Vernor's Ginger Ale, Michigan (Images of America Series) »

Keith Wunderlich has been a collector of Vernor's Ginger Ale history, advertising, and ephemera for over 30 years. He is the founder of the Vernor's Ginger Ale Collectors' Club and writes a newsletter about Vernor's. Several of the images come from the impressive archives of the Manning Brothers Historic Photograph Collection and the Detroit Public Library's Burton Historical Collection. Other sources include Superior View, the Flint Journal, the author's personal collection, and other personal collections.

Vernor s Ginger Ale has sparkling fizz, a unique taste, and a history that goes back before Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Hires, or Moxie. Upon returning from the Civil War in 1866, James Vernor opened a pharmacy in Detroit. He also opened a barrel of ginger ale extract he had created before the war. He discovered the four years of aging had mellowed the taste to perfection. A new deliciously different flavor had been created, and Vernor s Ginger Ale was born. From a small drugstore in Detroit to a product enjoyed across America and Canada, Vernor s is a success story. Vernor s is the story of a small back-room product turned into a highly successful brand. At over 140 years old, Vernor s is America s oldest continuously produced soft drink. Vernor s Ginger Ale takes readers on a journey from pharmacy to factory, from entrepreneur to franchised corporation.