Saturday, December 8, 2007

If ya aint got Moxie ya aint got Dick!

I found a local store that sells Moxie in bottles. It's pretty damn good!

Find it and drink it!


Moxie was created in 1876 by Dr. Augustin Thompson formerly of Union, Maine, while working for the Ayer Drug Company in Lowell, Massachusetts. Moxie was first marketed as a patent medicine in Lowell, Massachusetts, under the product name “Moxie Nerve Food." From 1928 through 1953 Moxie was bottled at 74 Heath St. in the Jamaica Plain section of Boston, MA. The building, known as Moxieland, featured an advertisement on the roof along with an arrow pointing in the direction of Logan Airport. Moxie was said to cure ailments ranging from softening of the brain to “loss of manhood.” In 1884, it was sold in carbonated form and merchandised as an invigorating drink, which claimed to endow the drinker with “spunk”. Two words that should never be associated with a drink.
In the early phase of its life as a recreational soft drink, Moxie is said to have been kept handy by bartenders to give to customers who were too drunk to be given any more alcohol. This story may be apocryphal, however, inspired by Moxie's noted aftertaste, which many people find unpleasantly strong.
The name entered the American language, when a person was said to be “full of Moxie”, meaning that the person was skillful, or spirited (or endowed with spunk.) Moxie became unique in that it was the name of a commercially produced soft drink, and was also included in dictionaries.
The popularity of Moxie produced popular advertising jingles, such as “Just Make It Moxie for Mine”, and President Calvin Coolidge was known to have favored the drink. Boston Red Sox slugger Ted Williams endorsed Moxie. Author E.B. White, an adopted Mainer and noted Moxie fan, once wrote “Moxie contains gentian root, which is the path to the good life.”



Falling out of favor due to competition from Coca Cola, demand for Moxie has waned in recent years, although demand still exists in New England. It was designated on May 10, 2005, as the official state soft drink of Maine.
One of the key ingredients of Moxie is “Gentian Root Extractives”, which probably contributes noticeably to its unique flavor. For those without access to Moxie, the flavor can be approximated (and adjusted to taste) by adding Angostura bitters to root beer. Its bitter taste is also reminiscent of Italian chinotto soda.
Moxie has also grown in popularity in recent years in regions of southern Maine and Connecticut due to its mixability with certain spirits. Notable Moxie mixed drinks include the “Welfare Mom”, which consists of equal parts Diet Moxie and Allen's Coffee Flavored Brandy; the “County Girl”, a drink made up of one part bourbon whiskey and two parts Moxie on the rocks, with an optional lime garnish; the "Mad Mailman", a mixture of Moxie and Jägermeister; and "The Vijay", which consists of one part Moxie and one part blended American Whiskey. Many people, even those who do not like the soda on its own, find it superb, refreshing and relaxing when mixed with Jack Daniels.
For me its Moxie straight up!

2 comments:

Luke said...

Where? Galco?

Gavin Elster said...

No. WAAYYYY Closer.

(ya gotta love this name)

Red Carpet Liquor