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Moxie - America’s Great, Forgotten Beverage

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Bagels

You got Moxie, kid!
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Moxie is an American beverage with a rich history stretching back to the birth of the soft drink, with a totally unique flavor that will either instantly hook you or make you feel queasy every time you think of it. In its heyday, Moxie was more popular than Coca-Cola, but is now found only in parts of new England, chiefly the state of Maine. However, boutique distributors and online sales mean you can order a case of Moxie anywhere in the world and bask in its deliciousness or rapidly induce vomiting. There has never been a more appropriate time to discuss this iconic (?) American soda on a videogame message board.

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Moxie was developed in Lowell, Massachusetts around 1876 by Maine-born physician, Dr. Augustin Thompson. Coca-Cola did not show up for another ten years. (Hires Root Beer slightly predates Moxie to hold the title of the oldest continuously produced soft drink in the US. The dates these things officially started are hotly debated by the kind of people who hotly debate soda trivia. My older brother is one and it is insufferable. I say that as someone writing 1000 words about one soda on a message board, just to give you an idea of how tedious it gets.) Like the better known cola, Moxie was originally sold as a patent medicine. Medicinal uses included curing "paralysis, softening of the brain, nervousness, and insomnia”. Every time I drink one, my brain feels a little firmer, so this is all true. Unlike Coca-Cola, Moxie did not originally contain actual cocaine, so it was not marketed as a cure for heroin addiction (an actual suggested use of the patent medicine Coca-Cola. The idea of using cocaine to treat morphine addiction was actually Sigmund Freud’s initial claim to fame, long before he developed psychoanalysis and told you that you have a thing for your mom).


The chief appeal of Moxie is its distinctive “bitter,” “less sweet,” “medicinal,” “herbal,” or “hateful” flavor. There are plenty of people who will take a Pepsi if offered, but don’t really have strong feelings about the flavor. Moxie is not like this. People love it or despise it

I will note in passing that while I love Moxie, Diet Moxie tastes like someone threw up a stomachful of batteries. Not recommended.

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Disgusting.

So what does Moxie taste like? The only way to find out is to drink some. It is pretty distinctive. Moxie’s closest cousins are root beers, especially traditional root beers made with natural flavors. Sarsaparilla or birch beer are also related in that they have somewhat herbal, medicinal flavors. Although Moxie contains plenty of sugar, drinkers invariably note that it is far less sweet-tasting than Coke or Pepsi. Moxie’s secret ingredient is “gentian root extractives,” responsible for the bitter, herbal flavor (and anti-brain softening powers), and also found in Angostura bitters (you can sort of approximate Moxie by adding a generous dose of bitters to a Coke. Emphasis on “sort of”). Author EB White famously remarked that, “Moxie contains gentian root which is the key to the good life.” I have no clue what the fuck that means, but it is intuitively correct. If you are going to have a good life, you know there will be roots involved.

Yum.

One might assume the soda is named for the American phrase, “to have a lot of moxie,” meaning one has “vim, vigor, stamina, and just plain ‘guts’." However, the etymology actually goes the other way - the name of he beverage was adapted as a popular expression for vim, vigor, etc. It’s a mark of how obscure Moxie has become that the decidedly old-timey expression, “you’ve got moxie, kid!” is far better known than the product it is derived from.

During the Great Depression, Moxie actually enjoyed greater popularity than Coca-Cola - a beverage so indispensable in American life that it is part of the FAA-mandated equipment of our commercial aircraft. It is strange to think that global juggernaut Coca-Cola once spent considerable time trying to gain market share against the now little-known Moxie. The fact that Moxie is decidedly a Yankee beverage had to sting in Atlanta. Sorry for burning down your city during Gone With the Wind.

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Oh, Ashley! Why are you drinking that infernal Yankee Moxie soda?

The decline of the Moxie brand on the national stage began in the 1930s. A price increase, fiddling with the formula (a move that would later trip up Coca-Cola), and a wartime decision to spend funds on cane sugar instead of national advertising, all damaged the Moxie brand. Coke replaced cane sugar with cheaper corn syrup and passed the savings along to…well, advertisers, actually. The only downside was an obesity epidemic sweeping the nation by the close of the century. HFCS either has nothing or everything to do with this, depending on which crazy people you listen to.

Moxie enjoyed a brief, minor, resurgence of popularity in the 1960s when Mad Magazine began inserting Moxie advertisements into the backgrounds of their comics. I’ve read both that Moxie paid for the product placement, which seems an odd choice, and that it was a random choice by Mad’s “usual gang of idiots” (as the writers and artists called themselves). As with several of the key points in Moxie history, it’s not entirely clear which version is correct.

