Moxie

Picture of a Moxie can. Moxie is found in New England and in parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Moxie, a carbonated beverage, is considered to be the USA's first mass produced soft drink. Created in 1884 in Lowell, Massachusetts by Dr. Augustin Thompson, Moxie was marketed under the product name "Moxie Nerve Food" and originally sold as a "cure all" medicine (snake oil). Later in the 20th century, it was sold in carbonated form and merchandised as an invigorating drink, which claimed to endow the drinker with "spunk."

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 soda, 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.

Falling out of favor due to competition from Coca Cola, demand for the soft drink has waned in recent years, although demand for it still exists in the New England area of the USA.

One of the key ingredients of Moxie is "Gentian Root Extractives" and probably contributes noticibly to its unique flavor.

Moxie is presently owned by the Monarch Bottling Company of Atlanta, Ga. The Catawissa Bottling Company is one of the six bottlers in the United States producing Moxie. It is located in Catawissa, PA., and has produced Moxie soda since 1945.

For detailed information on Moxie, consult the works below:

• The Book of Moxie by Frank Potter
• The Moxie Encyclopedia by Q. David Bowers