IMG_3583-e1436896090452-200x300.jpg
IMG_3583
Ale-8-One, the ginger-citrus soft drink manufactured in Winchester, Kentucky, is partnering with the Cracker Barrel restaurant chain, bringing the regionally beloved beverage to a nationwide audience.
“Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores are unique and genuinely reminiscent of simpler times, making their outlets perfect venues to feature our 90-year-old, family-crafted soft drink,” Ellen McGeeney, President and COO of Ale-8-One, said in a statement. “What made this partnership special from the start is our shared passion for bringing friends and family together. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to gain entry into Cracker Barrel Country Stores nationwide, and to begin developing a relationship that introduces Cracker Barrel patrons to the Best of the Bluegrass in our classic green glass bottles.”
Lebanon, Tennessee-based
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. operates 630 stores in 42 states, according the company.
Fielding Rogers, Ale-8’s fourth-generation owner and CEO, has overseen steady growth in recent years. Last year he said the company experienced “double-digit growth” in the Cincinnati and Louisville markets and was pushing into new territory where Ale-8 isn’t as well known.
Like Cracker Barrel, Ale-8 markets itself with appeals to nostalgia and tradition. Rogers said it goes beyond marketing for the soft drink-maker, noting that he personally mixes the secret formula based on the notes of his great-great uncle, inventor and company founder G.L. Wainscott.
“That’s one of my favorite days,” Rogers said. “When you’re done with that, you smell like the secret flavor, which, it smells great. It’s very, very potent stuff, but it smells great.”
Ale-8 employs about 100 workers. Rogers said the bottling operation runs 10-hour shifts four days a week and has at times surpassed 10,000 bottles daily.