Moxie

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Moxie soda logo

Moxie, a carbonated beverage, is considered to be the USA's first mass produced soft drink.

Created in 1876 by Dr. Augustin Thompson of Union, Maine, 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 that many people find unpleasantly strong, though Diet Moxie's aftertaste is a little less 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.”

Picture of a modern Moxie can. Moxie is mainly found in New England, but it is also found all over the United States in local stores (especially in Pennsylvania).^[3]

Falling out of favor due to competition from Coca Cola, demand for the Moxie has waned in recent years, although demand for it still exists in the New England area. It was designated on 10 May 2005 as the “official state soft drink of Maine”.^[4]

One of the key ingredients of Moxie is “Gentian Root Extractives”, which probably contributes noticeably to its unique flavor.^[5] 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, 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 and the “County Girl”, a drink made up of one part bourbon whiskey and two parts Moxie on the rocks, with an optional lime garnish.

People not from the New England area 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 presently owned by the Monarch Beverage Company of Atlanta, Georgia. 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. Sugar-free Diet Moxie is also available.

[edit] 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, Moxie introduced a series of 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 extractives.
During the 1910s, one of the models used for print advertising was the silent screen actress Muriel Ostriche.
Although almost entirely found in New England, Moxie can also be found in Pennsylvania at local independent stores such as Dietrich's Meats in Krumsville, Pennsylvania.^[6] While Moxie is found in large distributors such as supermarkets in New England, in other parts of the United States independently run stores are known to sell Moxie.^[3]
The browser-based MMORPG Kingdom of Loathing features “Moxie” as one of the attributes of player characters, roughly equivalent to the more conventional Dexterity and Charisma in function, although this is more likely the character trait moxie.

[edit] References

“Make Mine Moxie” by Danny Schlozman, Prospective, November 2001, Retrieved February 2006.
“Moxie Facts” The Marietta Soda Museum, Retrieved February 2006.
The Book of Moxie by Frank Potter
The Moxie Encyclopedia by Q. David Bowers