On this day 96 years ago in Winchester, Kentucky, G. L. Wainscott launched what has become the official Kentucky state drink: Ale-8-One.
The soft drink was concocted after a previous drink Wainscott produced, Roxa Cola, was involved in a court battle over ownership of the drink. He sought a new formula and settled on one that was ginger-infused.
The name Ale-8-One came from a naming contest Wainscott sponsored. The winner was “a late one,” referring to the fact that the soft drink was “late” coming to market compared to Coca Cola, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper or other major brands.
The recipe, by the way, is said to be known to only two people in the company: the current president and his father, the former president.
