Few People Know That Nebraska Is The Birthplace Of Kool-Aid, The Original Kids' Drink
By Delana Lefevers|Published April 19, 2020
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Delana Lefevers
Author
As a lifelong Nebraskan, Delana loves discovering the many hidden treasures of her state. She has worked as a writer and editor since 2007. Delana's work has been featured on more than a dozen websites and in Nebraska Life Magazine.
You can find Kool-Aid on dinner tables and picnic tables all around the country, particularly during summertime. It’s available in grocery stores everywhere, but not everyone knows that Kool-Aid was invented right here in Nebraska.
The fruity drink mix came from the mind (and kitchen) of a young entrepreneur named Edwin Perkins.
Perkins began creating and selling products at a very young age, first in rural Furnas County and later in Hastings. Everything from creams and salves to gasoline additives and beyond came out of Perkins' workshop. Many of the products were sold by "trust agents" - salespeople who purchased a sample kit and then sold products and mailed the money to Perkins.
In the 1920s, Perkins created a concentrated liquid fruit drink called Fruit-Smack.
The concentrated liquid was a good seller, but since it was shipped in small glass bottles there were always shipping problems like breakage and spilling.
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That's when Edwin Perkins came up with the idea to create a powdered drink mix.
In 1927, Perkins perfected the formula and named the mix Kool-Ade. He came up with six flavors: raspberry, lemon, orange, cherry, grape, and root beer. The name was later changed to Kool-Aid.
But Perkins, ever the enthusiastic salesman, used a new marketing strategy - advertising the product on the store shelves themselves - to boost sales. It was a struggle to get local stores to carry the mix, but once the stores accepted the product its popularity really took off.
His hard work and creativity paid off with a multimillion-dollar company. Now, nearly 100 years later, Kool-Aid is a household name.
Operations soon moved from Hastings to Chicago, and the Kool-Aid Man mascot was created by a marketing firm in New York, but Hastings, Nebraska will always be the true birthplace of this iconic powdered drink mix.
You can learn more about the invention of Kool-Aid, Edwin Perkins’ life, and a whole lot more at the Hastings Museum. It features a large space dedicated to Kool-Aid history, complete with early Kool-Aid Man costumes, tons of Kool-Aid merchandise, and some fun photo opportunities. Check out the museum’s website for information on visiting.
