5 Regional Soft Drinks Everyone Should Try Once
Ever try Apple Beer? How about Dr. Enuf Energy Booster? Check out this list of interesting regional soft drinks.
Every region of America has a soda that locals grew up with and outsiders have never tasted. Five of the most distinct survive on grocery shelves where they were born and barely beyond. Each has a story, a flavor profile, and a loyalty bond with its region.
Quick Reference
- The five: Moxie (New England), Cheerwine (North Carolina), Big Red (Texas/Kentucky), Vernors (Detroit), Faygo (Detroit).
- Moxie: the bitter root-beer cousin from Maine. Older than Coca-Cola.
- Cheerwine: a cherry-vanilla soda from Salisbury, NC, since 1917.
- Big Red: bubble-gum-flavored red soda from Waco, TX, since 1937.
- Vernors: aged ginger soda from Detroit, the oldest American ginger ale, since 1866.
- Faygo: wide flavor variety; the Insane Clown Posse soda from Detroit since 1907.
1. Moxie (Maine and New England)
Moxie was invented in 1876 by Dr. Augustin Thompson in Lowell, Massachusetts, originally as a patent medicine. It is older than Coca-Cola (1886) and Pepsi (1898). The flavor is bitter, root-beer-adjacent, with gentian root that gives it a medicinal edge. Maine declared Moxie the official state soft drink in 2005. Locals love it; first-time tasters often hate it. Either way it is unforgettable.
2. Cheerwine (North Carolina)
Cheerwine has been bottled in Salisbury, North Carolina, since 1917. It is a cherry-vanilla soda with a deep red color and a slightly higher carbonation than Coca-Cola. The name has nothing to do with wine; it was originally marketed as a “cherry wine” of soft drinks. Fans across the South consider Cheerwine the only proper soda for cookouts and Friday-night football games.
3. Big Red (Texas and Kentucky)
Big Red was introduced in Waco, Texas, in 1937 by Grover Thomsen and R.H. Roark. The flavor is bubble-gum-meets-cream-soda, served ice-cold over crushed ice. Big Red is famously paired with barbecue across Texas and Kentucky. The slogan: “It’s not for you, it’s for me.” Lovers swear by it; the bubble-gum profile divides the room.
4. Vernors (Detroit)
Vernors is the oldest surviving American ginger ale, made in Detroit since 1866. Pharmacist James Vernor allegedly developed the formula and aged it in oak barrels for four years before bottling. Detroit grandparents still recommend it for upset stomachs (the deep ginger flavor and high carbonation actually do help). The bite is real; Vernors is sharp where Canada Dry is mild.
5. Faygo (Detroit)
Faygo was founded in 1907 by Russian immigrant bakers in Detroit. The brand makes a wide range of flavors (rock-and-rye, redpop, grape, orange, cream soda) and is most famous nationally for its association with the Insane Clown Posse (the band’s fans, Juggalos, traditionally spray Faygo at concerts). Faygo is distributed mostly in the Great Lakes region but is now available online for the curious.
Where to Find Them
Each soda is strongest in its region but most ship online. Amazon, Walmart’s online grocery, and specialty soda sites (Pop Shoppe, Galco’s) carry all five. Major airports near each region often stock the local brand in their convenience shops, which is a fun travel tradition.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Moxie taste like?
Bitter and root-beer-like, with a medicinal edge from gentian root. The taste is unique; first-time drinkers usually love it or hate it.
Is Cheerwine the same as cherry Coke?
No. Cheerwine has more vanilla and a unique cherry flavor that is sharper and brighter than cherry Coke. The carbonation is also slightly higher.
Why is Vernors so spicy?
It is aged for years in oak before bottling, which concentrates the ginger flavor. Modern Vernors no longer uses the long oak aging but the recipe retains the bite.
Where can I buy regional sodas?
Online (Amazon, Walmart, specialty soda sites). In person, near their region of origin. Airports often stock the local brand.
Are these soft drinks still made by their original companies?
Mostly. Moxie is now owned by Coca-Cola. Cheerwine is still family-owned. Vernors is owned by Keurig Dr Pepper. Faygo is owned by National Beverage. Big Red is owned by Big Red Inc.
Amber Kanuckel
Amber Kanuckel is a freelance writer from rural Ohio who loves all things outdoors. She specializes in home, garden, environmental, and green living topics.
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sodapopstop.com is out in LA,Calif, they have a HUGE selection of sodas
Thanks Paul! Do you have a favorite flavor?
seattle,wa. is home to the jones soda co. i have consumed COPIOUS amounts of different sodas in my life and NOTHING comes even close to jones green apple soda!!!!!!!!!! the fufu berrysoda is good too!
We used to have Apple Beer available here in Birmingham, AL, and I immediately fell in love with it. I don’t know why it went away, but have considered trying to order it online when I’m having a craving. Cheerwine is available here in certain stores like Fresh Market and Whole Foods. I like that one, too. Locally, we have Buffalo Rock, bottled in Homewood, a suburb of Birmingham in the “Over the Mountain” area. It’s a VERY strong and dark ginger ale. SPICY! It’s such an icon of the city that I included it along with other local favorites, like Bud’s Best Cookies, in welcome baskets for our out-of-town wedding guests 20 years ago. They’re still favorites today.
You should also try Blenheim Ginger Ale from South Carolina. Another soda with roots from a healing drink. Very Spicey!
Sprechers soda is bottled in Wisconsin and is not widely available outside the state except @ all Menards stores. The have several flavors and the are excellent.
We also have Big Red in Texas that is popular as well
I’ll have a coke! Thanks!!
Foxon Park Soda in New Haven county CT. I moved to Pittsburgh about a year ago and I miss it so much
Another NC favorite is Sun Drop.
This is a lemon lime soda that is a kin to Mountain Due but with a little more “kick”
Popular over the state, but very much in the western Piedmont of NC.
No one should drink a soda — ever! You know they destroy your body, right? They are an American plague. Twenty years ago I drank a soda out of politeness and still feel guilty for it, but I do enjoy Kanuckel’s articles in Farmers Almanac.