Blenheim Ginger Ale is a

ginger ale Ginger ale is a carbonated soft drink flavoured with ginger. It is consumed on its own or used as a mixer, often with spirit-based drinks. There are two main types of ginger ale. The golden style is credited to the Irish doctor Thomas Joseph ...

bottled by Blenheim Bottlers in Hamer, Dillon County,

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

, but was originally bottled in Blenheim, Marlboro County,

. It has deep roots in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina, as it was created by a local doctor in the 1890s by mixing

Jamaica ginger Jamaica ginger extract, known in the United States by the slang name Jake, was a late 19th-century patent medicine that provided a convenient way to obtain alcohol during the era of Prohibition in the United States, Prohibition, since it conta ...

and sugar with local mineral waters and dispensed as a tonic for

dyspepsia Indigestion, also known as dyspepsia or upset stomach, is a condition of impaired digestion. Symptoms may include upper abdominal fullness, heartburn, nausea, belching, or upper abdominal pain. People may also experience feeling full earlier ...

History

As the story goes, in 1781, Patriot James Spears was attempting to run from the British during the Revolutionary War, when his shoe became stuck in the mud of the natural spring; he left it and kept running. Upon his return, he recovered his shoe and noticed the amount of water in the depression his shoe left. He tasted the water and noticed its strong mineral content. Word of the natural spring spread quickly and before long, the area became popular among the wealthy plantation owners and by the late 1800s a small town was established. In the late 1890s, Dr. C. R. May began prescribing the mineral springs' water to his patients complaining of stomach troubles. Because his patients frequently complained about the strong iron-like taste of the water, the doctor decided to make the water more palatable by adding Jamaican ginger and sugar. The new concoction's popularity took off and Dr. May partnered with A. J. Matheson to open the Blenheim Bottling Company in 1903. Conveniently located next to the mineral springs, the Blenheim Bottling Company plant was constructed in 1920. Producing as little as 18 to 20 cases a day, the company remained a small, humble operation for 90 years. In 1993, Blenheim was bought by Alan Schafer, who also owned the world-famous South of the Border roadside attraction. Since the original plant was older, Schafer decided that rather than refurbish the building, he would move the bottling operations to a new plant located next to South of the Border.

Today

Despite a marketing push that began in the late 1990s, Blenheim ginger ale is not widely distributed outside the Carolinas; however in more recent years, the company ships to 44 states and three international distributors. The spicy ale has, however, developed a cult following among food and wine aficionados. In February 1998, ''New York Times'' journalist Bill Grimes described the taste this way: "The first swallow brings on a four-sneeze fit. The second one clears out the sinuses and leaves the tongue and throat throbbing with prickly heat." Luckily for its loyal followers, Blenheim's recipe has not changed in over 110 years and has three varieties to choose from: #3 ''Hot'' (pink cap), #5 ''Not As Hot'' (gold cap) and #9 ''Diet'' (white cap).

In the News

Charles Kuralt Charles Bishop Kuralt (September 10, 1934 – July 4, 1997) was an American television, newspaper and radio journalist and author. He is most widely known for his long career with CBS, first for his "On the Road" segments on '' The CBS Evening ...

did a segment on Blenheim Ginger Ale for

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

(
On the Road with Charles Kuralt
' - June 26, 1983) *

Penn Jillette Penn Fraser Jillette (born March 5, 1955) is an American Magic (illusion), magician, actor, comedian, musician, inventor, television presenter, and author, best known for his work with fellow magician Teller (magician), Teller as half of the t ...

is a fan of Blenheim Ginger Ale and wore a Blenheim shirt on the cover of

Wired Magazine ''Wired'' is a bi-monthly American magazine that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. It is published in both print and Online magazine, online editions by Condé Nast. The magazine has been in public ...

.
''Behind Blenheim's''

Turner South Turner South was an American cable and satellite television network that was owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner. At its peak, Turner South reached approximately eight million subscribers across a six-state region com ...

. Wednesday, April 13, 2005 at 8:54 AM/ET. Retrieved May 16, 2005.

References

External links

*
BevNet Review
{{Ginger ales Companies based in South Carolina Dillon County, South Carolina American soft drinks Ginger ale Drink mixers Food and drink companies established in 1903 1903 establishments in South Carolina

History

Today

In the News

Further reading

References

External links