Moxie is often said to be the first American mass-produced soft drink. It is primarily available in New England where I first tasted it some years ago. I distinctly remember thinking, “How in the heck can anyone enjoy this?” A friend insisted I should give it another try, and all I can say now is, “How in the heck can anyone enjoy this?” I think it’s like the musical Cats. You either love it or you hate it, though I find it difficult to love a sweet but slightly bitter soda pop that has a cough syrup aftertaste.
Actually, the pop also sells a lot in Houston, Texas for some reason. It is certainly available in wider areas—I bought this bottle in Ohio—but it is not a common sight on the grocery shelves in most of the country.
While the first version of the drink was developed in Lowell, Massachusetts by Dr. Augustin Thompson in 1876, in 2005 it was designated the official drink of Maine since Thompson was born there. The soda developer originally claimed Moxie was an effective treatment of “paralysis, softening of the brain, nervousness, and insomnia.”
A few years later, Thompson added soda water to his creation to make it a soda and changed the name to “Moxie Nerve Food.” He began bottling it and selling it as a fountain drink in 1884. It is currently produced at several bottling plants under licensing agreements but was bought out in 2018 and is currently owned by Coca-Cola.
Floyd the barber was a fan of a good cold bottle of pop and also thought that Calvin Coolidge said lots of things he actually did not. One wonders how he would have reacted to that fact that President Coolidge was a fan of the drink.
Moxie is the only soft drink whose trade name has entered the American lexicon. With a lowercase “M,” moxie is defined as courage or daring, as in “Anyone who drinks this stuff regularly has real moxie!” In fact, it was even used in The Andy Griffith Show episode “Back to Nature.” When Barney was explaining the benefits of camping to Opie and his friends, the following exchange occurred:
Barney: This ways, both the sheriff and I will be able to pass along to you our skills as woodsmen, in order that you, in turn, can pass it along to your children and your children’s children. Now, you will be away from the roaring traffic’s boom, and you will learn to get along by using good ol’ pioneer moxie. Live off the land. Now, w-what if all the electricity went off tomorrow? Would you know what to do? W-would you, Howie?
Howie: Uh, put in a new fuse?
The company plays on its austere reputation. The “Moxie Man” on the label points his finger at you, demanding you drink what’s good for you. The cap doesn’t even contain the drink’s name; it’s solid black.
