Ale-8-One
Encyclopedia
Ale-8-One, known colloquially as Ale-8, is a regional ginger
-flavored soft drink
, distributed only in Kentucky
, southern Ohio and portions of Alabama
, Georgia
, and Indiana
. It is bottled by the Ale-8-One Bottling Company, a family-owned enterprise in the small town of Winchester
, Kentucky
, near Lexington
, where the beverage is especially popular.
Ale-8 could be described as a ginger ale
, but with more caffeine
, a fruitier flavor, less carbonation
, and about 1/4 fewer calories than conventional soda.
since 1902, had developed Roxa-Kola, his previous flagship product, in 1906. In creating the formula for Ale-8-One, Wainscott drew upon his knowledge of ginger
-based recipes acquired during extensive travels in northern Europe
.
Wainscott began bottling his new creation in 1926. To choose a name for the drink, he sponsored one of the first name-the-product contests in the United States; "A Late One" was chosen as the winning entry. Wainscott conceived of the "Ale-8-One" logo (designed to resemble a mail clerk's scrawl) as a pun suggesting that his product was "the latest thing" in soft drinks.
In 1935, Wainscott purchased a livery stable in Winchester and converted it to a bottling factory to expand his operation. Upon Wainscott's death in 1944, half of his company stock went to his wife; the other half was divided among his employees. When his wife died in 1954, her stock was left to her brother, Frank A. Rogers, Sr. Rogers bought the remaining company stock in 1962 and incorporated the Ale-8-One Bottling Company. He named his son, Frank Rogers, Jr. manager of the new company. The company grew rapidly, and the younger Rogers was elevated to president.
The Ale-8-One Bottling Company constructed a new plant in Winchester in 1965. It ceased production of Roxa-Kola in 1964, and by 1974, had halted production of all its other drinks to focus on Ale-8-One. The facility has been expanded several times, including the addition of a warehouse in 1976, a syrup room in 1981, and a two-story office complex in 1989. The company remains under the control of the Rogers family. The current president is Wainscott's great-nephew, Frank A. Rogers, III.
, sugar
and/or corn sweetener
, glycerine, natural and artificial flavorings, citric acid
, sodium benzoate
(preservative
), caramel coloring, phosphoric acid
, [and] caffeine
." Each 12-fluid ounce
(355-ml) serving contains 37 mg of caffeine and 30 g
of sugars. (For comparison, the same serving of Coca Cola Classic in the U.S. has 34 mg of caffeine and 39 g of sugars.) The company readily admits that natural ginger is included among Ale-8's flavorings. A trace of citrus can also be discerned.
In 2003, the company announced limited distribution of Diet Ale-8, its first new product since the introduction of the original Ale-8 in 1926. Diet Ale 8 contains 44 mg of caffeine (compared to 45 mg for Diet Coke) and no sugars. The diet variety is sweetened with sucralose
, more commonly known under the brand name Splenda.
, in the early-1980s. In April 2002, however, the Ale-8-One Bottling Company expanded its distribution to areas of southern Ohio
, Georgia
, Indiana
, and Tennessee
through an agreement with Coca-Cola Enterprises
. Today, the company also ships cases of its product directly to consumers worldwide through its website
. It is also available in parts of Lee County, Virgina. The company reports that it presently sells about 1.5 million cases per year.
Ale-8 is available in bottles or cans. It is widely preferred that the beverage be drunk from a glass bottle, rather than cans or plastic bottles. Ale-8 traditionalists are even known to refuse to drink Ale-8 from the newer glass bottles. Instead, they prefer the older "returnable" glass bottles. (so-named because they can be returned to certain stores for approximately 30 cents each). The "returnable" bottles are often referred to as long-necks or dragon bottles, while the more modern design are designated short-necks. All types of Ale8 (20oz plastic bottle, Long Necks, throw-away glass bottles, cans, and Fountain machine Ale8s) are all known to have subtle flavor differences.
Some Kentuckians are fond of mixing Ale-8-One with one of the commonwealth's many bourbons
, such as Maker's Mark
, Wild Turkey
, or Buffalo Trace
. This has been named the "Kentucky Cocktail", and it is a signature drink at some Kentucky establishments such as the Marriott Griffin Gate in Lexington.
Ale-8 is also often mixed with vodka
, with the resulting concoction known as a "Tender Lovin'". Seagram's Seven and Ale-8 are mixed to produce Kentucky Beer.
Ginger
Ginger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....
