Serena Maria Daniels is an award-winning freelance journalist in Detroit, by way of Chicago, by way of the West Coast. She writes about Michigan for OIYS. Serena enjoys learning about language and culture and taking road trips with her beagle Ralph.
If ever there was an official state drink for the state of Michigan, it would be Vernors. We Michiganders swear by the this tasty elixir for its medicinal qualities…and for its delicious, bubbly taste.
It’s for these reasons that Vernors has gone on to achieve legendary status and has endured for the last 150 years when all other fizzy soft drinks have faltered. It’s in that vein that we celebrate this lauded pop’s anniversary by telling its story and a few Vernors secrets you may never heard of until now.
1. Vernors ginger ale was introduced 150 years ago, in 1866 by Detroit pharmacist James Vernor.
It's said that the formula contained medical tonic, vanilla and spices, with a touch of ginger to soothe a sour stomach. He was called for service so the formula was stored in an oak cask. Four years later, he returned from battle, tapped the keg, and Vernors was born.
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3. By 1896, the blossoming popularity of his drink led Vernor to establish his own soda fountain store.
For years, the only place one could buy a Vernors was from the fountain in James Vernor's pharmacy at 233 Woodward Ave in downtown Detroit, until it became readily available in soda fountains across the city. Pictured here, an old Vernors mural recently uncovered on a wall on McNichols.
4. It's no longer made in Michigan, it's owned by Dr. Pepper Snapple, but still bottled in Holland, Mich. and remains the oldest, continually produced pop in the U.S.
