Starting on Nov. 1, Roxa Cola will make its first appearance on store shelves since the 1960s.
Ale-8-One is “bringing back the good” with its founding flavor to honor its 121st anniversary.
The Kentucky soda company was founded back in 1902 by George Lee Wainscott, but its first creation was not the signature drink it is linked to now.
According to its website, for the company’s first four years, Wainscott led a carbonation and distribution center for distilled water and fruit-flavored sodas out of a building on North Main Street in Winchester, KY.
However, he thought it was wise to create his own formula, which is when Roxa Cola, the soda named after his wife Roxanne, was born.
The cola sweetened with sugar and served in a glass bottle became an instant success and put Wainscott’s company on the map 20 years before “A Late One.”
“Roxa-Kola’s success in the cola market spurred a lawsuit from the nation’s largest cola company,” the website said. “Other independent cola makers were targeted as well. Choosing to cease production and avoid confrontation, Wainscott stood tall and was successful, winning not only the lawsuit but also an appeal.”
The lawsuit was not about the taste of the soda but rather the trademark on the name. The key for Wainsworth was the hyphen that kept his name from infringement, making it one of the few cases to beat the soda giant.
During the legal woes, as a backup for his brand, Wainscott began searching for another recipe.
“His quest took him to northern Europe, where he discovered ginger beer. Ginger beer, spicy and hot to the palate, but the flavor was unique,” the website said.
Ale-8-One was introduced in 1926 and initially called “A Late One.”
Both sodas appeared on shelves for years until Roxa Cola was discontinued in 1968 to focus more on Ale-8-One production.
“Wainscott’s great-great-nephew and current president, Fielding Rogers, still mixes the closely-guarded secret recipe using Wainscott’s hand-written notes,” Kentucky Tourism said.
In Ale-8-One’s effort to preserve the legacy of the company, they have reportedly spent the last two years working to perfect the Roxa Cola recipe to “Wainscott standard.”
“Preserving a family legacy is a difficult business. However, that natural friction forces out the very best of our passions to create,” said Kevin Price, CMO of Ale-8-One, in the press release according to CBS 42. “From the flavor to the branding, we gave acute care to the little things and added a few sprinkles of things done a just bit differently so that tastemakers and flavor seekers alike take notice.”
The soda will be a limited edition product celebrating the 121-year-old business.
“We think this update on Roxa Kola is the perfect mix of where we’ve been and where we’re going. After all, knowing who you are and what you stand for is always in good taste,” Daphne Phipps, Director of Product Excellence and Innovation, said.