-flavored soft drink
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
, distributed only in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, southern Ohio and portions of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, and Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. It is bottled by the Ale-8-One Bottling Company, a family-owned enterprise in the small town of Winchester
Winchester, Kentucky
Winchester is a city in and the county seat of Clark County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,724 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lexington-Fayette, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, near Lexington
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
, where the beverage is especially popular.
Ale-8 could be described as a ginger ale
Ginger ale
Ginger ale is a carbonated soft drink flavored with ginger. Dr. Thomas Cantrell, an American apothecary and surgeon, claimed to have invented ginger ale and marketed it with beverage manufacturer Grattan and Company. Grattan embossed the slogan "The Original Makers of Ginger Ale" on its bottles...
, but with more caffeine
Caffeine
Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that acts as a stimulant drug. Caffeine is found in varying quantities in the seeds, leaves, and fruit of some plants, where it acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills certain insects feeding on the plants...
, a fruitier flavor, less carbonation
Carbonation
Carbonation is the process of dissolving carbon dioxide in water. The process usually involves carbon dioxide under high pressure. When the pressure is reduced, the carbon dioxide is released from the solution as small bubbles, which cause the solution to "fizz." This effect is seen in carbonated...
, and about 1/4 fewer calories than conventional soda.
History
The formula for Ale-8-One was developed by soda bottler G. L. Wainscott in the 1920s. According to text on the back of some Ale-8 bottles, "Wainscott was an eccentric old man; however, there was nothing odd about his creation." Wainscott, who had been had been in the soda business in Winchester, KentuckyWinchester, Kentucky
Winchester is a city in and the county seat of Clark County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,724 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lexington-Fayette, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
since 1902, had developed Roxa-Kola, his previous flagship product, in 1906. In creating the formula for Ale-8-One, Wainscott drew upon his knowledge of ginger
Ginger
Ginger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....
-based recipes acquired during extensive travels in northern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Wainscott began bottling his new creation in 1926. To choose a name for the drink, he sponsored one of the first name-the-product contests in the United States; "A Late One" was chosen as the winning entry. Wainscott conceived of the "Ale-8-One" logo (designed to resemble a mail clerk's scrawl) as a pun suggesting that his product was "the latest thing" in soft drinks.
In 1935, Wainscott purchased a livery stable in Winchester and converted it to a bottling factory to expand his operation. Upon Wainscott's death in 1944, half of his company stock went to his wife; the other half was divided among his employees. When his wife died in 1954, her stock was left to her brother, Frank A. Rogers, Sr. Rogers bought the remaining company stock in 1962 and incorporated the Ale-8-One Bottling Company. He named his son, Frank Rogers, Jr. manager of the new company. The company grew rapidly, and the younger Rogers was elevated to president.
The Ale-8-One Bottling Company constructed a new plant in Winchester in 1965. It ceased production of Roxa-Kola in 1964, and by 1974, had halted production of all its other drinks to focus on Ale-8-One. The facility has been expanded several times, including the addition of a warehouse in 1976, a syrup room in 1981, and a two-story office complex in 1989. The company remains under the control of the Rogers family. The current president is Wainscott's great-nephew, Frank A. Rogers, III.
Composition
The recipe for Ale-8 is a closely guarded family secret. Reportedly, only two executives—Company president Frank A. Rogers, III and Fielding Rogers, Executive Vice-President and heir-apparent to the company—know the exact composition. According to the product label, Ale-8's ingredients include "carbonated waterCarbonated water
Carbonated water is water into which carbon dioxide gas under pressure has been dissolved, a process that causes the water to become effervescent....
, sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
and/or corn sweetener
Corn syrup
Corn syrup is a food syrup, which is made from the starch of maize and contains varying amounts of maltose and higher oligosaccharides, depending on the grade. Corn syrup is used in foods to soften texture, add volume, prevent crystallization of sugar, and enhance flavor...
, glycerine, natural and artificial flavorings, citric acid
Citric acid
Citric acid is a weak organic acid. It is a natural preservative/conservative and is also used to add an acidic, or sour, taste to foods and soft drinks...
, sodium benzoate
Sodium benzoate
Sodium benzoate has the chemical formula NaC6H5CO2; it is a widely used food preservative, with E number E211. It is the sodium salt of benzoic acid and exists in this form when dissolved in water. It can be produced by reacting sodium hydroxide with benzoic acid.-Uses:Sodium benzoate is a...
(preservative
Food preservation
Food preservation is the process of treating and handling food to stop or slow down spoilage and thus allow for longer storage....
