Finally, Maine’s official state soft drink is available here in Florida, thanks to the fine people at Sweetbay.
Moxie Soda has long had a cult-like following of evangelical fans, due both to its unusual flavor and small distribution area. Earlier this year, Coca-Cola Bottling of Northern New England purchased the brand and planned to expand sales of Moxie outside of its traditional Northeastern borders. Florida is the first test market.
Originally marketed as a medicine called “Moxie Nerve Food,†Moxie became a carbonated soda in 1884, claiming “to be the only harmless nerve food known that can recover brain and nervous exhaustion, loss of manhood, imbecility and helplessness.†That’s almost enough to compensate for a taste that is often described as a cross between cola and root beer, with a little extra medicinal zing from gentian root extract. “There’s nothing that tastes like it,†explains brand manager Justin Conroy.
Conroy has plans to expand distribution in Florida, although Sweetbay will be the only outlet in the short term. Six-pack cans of Moxie have been on the shelves for about a month, with Diet Moxie and Moxie Energy on the way.
