Dr. Nut facts for kids
Dr. Nut was a popular soft drink from New Orleans. It had a unique almond flavor. This drink was made from the 1930s until the late 1970s. Its bottles showed a squirrel eating a big nut. Dr. Nut became famous again because of a book called A Confederacy of Dunces.
Contents
What Was Dr. Nut?
Dr. Nut was a special soda pop. It was first made in the 1930s. The World Bottling Company in New Orleans created it. Later, another company, Wright Root Beer, also made it.
A Unique Almond Drink
The most special thing about Dr. Nut was its taste. It had a strong almond flavor. Many people thought it tasted like a sweet almond candy. The bottles were easy to spot. They had a simple picture of a squirrel nibbling on a large nut.
Fun Advertising and Parades
In the 1940s, Dr. Nut was sold at a good price. It was known for its catchy slogans. The company even had a man in a running costume. This man would run along with the famous New Orleans Mardi Gras parades. This made Dr. Nut very popular during the festive events.
One of Dr. Nut's advertisements featured a man on a beach. He wore a half nutshell as a bathing suit! A squirrel was his friend in the ad. Many people found this character funny. They would dress up like him for the Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans.
Famous in a Book
Dr. Nut became well-known to a new generation. This happened because of a novel by John Kennedy Toole. The book was called A Confederacy of Dunces. In the story, Dr. Nut is the favorite drink of the main character, Ignatius Reilly.
Ignatius Reilly drank a lot of Dr. Nut. This was a funny part of the book. Ignatius often talked about living a very strict, simple life. But his love for Dr. Nut showed he also enjoyed many treats. This made his character very amusing.
The End of Dr. Nut
By the time A Confederacy of Dunces was published, Dr. Nut was no longer being made. The original company had stopped producing it. Later, a different company tried to bring Dr. Nut back. However, the new drink did not taste the same. It lacked the original almond flavor. Because of this, people did not like the new version very much.
