY carefully & precisely splitting the contents of a single can among 3 or more children (no more than two cans for the 6 of us – plus more for adults I suppose). If she’d thought of it, she’d have used dental cups!
One minor correction: Mr. Vernor was in the Michigan CAVALRY (not Calvary — which is the place where Jesus was hung on a cross).
I remember my Grandmother giving me Vernors when I was feeling ill too. Also, after hours of ice skating at Belle Isle there was a referishment stand where you could get hot Vernors to shake the cold chill of winter… good memories.. I still look for it here in Tennessee..
I grew up in Michigan and moved to New England 20 yrs ago when I married. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I miss Vernors and Boston Coolers, which, ironically, no one in Boston has heard of. Every time I go back to Michigan, I stock up and friends who come to visit all know to bring some to New England. I am stunned that it is available in stores from Michigan all the way to Texas. I need a local supplier. 🙂
I grew up just outside on Detroit. I visited the plant with a school group and treasured the Vernors bank cans. Now that I drink only diet drinks I noticed the diet version doesn’t have the same effervescent peppery smell. Maybe the batch I bought was not fresh. Diet drinks don’t last as long as normal.
Vernors was a staple in the home growing up. Back then it appeared to help when we had a upset stomach or light cold.
The Sanders lunch counters had a Vernors oak faced dispenser for Boston Coolers made with Sanders ice cream, by the glass, and also sold it hot with lemon to help with a cold.
It was all great!
My Mom grew up in Michigan, so we knew about Vernors as kids. I remember the “aged 4 years in oak barrels” disappeared in the 70s. When President Ford was in office, it suddenly was available where we lived (in MD). We used to joke that they used up the four years worth of aging barrels in one year, so had to drop the logo to “aged in oak barrels” and then just “aged in oak.” We figured that meant it went through an oak pipe, LOL! We loved Vernors floats also. Thanks for an interesting article.
I lived in Vernor Estates in Bloomfield- a subdivision developed on Vernor family property in the late 1960’s. My mother always gave us Vernor’s to drink if we were sick. Loved Boston Coolers and I remember Capt Jolly on CKLW doing Vernor commercials. Still drink it in Florida.
My family was also in the soft drink business in 1870. Vernon’s I believe dates back t0 1864. Vernon’s contained imported Jamaican ginger and they advertised that it was wed in wood. My family drink was Wegener’s Rock & Rye which was a strawberry cola. I believe Vernon’s was the number one and our family was number two ahead of Dr Pepper in 1864 and Coke Cola in 1865. I love Vernon’s even thought they have changed the formula. Our formula remained the same until the end after 72 years.
As a child in the 1960’s I drank Verners with toast when I had the flu. I have always liked Verners but don’t drink pop with Corn Syrup ect very often anymore. I guess I need to try Verners and chocolate milk
In 1998, our son had knee surgery from a high school baseball game injury. When the surgeon called to check on him, our son told him that every time he ate something he would get nauseous. The surgeon told him to drink Vernors because the ginger and sugar together would settle his stomach. Worked!
I’m a Michigan resident, born and bred. We used to drink Vernor’s as kids for stomach upset. The ginger always helped. Today’s Vernor’s not the same and I don’t recommend anyone drink it when they are ill. With the addition of HFCS it is no longer a remedy, and instead is like a poison. In fact, HFCS stops the body’s ability to properly synthesize Vitamin D. It was talked about in a health podcast. Saying it’s just like sugar is just propaganda to get you to drink it. Sugar isn’t actually good for us either. I use my own Ginger Bug recipe to make my own with real ginger. It’s 100% healthier and spicier.
Your article was Awesome! Thank you for all the fun details. As a Michigander who still enjoys Vernors, yes, its a different flavor then the original, it’s still my #1 go-to POP!