), caramel coloring, phosphoric acid
Phosphoric acid
Phosphoric acid, also known as orthophosphoric acid or phosphoric acid, is a mineral acid having the chemical formula H3PO4. Orthophosphoric acid molecules can combine with themselves to form a variety of compounds which are also referred to as phosphoric acids, but in a more general way...
, [and] caffeine
Caffeine
Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that acts as a stimulant drug. Caffeine is found in varying quantities in the seeds, leaves, and fruit of some plants, where it acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills certain insects feeding on the plants...
." Each 12-fluid ounce
Fluid ounce
A fluid ounce is a unit of volume equal to about 28.4 mL in the imperial system or about 29.6 mL in the US system. The fluid ounce is distinct from the ounce, which measures mass...
(355-ml) serving contains 37 mg of caffeine and 30 g
Gram
The gram is a metric system unit of mass....
of sugars. (For comparison, the same serving of Coca Cola Classic in the U.S. has 34 mg of caffeine and 39 g of sugars.) The company readily admits that natural ginger is included among Ale-8's flavorings. A trace of citrus can also be discerned.
In 2003, the company announced limited distribution of Diet Ale-8, its first new product since the introduction of the original Ale-8 in 1926. Diet Ale 8 contains 44 mg of caffeine (compared to 45 mg for Diet Coke) and no sugars. The diet variety is sweetened with sucralose
Sucralose
Sucralose is an artificial sweetener. The majority of ingested sucralose is not broken down by the body and therefore it is non-caloric. In the European Union, it is also known under the E number E955. Sucralose is approximately 600 times as sweet as sucrose , twice as sweet as saccharin, and 3.3...
, more commonly known under the brand name Splenda.
Availability and distribution
For much of its history, Ale-8 was only available in Kentucky, though it was briefly available in parts of the Southeast, including FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, in the early-1980s. In April 2002, however, the Ale-8-One Bottling Company expanded its distribution to areas of southern Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, and Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
through an agreement with Coca-Cola Enterprises
Coca-Cola Enterprises
Coca-Cola Enterprises is a marketer, producer, and distributor of Coca-Cola products. It is the anchor bottler for Western Europe, and was formerly the anchor bottler for most of North America....
. Today, the company also ships cases of its product directly to consumers worldwide through its website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
. It is also available in parts of Lee County, Virgina. The company reports that it presently sells about 1.5 million cases per year.
Consumption
Some Kentuckians are fond of mixing Ale-8-One with one of the commonwealth's many bourbons
Bourbon whiskey
Bourbon is a type of American whiskey – a barrel-aged distilled spirit made primarily from corn. The name of the spirit derives from its historical association with an area known as Old Bourbon, around what is now Bourbon County, Kentucky . It has been produced since the 18th century...
, such as Maker's Mark
Maker's Mark
Maker’s Mark is a small batch bourbon whiskey that is distilled in Loretto, Kentucky by Beam Inc.. It is sold in distinctively squarish bottles, which are sealed with red wax. The distillery offers tours, and is part of the American Whiskey Trail and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.- History...
, Wild Turkey
Wild Turkey (bourbon)
Wild Turkey is a brand of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey distilled and bottled by the Austin, Nichols division of Campari Group. Its nicknames include "The Dirty Bird", "Gobble Gobble", "Bombed Tom", "Thunder Chicken", "Boat Gas", "Whiskey Tango", "The Screamin' Eagle", and "The Kickin’...
, or Buffalo Trace
Buffalo Trace Distillery
Buffalo Trace Distillery is a distillery located in Frankfort, Kentucky. It has historically been known by several names, including most notably, the George T. Stagg Distillery and the O.F.C. Distillery. Its namesake bourbon brand, Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey, was introduced...
. This has been named the "Kentucky Cocktail", and it is a signature drink at some Kentucky establishments such as the Marriott Griffin Gate in Lexington.
Ale-8 is also often mixed with vodka
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
, with the resulting concoction known as a "Tender Lovin'". Seagram's Seven and Ale-8 are mixed to produce Kentucky Beer.
External links
- Official site
- Review on BevNET.com
- Official Distributor in Georgia
- Sauceman, Fred (September 30, 2005). "Kentucky's Ale-8-One Soon to Turn 80" WETS-fm Public Radio site.
- "Environmental Quality Commission Honors ALE-8-ONE" (2003). Kentucky Environmental Quality Commission site.
- Lomax, Rebecca (July 18–Jul 24, 2002). "The Latest Thing." (Cincinnati) CityBeat.