A Trip To This Epic Soda Factory In Kentucky Will Make Your Wildest Dreams Come True
By Rachel Shulhafer|Published February 25, 2017
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Rachel Shulhafer
Author
I grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. I have lived elsewhere twice, but keep coming back. I'm a video editor and freelance writer who enjoys watching people wearing University of Louisville uniforms excel at sports, scaling the faces of large rocks, and hanging out with my border collie/laborador/cattle dog mutt thingy that I have.
Kentucky has a lot of native foods and dishes that were proudly made here in the Bluegrass State. Did you know that we also have our own brand of soda? Ale-8-One, sometimes referred to as simply Ale 8, is bottled in Kentucky and always has been, and you can even tour their bottling plant to see how Kentucky’s favorite soda is produced.
This soft drink has been bottled in Winchester, KY since 1926, and is the only soda invented in Kentucky that is still around today.
Ale-8-One was invented by G.L. Wainscott, who bottled many soft drinks in a plant in Winchester in the early 1900s. For a while he produced a cola drink, but eventually started experimenting with ginger-flavored beverages, which is how he came up with the Ale-8-One formula.
The slogan for the soft drink, "A Late One," sounds like a play on words for the soda's name "Ale-8-One." But in July of 1926, Wainscott sponsored a slogan contest at the Clark County Fair, and "A Late One" was the winner, meant to describe the soda as the latest thing in soft drinks.
Wainscott's great, great nephew, Fielding A. Rogers, became the president of the company in 2009. He still uses hand-written notes from Wainscott to make the soda, which is a closely guarded family recipe.
The bottling plant is located at 25 Carol Road in Winchester, and you can take tours of it completely for free, making it a great day trip for the family. However, you must arrange a time and day for your tour ahead of time, so be sure to call 859-744-3484 to make a tour reservation. The tours typically last 30 to 45 minutes.
Has anyone ever toured the Ale-8-One Bottling Company before? Remember, if you’re interested in taking a free tour, you must schedule it ahead of time by calling 859-744-3484, or click here for more information.
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