Ale-8-One facts for kids
Official Ale-8-One Logo
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| Type | Soft drink |
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| Manufacturer | Ale-8-One Bottling Company, Inc. |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| Introduced | 1926 (99 years ago) |
| Flavor | Ginger ale, lemon-lime |
| Variants |
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Ale-8-One, often called Ale-8, is a special ginger-ale soft drink. It's made and bottled by the Ale-8-One Bottling Company in Winchester, Kentucky, USA. You can mostly find this drink in stores across Kentucky.
Contents
The Story of Ale-8-One
A soda maker named G. L. Wainscott created the secret recipe for Ale-8-One in the 1920s. Wainscott had been making sodas in Winchester, Kentucky, since 1902. Before Ale-8-One, his main drink was Roxa-Kola, which he made in 1906. When he created Ale-8-One, Wainscott used his knowledge of ginger recipes. He had learned about these recipes in northern Europe.
How Ale-8-One Got Its Name
Wainscott started bottling Ale-8-One in 1926. He held a contest to find a name for his new drink. The winning idea was "A Late One." This name meant the drink was "the latest thing" in sodas. It was then shortened to "Ale-8-One."
Growing the Company
In 1935, Wainscott bought a building in Winchester that used to be a stable. He turned it into a bottling factory to make more soda. When Wainscott passed away in 1944, his company shares were divided. Half went to his wife, and the other half went to his employees.
When his wife passed away in 1954, her shares went to her brother, Frank A. Rogers. Rogers bought the rest of the company shares in 1962. He then officially started the Ale-8-One Bottling Company. He made his son, Frank Rogers Jr., the manager of the new company.
Focusing on Ale-8-One
The Ale-8-One Bottling Company built a new factory in Winchester in 1965. They stopped making Roxa-Kola in 1968. By 1974, they had stopped making all their other drinks. This allowed them to focus completely on Ale-8-One. The Rogers family still owns and runs the company today.
In November 2023, a special limited amount of Roxa-Kola was made again. It was then released for a longer time in 2024.
What's in Ale-8-One?
The exact recipe for Ale-8-One is a very closely guarded family secret. Only the former company president, Frank A. Rogers III, and his son, Fielding Rogers, who is the current president, know the full recipe. Studies have shown that Ale-8-One has less caffeine than popular sodas like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, or Mountain Dew.
Different Kinds of Ale-8
In 2003, the company introduced Diet Ale-8. This was their first new product since the original Ale-8 came out in 1926. Diet Ale-8 was renamed Ale-8 Zero Sugar in 2020. It has 44 mg of caffeine but no sugar. This diet version is sweetened with a mix of acesulfame potassium and sucralose. In March 2011, Caffeine Free Diet Ale 8 was released. It is now called Caffeine Free Ale-8 Zero Sugar and is sweetened with Splenda.
New Flavors
In 2018, Cherry Ale-8 was released. At first, you could only get it as a fountain drink. Later, it became available in bottles. A zero-sugar version of Cherry Ale-8 came out in 2020. In April 2019, Ale-8-One announced a new orange cream soda flavor. It became available in early May of that year.
In May 2022, Blackberry Ale-8 was released in bottles. In May 2023, Peach Ale-8 was released as a special limited edition. In July 2024, StrawMelon Ale-8 was released as another limited edition. In August 2025, PawPaw Ale-8 was released as a seasonal drink.
Where You Can Find Ale-8
For many years, Ale-8 was only sold in central and eastern Kentucky. In April 2001, the Ale-8-One Bottling Company started selling its drinks in parts of southern Ohio and southern Indiana. This happened through a deal with Coca-Cola Enterprises. Later, its distribution grew to East Tennessee and western Virginia. It is also available in some areas of West Virginia.
In July 2015, Ale-8 announced plans to expand its sales into Indianapolis.
Selling Across the Country
In 2016, the restaurant chain Cracker Barrel started selling Ale-8 drinks in all its locations across the country. In 2017, The Fresh Market grocery store chain also began selling Ale-8 and Diet Ale-8 in their stores in the eastern and Midwestern United States.
Other Products from Ale-8
In 2006, the Ale-8-One Bottling Company introduced Ale-8-One Salsa. This salsa started as an experiment. However, it became a regular item at Kroger stores and on the company's online store. The idea for the salsa came from a Sullivan University student. This student won a contest celebrating the company's 80th anniversary by making a salsa dish using Ale-8-One. After that, Ale-8-One Barbecue Sauce was also introduced.
See also
- Craft soda