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Moxie was saved from being quietly discontinued in the 1980s as the small town of Lisbon, Maine began an annual Moxie festival. Moxie went on to be named the official state beverage of Maine in 2005, replacing the previous state beverage, made from carbonated lobster. It is noted that Monarch Beverage Co., who owned the rights to Moxie at the time, was “mildly amused.” There is a historic trend of the Moxie owners being resistant to anyone popularizing the brand. Moxie was sold to current owners Cornucopia Beverages in 2007. Cornucopia is owned by Kirin Beverages, who are part of the Mitsubishi family, meaning that Maine’s official state beverage is now technically Japanese. Okay, so it’s not really, but this is the kind of shit that makes Donald Trump’s blood boil.

In the Moxie soda family.

Moxie’s chief champion in the 2010s has been former Daily Show contributor, author, and PC from those Apple ads, John Hodgman. Here’s Hodgman name-dropping Moxie on national television and getting an imporbably boisterous round of applause. Other notable Moxie drinkers include Boston Red Sock Ted Williams and forgettable US president Calvin Coolidge.

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Moxie is available in cans, glass bottles, and 2-liter bottles, and you can find a formulation made with real sugar. It’s easy to find in Maine and I’ve found it as far South as Connecticut and Manhattan. Some Moxie is produced on the West Coast for distribution to smaller specialty shops. I know of a distributor near Chicago and there are currently a stunning two locations to purchase Moxie is my current home of Indianapolis. Good luck finding it, though. I’m in a weird competition with some other displaced Mainer to buy up the limited supply when it shows up every few weeks.

Moxie can be ordered directly from the company for shipment around the world. The main consideration is that water is quite dense, so shipping costs for 12 packs are steep. When all the costs are combined, expect to pay about $2 per can. Better deals can sometimes be found from ebay resellers.

The chain Rocketfizz sells Moxie in bottles at their stores across the US.

Moxie, surprisingly, has a social media presence on Twitter and Facebook. They’ll post weird Moxie recipes and quotes from deranged people like me who are obsessed with soda from Maine.

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Actual Facebook post.

As a final piece of trivia there are Moxie-based cocktails. The most popular is the “Mad Mailman,” comprised of Moxie and Jagermeister. Curiously, some people who find both of those things repellant find he combination tasty. Jagermeister is another weird flavor, so this all makes perfect sense.

I know there are a few wayward Moxie fans lurking GAF!
 

I often see the Moxie trucks zipping up and down I-95 here in Maine. Never had one myself and never really seen locals drink it. It's pretty much a summertime tourist souvenir thing, especially the T-shirts.
 

Goro Majima

Kitty Genovese Member
For some reason, I think this along with a bunch of other old timey snacks are sold at Cracker Barrel if anyone is interested.
 
Another amazing Bagels thread!

I love weird "root" sodas, such as Sasparilla, Birch Beer, Ginger Beer, willing to try every kind of Root Beer, and so on, I'll be looking for this one. Cost Plus World Market occasionally sells individual bottle of regional sodas at exorbitant prices, which is my only local source.

If anyone has had both Moxie and Fentiman's Curiosity Cola (my only comparable cola from the sounds of things, but ginger instead of gentian based), would you say they are similar at all?

ETA:
For some reason, I think this along with a bunch of other old timey snacks are sold at Cracker Barrel if anyone is interested.

Totally forgot about Cracker Barrel, I'll look there, too.
 

Bagels

You got Moxie, kid!
I often see the Moxie trucks zipping up and down I-95 here in Maine. Never had one myself and never really seen locals drink it. It's pretty much a summertime tourist souvenir thing, especially the T-shirts.

How can you live in Maine and not have tried a Moxie???

I do like your authentic Maine scorn for summertime tourists! If you could bottle that, it would be the official state beverage.
 

Patryn

Member
I love Moxie. It shocked all my coworkers, as I was the only one not from the New England area, and they all hate the stuff.

I don't get it regularly, but every once in a while I do get a craving.

I will admit it's got a very unique flavor to it.
 

Bagels

You got Moxie, kid!
"From away." We call them "from away." Or "rusticators."

"From away" always gets me. It sounds like something from science fiction.

"Where did the aliens who have all but eradicated humanity come from?"
"From...away."


Cracker Barrel does tend to have old-timey stuff like this. That might be an option.
 

Bagels

You got Moxie, kid!
I read your whole post which was very interesting but I couldn't get carbonated lobster out of my head.

This was lighter on jokes than my usual OPs but I liked that one throwaway line for anyone who bothered to read all that.
 
Living in Massachusetts, Moxie has been a part of our collective social experience. It's not common to find it throughout MA at super markets, but most specialty food stores carry it, especially major liquor stores.

The branding for Moxie is still common, with the sign, slogan, and the Moxie guy being familiar marketing symbols around the state.

That all said, I think Moxie is pretty gross on the soda scale.
 

Raw64life

Member
I don't really drink soda anymore but I had this a lot as a kid and still get some every once in a while. I love it, but pretty much everyone I've ever made try it hates it. It's most certainly hate it or love it with nothing inbetween.

