HIRES ROOT BEER ~ vs ~ VERNOR'S GINGER ALE

SODABOB · Oct 16, 2016

Which brand is America's oldest continuously produced soda pop?

This a spin-off of a thread started by member iggyworf on June 9, 2016 titled ...

"Vernors Ginger Ale 150th B-Day"

Here's the link ...

https://www.antique-bottles.net/showthread.php?686953-Vernors-Ginger-Ale-150th-B-Day

Those of you who followed that thread, or are familiar with the various Vernor's histories, are aware of the popular belief that Vernor's Ginger Ale was developed and first sold in 1866 at James Vernor's drug store in Detroit, Michigan. I questioned the 1866 origin date because the earliest time-period reference I could find for Vernor's Ginger Ale was from 1884 ...

The Detroit Free Press newspaper ~ June 28, 1884

Vernor's Ginger Ale 1884 Detroit Free Press June 28, 1884.jpg

Whereas ...

The (current) earliest time-period reference I can find for Hires Root Beer is 1878 ...

The Indiana Progress newspaper ~ July 25, 1878

Hires 1878 The Indiana Progress Pennsylvania July 25, 1878.jpg

(To be continued with much more, including Hires Root Beer claim about originating in 1876)

SODABOB · Oct 16, 2016

Brief history about Charles Elmer Hires and Hires Root Beer ...

Charles E. Hires is best known as the originator of Hires Root Beer, a soft drink which gained great popularity in the 1870s. Hires began his career as a pharmacist and sold a variety of health remedies and flavoring extracts before introducing root beer as a healthful and refreshing alternative to beer. He also sold ginger ale which was called champanale. While soft drinks were at the heart of his enterprise, he was a pioneer in manufacturing condensed milk and had factories in towns near dairy centers including Malvern, Pennsylvania. His Purock Water Company distributed spring water around the region and Hires water coolers were found in many Philadelphia area buildings. Hires sugar plantations in Cuba supplied his bottling plants around the country. Hires is seen as one of the pioneers of modern advertising, using trade cards and then magazine, newspaper and radio advertising to sell his products. Hires Root Beer was a staple of most soda fountains and an item popular for home production.

Hires first wife was Clara Kate Smith, a Quaker lady, who was the mother of his six children. Their children attended local Quaker schools...his sons rode horseback to Haverford School. After 35 years of marriage, Clara died and Charles went through an agonizing period of grief. After his second marriage to "Miss E," Emma Waln, member of a prominent old Quaker family, Hires financed the restoration of Merion Friends Meeting, wrote a history of that historic house of worship, and was actively involved with Friends Central Schools move to Lower Merion Township. Hires five children pursued various careers. His son Charles worked his way up through the company to become its president in 1923. His home was on Remington Road in Wynnewood. Harrison worked for the family company but also had a lively interest in the arts, writing several books of poetry. Son J. Edgar was an engineer and in the 1920s and 30s lived on Linwood Avenue in Ardmore. Next door lived his sister, Linda, a graduate of Wellesley who was trained as an architect. The youngest daughter, Clara, became a botanist.

Charles Elmer Hires served free glasses of his recently perfected root beer from a booth at the 1876 Philadelphia Exhibition, a refreshing treat for thirsty fair goers. The average daily attendance at the fair was never greater than 34,000 between May and August, which was partly the result of a devastating heat wave. The average daily attendance in September and October spiked to roughly 80,000 and 100,000, respectively. Visitors to Hires' booth could purchase 25-cent packages of the dried roots, herbs, and bark that went into his root beer, along with three-ounce bottles of condensed extract. The following year, a local newspaper publisher convinced Hires to advertise his root beer, and the rest was history.

SODABOB · Oct 16, 2016

Meet ...

Charles Elmer Hires

Born: August 19, 1851
Died: July 31, 1937

SODABOB · Oct 16, 2016

Every history ever written about Hires Root Beer claims it was first introduced at the 1876 International Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Even though I have not been able to find a time-period reference for Hires Root Beer from 1876 or 1877, I have no logical reason to doubt the claim and believe its just a matter of time before I, or someone else, does find one.

Hires 1876 Centennial Exposition Catalog.jpg

SODABOB · Oct 16, 2016

By the way ...

Did ja know (or notice in some of the information I already posted) that Hires Root Beer was not only available as a liquid extract in the beginning, but that it was also available in a "dried" "powered" version?

(More about this later)

SODABOB · Oct 16, 2016

Even though I'm still searching for accounts published in 1876-1877, it appears that Hires Root Beer really took off in 1878 (Which the 1878 newspaper snippet I posted earlier confirms, and which continued to be advertised nonstop from 1878 on).

Speaking of which ...

Here's an 1893 Hires calendar that has some interesting information on the back of it.

View attachment 175584

View attachment 175585

Notice the 1878 date ...

View attachment 175586

...

SODABOB · Oct 16, 2016

I think its extremely interesting that Charles Hires and James Vernor were both listed as druggist in the ...

1880 U.S. Census

Charles Hires ...

"Druggist"

HIRES 1880 PHILADELPHIA U.S. CENSUS DRUGGIST (4).jpg

James Vernor ...

"Keep Drug Store"

SODABOB · Oct 16, 2016

Speaking of the 1880s ...

I recently purchased this 1885 "Hires Diary" that I consider one of the rarest pieces of soda pop memorabilia ever produced. It precedes other major brands such as Coca Cola (1886) and Pepsi Cola (Brad's Drink 1893 / Pepsi Cola 1898). I have done an extensive search for another example of this book, but have not been able to find one. Thus, I currently consider it a one of a kind / only known example.

Its a true diary of sorts and has an 1885 calendar as well as blank pages for every day of the year from January 1st 1885 to December 31st 1885. It was a promotional item intended for the general public as a means to keep track of daily events as well as to keep track of health related concerns such as prescriptions, etc. It also has several pages of testimonials from named individuals who were speaking on behalf of the benefits derived from drinking Hires Root Beer which, like Coca Cola and other early brands, was first promoted because of its medicinal attributes.

Measures 5" x 3"

With 128 pages and extremely small text

This next page is especially interesting because it depicts the image of a Hires Root Beer "Package" which was the box the "dried" "powdered" extract used to come in. I have done an extensive search for an original box like the one depicted here but have not been able to find one. They must be extremely rare!

SODABOB · Oct 16, 2016

P.S.

In the Vernor's thread I offered a free ACL Book (Rick Sweeney 2002) to the first individual who could find and post ...

1. A time-period (1860s-1870s) document/publication that confirmed the existence of Vernor's Ginger Ale earlier than 1880.

2. A time-period document/publication that confirmed James Vernor had a full-service soda fountain in his drug store earlier than 1880.

3. Another example and/or unquestionable reference for the 1885 Hires Diary I just posted images of.

To those I would like to add ...

4. I will send a free ACL Book to the first individual who can find and post a picture of an original Hires Root Beer "Package/Box" like the one depicted in the 1885 Hires Diary.

Signed,

Sodabob

SODABOB · Oct 16, 2016

Here's a picture of Rick Sweeney's 2002 ACL Book for those who are not familiar with it. I have several like-new, uncirculated copies that I currently sell for $60.00 each. If all four of the above are found and posted, I'm prepared to give away four of these books ...

View attachment 175595

HIRES ROOT BEER ~ vs ~ VERNOR'S GINGER ALE

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