MOXIE

'Moxie', a carbonated beverage, is considered to be the USA's first mass produced soft drink.
Created in 1876 by Dr. Augustin Thompson formerly of Union, Maine, while working for the Ayer Drug Company in Lowell, Massachusetts. Moxie was first marketed as a patent medicine in Lowell, Massachusetts, under the product name “Moxie Nerve Food”.^[1] Moxie was said to cure ailments ranging from softening of the brain to “loss of manhood.” In 1884, it was sold in carbonated form and merchandised as an invigorating drink, which claimed to endow the drinker with “spunk”.^[2] In the early phase of its life as a recreational soft drink, Moxie is said to have been kept handy by bartenders to give to customers who were too drunk to be given any more alcohol. This story may be apocryphal, however, inspired by Moxie's noted aftertaste, which many people find unpleasantly strong.
The name entered the American language, when a person was said to be “full of Moxie”, meaning that the person was skillful, or spirited. Moxie became unique in that it was the name of a commercially produced soft drink, also included in dictionaries.
The popularity of Moxie produced popular advertising jingles, such as “Just Make It Moxie for Mine”, and President Calvin Coolidge was known to have favored the drink. Boston Red Sox slugger Ted Williams endorsed Moxie. Author E.B. White, an adopted Mainer and noted Moxie fan, once wrote “Moxie contains gentian root, which is the path to the good life.”

Falling out of favor due to competition from Coca Cola, demand for Moxie has waned in recent years, although demand still exists in New England. It was designated on May 10, 2005, as the official state soft drink of Maine.^[3]
One of the key ingredients of Moxie is “Gentian Root Extractives”, which probably contributes noticeably to its unique flavor.^[4] For those without access to Moxie, the flavor can be approximated (and adjusted to taste) by adding Angostura bitters to root beer. Its bitter taste is also reminiscent of Italian chinotto soda.
Moxie has also grown in popularity in recent years in regions of southern Maine and Connecticut due to its outstanding mixability with certain spirits. Notable Moxie mixed drinks include the “Welfare Mom”, which consists of equal parts Diet Moxie and Allen's Coffee Flavored Brandy; the “County Girl”, a drink made up of one part bourbon whiskey and two parts Moxie on the rocks, with an optional lime garnish; the "Mad Mailman", a mixture of Moxie and Jägermeister; and "The Vijay", which consists of one part Moxie and one part blended American Whiskey. Many people, even those who do not like the soda on its own, find it superb, refreshing and relaxing when mixed with Jack Daniels.^[5]
People not from New England might mistake a can of Moxie as an orange soda, as the can is a red-orange color similar to that of Orange Crush or Sunkist. Moxie is also available with a sugar-free alternative known as 'Diet Moxie'.
Moxie is presently owned by Cornucopia Beverages Inc. of Bedford, New Hampshire. Cornucopia cites fielding requests for more Moxie from fans across the country in their decision to step up efforts to distribute the product. In 2007 they launched pilot sales in Florida and organized a sampling event at Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. The Catawissa Bottling Company is one of the six bottlers in the United States producing Moxie. It is located in Catawissa, Pennsylvania, and has produced Moxie since 1945.⁵

Contents

Trivia

References

Notes

External links

Trivia

★ Moxie was one of the few products advertised in the classic MAD Magazine. The publisher agreed to allow small Moxie logos to be incorporated into the magazine's artwork.

★ Each year, the town of Lisbon Falls, Maine is host to a Moxie Festival. The festival includes Moxie vendors and a town barbecue, as well a parade and public concerts.

★ In 2004, the Monarch Beverage Company introduced a series of Moxie branded energy drinks similar to Red Bull to try to gain a small foothold in that market. They had little relation to the taste of the original soft drink, although Moxie Energy Drink contains gentian root extracts.

★ During the 1910s, one of the models used for print advertising was the silent screen actress Muriel Ostriche.

★ Although almost exclusively found in New England, Moxie can also be found in Pennsylvania at local independent stores and in other parts of the United States.^[6]

★ Moxie is the code name for the beta version of Adobe Flex 3.

★ Moxie is the name of the first child of Penn Jillette (of Penn and Teller). Her full name is Moxie CrimeFighter Jillette. She is named both for the soft drink and for the meaning of the word: courage and aggressiveness; nerve.

★ Moxie is one of the three main stats in the online game Kingdom of Loathing.

References

★ ''The Book of Moxie'' by Frank Potter

★ ''The Moxie Encyclopedia'' by Q. David Bowers

Notes

1.
2. Moxie Facts from The Marietta Soda Museum
3. Moxie becomes state soft drink of Maine, , , , ,
4. "Moxie For Mine: More About Moxie the Drink"
5.
6. Pennsylvania Moxie at Moxie.info

External links

★ Moxie Info

★ Monarch Beverage Company brands

★ Moxie World (includes a list of places to buy Moxie)

★ BuyMoxie.com

★ Moxie Festival

★ Moxie Facts

★ "Make Mine a Moxie!", ''Maine Farmhouse Journal'', July 6-10, 2000