Moxie facts for kids
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| Manufacturer | The Coca-Cola Company |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Region of origin | New England |
| Introduced | 1876 |
| Discontinued | Moxie Cherry Cola, Moxie Cream Soda, Moxie Orange Cream, Ted's Root Beer, Moxie Energy, Moxie Energy Citrus, Moxie Energy Explosion, Moxie Energy Thunder, Olde New England Seltzer, Moxie Blue Cream |
| Color | Caramel |
| Variants | Diet Moxie |
Moxie is a brand of carbonated beverage that was one of the first mass-produced soft drinks in the United States. It was created around 1876 by Augustin Thompson in Lowell, Massachusetts. This sweet soda tastes a bit like root beer, but it also has a bitter aftertaste. Its unique flavor comes from gentian root extract, which is a very bitter plant part used in herbal medicine.
Moxie became the official soft drink of Maine on May 10, 2005. It is still very popular today, especially in the New England states. The Moxie Beverage Company used to make it in Bedford, New Hampshire. However, The Coca-Cola Company bought Moxie in 2018.
The name "Moxie" has also become a word in American English. It means having lots of energy, determination, and courage.
Contents
The History of Moxie
Moxie started around 1876 as a special medicine called "Moxie Nerve Food." It was created by Augustin Thompson in Lowell, Massachusetts. Thompson claimed it had an extract from a rare plant found in South America. We now know this plant was gentian root.
Thompson said Moxie was great for many problems. He claimed it helped with "paralysis, softening of the brain, nervousness, and insomnia".
Thompson said he named the drink after a friend, Lieutenant Moxie. He claimed this friend found the plant and used it as a cure-all. However, the name probably comes from an Abenaki word. This word means "dark water" and is found in lake and river names in Maine. Thompson was born and grew up in Maine.
After a few years, Thompson added soda water to his recipe. He then changed the name to "Beverage Moxie Nerve Food." By 1884, he was selling Moxie in bottles. He also sold it in large amounts as a soda fountain syrup. In 1885, he got a trademark for the name. He advertised it as "a delicious blend of bitter and sweet." Thompson passed away in 1903.
Famous people liked Moxie too! President Calvin Coolidge was known to enjoy the drink. Boston Red Sox baseball star Ted Williams also promoted it on the radio and in ads. The company even sold a drink called "Ted's Root Beer" in the early 1960s.
Sales of Moxie went down a lot during the 1930s.
Today, the Catawissa Bottling Company in Catawissa, Pennsylvania, is one of a few places that still make Moxie. They have been bottling it since 1945. Polar Beverages in Worcester, Massachusetts, and Orca Beverage in Mukilteo, Washington, also bottle Moxie.
Moxie Since 1962
A sugar-free version, Diet Moxie, came out in 1962. Around the same time, Mad magazine started putting the Moxie logo in its articles. This helped more people learn about Moxie. Because of Mad magazine, Moxie sales went up by 10%! This led to a new advertising campaign called "Mad About Moxie."
The Moxie brand was bought by the Monarch Beverage Company in 1966. In 2007, Monarch sold it to Cornucopia Beverages. Cornucopia was owned by the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Northern New England.
Cornucopia wanted to sell Moxie to more people. They heard from many fans across the country who wanted the drink. In 2007, they started selling it in Florida. In 2011, Cornucopia began calling itself the Moxie Beverage Company. They created a website, DrinkMoxie.com, to promote Moxie. They even made drink recipes that used Moxie!
Even though demand for Moxie has decreased, it is still popular in New England and Pennsylvania.
On August 28, 2018, The Coca-Cola Company announced they bought Moxie. They bought it from Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Northern New England Inc.
Moxie Advertising
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Moxie ads said it was a healthy drink. They called it "nerve food."
Moxie used catchy jingles like "Make Mine Moxie!" and the slogan "Just Make It Moxie for Mine." They also had a "Moxie Man" logo. The Moxie Man has been on labels since 1906. The famous image of a man pointing forward first appeared in 1911.
For many years, no one knew who the "Moxie Man" was. People even called him the "Moxie Boy" in the 1920s. A historical group, The Moxie Congress, later found out the man was probably a model. His name was likely John T. Chamberlain from Revere, Massachusetts. In 2010, the Moxie Man logo was removed from labels for a short time. Some thought it looked too old-fashioned. But in 2011, the company brought the logo back because customers missed it.
A very unique advertising tool was the Moxie Horsemobile. This was a car changed so the driver sat on a big model of a horse! The first Horsemobiles appeared around 1918. Moxie once had about two dozen of these cars. They appeared in parades and other public events.
Other Moxie Products
There is a Moxie Energy Drink and different Olde New England Seltzers. The energy drink has a citrus flavor. It does not have Moxie's bitter gentian root taste or caramel color. The seltzers are just bubbly waters with fruit flavors. They are sold under the Moxie brand.
Moxie ice cream is sometimes available in Maine. It has a mild flavor compared to the soda.
Chefs have also used Moxie in cooking. Its unique flavor works well in sauces for meats like lamb. It is also used in baked beans.
"Moxie" as a Slang Term
Moxie was first advertised as "nerve food." It was said to "strengthen the nervous system" and be "very healthful." It was even called a "drink for athletes."
The word "moxie" comes from the drink's name. It means having "energy, determination, courage, nerve, spirit, [or] guts." This term has been used since the 1930s and is still used today. For example, you might hear someone say, "This kid's got moxie!"
See also
- List of brand name soft drink products