This thread certainly has me hankering for some now.
 

morningbus

Serious Sam is a wicked gahbidge series for chowdaheads.
My friends and I developed a taste for the stuff during band practices in high school. Great times.

I don't drink soda too much anymore and I usually limit myself to cane sugar-sweetened stuff nowadays, so getting a Moxie fix is tough. I have special ordered the cane sugar Moxie before and man, the Cherry Moxie is something else. I honestly think you could get non-Moxie drinkers to drink it.

Also, to add to the weird Moxie cocktails, my barber shared with me this one: equal parts Moxie and milk, a drink called the Dirty Old Man.
 

Amory

Member
The really weird guy at work drinks 2 of these during lunch every day.

He also wears a Moxie t-shirt most days.
 

Edwardo

Member
My cousin LOVES Moxie. He got it from our grandfather, who always had some in his basement. My cuz lives and Florida and can't find any where he lives, so he stocks up when he comes up to Mass, lol.

I think it's alright. I'll have a moxie float sometimes if i'm feeling it.
 
I had it a few times maybe 10+ years ago when I was in middle school. I can't say I remember liking it, but I would probably try it again.

Side Note: It's funny that a guy named Bagels is from Maine, because my brother used to have that as his tag on a few websites when I was really young. Also hi to all of Maine/former Mainer GAF!
 
I first heard of Moxie from Judge John Hodgman (who is as New England as you can get), and was mildly interested. Now that you've described it as more root-y and bitter, it has my attention. I've always been a Coke, Dr. Pepper, and root beer guy.

And I like you, Bagels (you convinced me to get a 2015 Techo), so I might order some Moxie as well. I live in the Philippines, so it'll be a bit complicated. We have a local soda called Sarsi, which I suspect might taste similar! It's based on sarsaparilla, hence the name.
 
I first heard of Moxie from Judge John Hodgman (who is as New England as you can get), and was mildly interested. Now that you've described it as more root-y and bitter, it has my attention. I've always been a Coke, Dr. Pepper, and root beer guy.

And I like you, Bagels (you convinced me to get a 2015 Techo), so I might order some Moxie as well. I live in the Philippines, so it'll be a bit complicated. We have a local soda called Sarsi, which I suspect might taste similar! It's based on sarsaparilla, hence the name.

Just warning you ahead of time I'd say maybe 1 in 10 people like the stuff, but the people that do like it tend to love it. The product has sort of a cult following.
 

Drek

Member
A Moxie thread? By that guy who did all the great pen and pencil threads? Yes please.

You're good people Bagels, only makes sense that you got Maine ties.

As for Moxie, I'm ok with it (there are very few things I'd describe as horrible from a culinary standpoint) but one of my best friends growing up was wicked hooked. Drank three bottles a day through high school. He ended up moving out to the Detroit area for mechanics school, no idea how he got by.
 

Stat!

Member
When I saw the thread title, I knew who had created this thread.

Following your twitter its basically: Moxie and callipgraphy. God help us if Moxie releases a commemorative calligraphic-quality pen.
 

Pejo

Gold Member
My friends and I used to try to see how many shots of Moxie we could take before getting sick as teens. That shit is gross.
 

kess

Member
I wonder what the new recipe tastes like, last time I had it, the gentian root was toned way down. Herbal sodas are American and unique and we can't lose them, dammit.
 

MattyG

Banned
People always give me shit for liking Moxie, but it's the best. And it's all over the place here in Maine. They had fucking Moxie Jelly at a fair I went to a few months back.

AND IT WAS GOOD JELLY.
 
My friends and I used to try to see how many shots of Moxie we could take before getting sick as teens. That shit is gross.

Youtube is rife with 'let's try Moxie' videos.

Most of them don't end well.
There are others that serve as a counterpoint where a teenager straight chugs a 2-liter bottle without flinching.

This beverage is seriously a 0 or 100 for reactions with nothing in between. It's like they carbonated a political talking point and bottled it.
 

Parch

Member
I wonder if this ever made it's way into Canada, because I've never heard of it before.
During my visits to Maine I seem to have missed out on Moxie as well. The way it sounds, that might have been a good thing.
 

Fuzzy

I would bang a hot farmer!
I remember my grandparents had this when I would visit them in Fall River MA as a kid. My choices of drinks where Moxie, home-made wine and unfiltered tap water. Let's just say my mom's first stop once we got there was buying juice and coke from the grocery store so we'd have something to drink while we were there.
 
Moxie enjoyed a brief, minor, resurgence of popularity in the 1960s when Mad Magazine began inserting Moxie advertisements into the backgrounds of their comics. I’ve read both that Moxie paid for the product placement, which seems an odd choice, and that it was a random choice by Mad’s “usual gang of idiots” (as the writers and artists called themselves). As with several of the key points in Moxie history, it’s not entirely clear which version is correct.

I came into this topic specifically to chide you for not mentioning this. I should have known better than to doubt you.
 
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