Ale-8-One Bottling Co. is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its flagship soft drink this year. Photo furnished
A Quick Six Q&A with Sean Wachsman, Vice President of Marketing for Ale-8-One
This month marks the 100th anniversary for the beloved ginger citrus soda Ale-8-One – the official state beverage of Kentucky and one of the state’s most iconic brands. Founded in 1926 in Clark County by Kentucky entrepreneur George T. Wainscott, Ale-8-One is produced in small batches in its Winchester facility, with production overseen by Fielding Rogers, Wainscott’s great-great-nephew and the owner and chairman of the board of Ale-8-One Bottling.
To celebrate the occasion, the company is hosting a community-wide birthday party on Aug. 1 from 5-9 p.m. in downtown Winchester. The street party will include a Historical Society marker unveiling, parade and block party with plenty of Ale-8, family activities, food trucks, Ale-8 ice cream floats, live music and more. Keep an eye out this summer for special commemorative glass bottle packaging at local retailers.
Tell us a bit about the origin story of Ale-8-One.
While the Ale-8-One Bottling Company started in 1902, the Ale-8-One brand started in 1926. Our founder, G.L. Wainscott, had traveled throughout northern Europe searching for new and innovative flavors leading him to discover ginger beer. Wainscott toned down the spice and began experimenting. He [tinkered with] his recipe until he perfected it. The combination of ginger with citrus was just right: not too hot and not too sweet.
One hundred years and four generations later, Ale-8 is the oldest privately-held bottler in the United States still held by the founding family and the only soft drink invented in Kentucky still in existence.
The orginal Ale-8-One facility in Winchester, Kentucky. Image furnished
What is the history behind the name “Ale-8-One”?
Wainscott introduced the recipe at the 1926 Clark County Fair holding a contest to name his new recipe. A young fairgoer thought the newest innovation in soft drinks should be called what it was, the latest thing. The entry, chosen above all others, was “A Late One,” 1920s slang for “the latest thing” in soft drinks.
Has the recipe of the original flavor changed at all since its launch in 1926?
G.L. Wainscott’s great-great-nephew Fielding Rogers, owner and chairman of the board of Ale-8-One Bottling, takes a spiral staircase to the secret batching room to mix the secret ginger citrus blend, batch by batch, following his great-great-uncle’s handwritten notes that hang on the wall. To this day, every single Ale-8 that is sent out into the world originates in small batches from his hands.
In your opinion, what makes this soda so beloved in Kentucky?
Ale-8-One is part of Kentucky's DNA as much as Kentucky is part of Ale-8's. The ginger citrus flavor is as unique and special as Kentuckians are, and they connect with that. Generations of Kentucky families have bonded over a bottle of Ale-8 during the past 100 years. Whether it's celebrating a birthday or a special moment, being out at Red River Gorge, hanging out with family and friends at the BBQ or just having good conversation, it's the connection point. There's great pride and comfort when that cold green bottle is in your hand because Ale-8 represents something meaningful to people, whether it's home, a memory or being in the moment with others. Our fans are one of the best parts of Ale-8's history.
Ale-8-One Bottling Co. offers contract co-packing services for other brands from its manufacturing facility in Winchester. Photo furnished
Tell us a bit about the production of Ale-8.
The Ale-8-One soft drink has been bottled in green glass in Winchester since 1926. We now fill 192,000-240,000 bottles daily, capping 550-600 bottles a minute. We generally employ just over 100 people across the company who focus on safety, our values, and producing a product we are deeply proud of.
What can you tell us about the special flavors the company has released over the years?
Cherry was the first special flavor released in 2018. Since then, we've launched Blackberry and Orange Cream as permanent flavors, along with Cherry Zero. We previously launched Zero and Caffeine Free versions of the Original Ale-8. Every year we like to offer special flavors in limited supply. This year, we brought back Peach for a limited time in the spring, and we will have another release this summer. Last year, the Pawpaw flavor we released took off and we sold out immediately. This was pretty special, as the pawpaw fruit is native to Kentucky and known as a "Kentucky banana." We are always thinking about our Kentucky home and ways to delight our fans.