07.27.2023

Today’s Forecast

95º | Partly cloudy | 24% chance of rain | Sunrise 6:41 a.m. | Sunset 8:57 p.m.

Kentucky’s favorite soda

97 years of Ale-8-One and counting

Formally named Ale-8-One, the soda got its name during a contest in 1926 and is derived from the 1920s slang term “a late one,” which meant “the latest thing.” | Photo by LOUtoday

Most Kentuckians can spot a bottle of Ale-8 from a mile away. We’re drawn to that emerald green glass like a moth to a flame. The crisp, ginger soda with citrus notes is like ginger ale, but so much better — thanks to a nearly 100-year-old secret family recipe. Take that, Canada Dry.

Considering drinking an Ale-8 is basically Kentucky’s rite of passage, we thought we’d pull back the silver cap on this Kentucky-invented soda that just turned 97 — and leave you with a few places in Derby City to get your fix.

Before Ale-8, there was Roxa-Kola

Ale-8 has been around since 1926, but Founder George Lee Wainscott actually started in the soda biz in 1902.

To make a long soda story short, here are a few fast facts about George:

Originally bottled distilled water + fruit-flavored sodas
Developed his first soda formula in 1906 called Roxa-Kola
Coca-Cola subsequently sued him, but George prevailed
Created the Ale-8-One recipe after the court case and launched it in 1926
Discontinued Roxa-Kola in 1968
Ale-8 is the only soft drink invented in Kentucky still in existence

Ale-8 branding from the early-to-mid-2000s.
|
Photo by LOUtoday

A secret family recipe

The company has remained independent and family-owned since and continues to operate its Ale-8-One Bottling Company plant in Winchester, KY — about 87 miles from LOU.

A white spiral case inside the factory leads to a locked batching room where Fielding Rogers, the company’s president + Wainscott’s great-great-nephew, mixes the secret formula that goes into every batch.

Best in the Bluegrass

Today, there are 5+ Ale-8 flavors, including diet and caffeine-free versions. Aside from snagging a six-pack from almost any Kroger shelf, here are some ways to sip it around town:

Feast BBQ’s Ale-8 bourbon slushie
Louisville Cream’s Ale-8 float
Frazier History Museum’s Ale-8 vending machine

This content is sponsored by Heine Brothers Coffee. As Louisville’s original coffee roaster since 1994, they take pride in the city just as much as the coffee. Order ahead and Drink Up.

LOUtoday thanks our sponsors. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content.

Building Industry Association of Greater Louisville

Events

Thursday, July 27

Peerless Distillery Bourbon Dinner | Thursday, July 27 | 7-9 p.m. | Swizzle Dinner & Drinks, 140 N. 4th St., Louisville | $120 | Dig into a five-course meal featuring three whiskey expressions and a welcome cocktail.
Ben Folds: What Matter Most Tour | Thursday, July 27 | 7:30 p.m. | Louisville Palace, 625 S. 4th St., Louisville | $39.50-$79.50 | See this alt-rock pianist best known for being the frontman of Ben Folds Five.

Friday, July 28

Downtown Drive-In | Friday, July 28 | 7 p.m. | Brown-Forman Amphitheater, 1301 River Rd., Louisville | Free | Bring a blanket or a lawn chair and catch a screening of “Encanto.”

Saturday, July 29

Flower Power Vintage Market | Saturday, July 29 | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | Logan Street Market, 1001 Logan St., Louisville | Free | Shop for vintage and handmade goods at this pop-up vendor event.
2023 Summer Beer Fest at Frazier | Saturday, July 29 | 5-8 p.m. | Frazier History Museum, 829 W. Main St., Louisville | $55-$85 | Choose from 200+ craft beers to sample at this Main Street shindig.
Taylor Swift Silent Disco | Saturday, July 29 | 9 p.m. | Against the Grain Brewery, 401 E. Main St., Louisville | “Shake It Off” on the patio of this downtown brewery — costumes encouraged.

Monday, July 31

World Dainty Championship | Monday, July 31 | 5 p.m. | Hauck’s Handy Store, 1000 Goss Ave., Louisville | Free | Watch or sign up to compete in this historic neighborhood street game — and don’t forget to try a bologna sandwich.

Tuesday, Aug. 1

Written in the Trees | Tuesday, Aug. 1 | 6:30 p.m. | Main Library, 301 York St., Louisville | Free | Explore the past through tree-ring records.

Saturday, Aug. 5

Shaker Village Craft Fair | Saturday, Aug. 5-Sunday, Aug. 6 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, 3501 Lexington Rd., Harrodsburg | $0-$10 | Shop for pottery, glassware, basketry, jewelry, paintings, Shaker reproductions, and more from 80+ vendors, and enjoy food trucks, a bar + live music.*

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Tech

How to (finally) stop those brutal spam calls

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News Notes

Development

The first steel beams have been installed at Norton Healthcare’s new hospital in the West End. The $100 million facility is slated to open in 2024 and is part of Goodwill’s Opportunity Campus at 28th Street and Broadway. It will be the first hospital in the area in 100+ years. (WAVE)

Environment

A new electric vehicle charger is being installed on Frankfort Avenue this week. The free public charging station will be available 24/7. Plug in at the parking lot off of Keats Avenue across from Con Huevos.

Arts

Revelry Boutique + Gallery in NuLu is celebrating its 13th anniversary next month with a new art show. “American Made” will open on Friday, Aug. 4 at 6 p.m. and is the first solo exhibition by Tommy Wortham. The Louisville-based artist creates sculptures using leftover, hyper-consumed materials — like Amazon pallets.

Film

Today, July 27, marks one year since the devastating Eastern Kentucky floods. The Appalshop, a Whitesburg, KY media center, is hosting a virtual screening and discussion of “East Kentucky Flood” tonight at 7 p.m. The new 30-minute documentary explores the repercussions of the flood and those affected by it.

Number

38. That’s how many nonstop destinations you have to choose from when you fly out of Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF). Where are you traveling next, Louisville?*

Trending

We’re in our feels about this love letter to Louisville. Norton Healthcare partnered with local agency Doe-Anderson for its new “All Together” brand campaign to show its love for Louisville and desire to create a stronger, happier, and healthier community. Watch the first video (and maybe you’ll recognize your neighbor).^

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Katie

From the editor

When I toured the Ale-8-One factory for this story, I actually got to hold and smell a small beaker containing the secret formula. Because I love a good joke, I pretended to drop it. They didn’t laugh.

I also got to try a bottle directly off the line. It was the coldest Ale-8 I’ve ever had.

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