Throwback Thursday: A-Late-One to remember: Ale 8 turns 100
Kentucky’s only locally-made and bottled soda turns 100 in 2026. Born of a homemade ginger citrus recipe in the Appalachian foothills of Winchester, Ky. – now recognized across the southern United States – Ale-8 is doing lots of fun things to celebrate its centennial this year. It began when George Wainscott discovered the modern marvel of carbonation machines. Already a successful Clark County businessman, George started his own soda company in 1902.
He experimented with lots of carbonation recipes. His first sodas were a mix of fruit and distilled water sold out of his building on North Main Street in downtown Winchester. His first cola recipe was bottled and sold in 1906. Called Roxa-cola, its was named for his wife Roxanne. It was such a success in stores that the top cola brand soda company handed him a lawsuit, so he quickly decided to ditch the cola and search for a new, unusual flavor combination.
He traveled the world in search of this new flavor. A trip to northern Europe introduced him to ginger beer. He liked the spiciness of its flavor, and tested mixing it with a variety of fruit flavors. He landed on a combination of ginger and citrus, bottling it and selling it for the first time at the Clark county fair in July, 1926.
Back then, folks were invited to taste and then name a drink at major events like the fair. A young fairgoer’s slogan — “a late one,” meaning the latest thing in soft drinks based on 1920s slang — became the iconic name Ale-8-One. Made with real ginger, citrus, and a secret family recipe that’s been handcrafted for four generations, Ale-8 has stood the test of time — staying independently family-owned and proudly Kentucky-crafted for a full century.
While the original Ale-8 taste remains the heart of the brand, the family has expanded its lineup over the years with versions of zero sugar and caffeine free, cherry, orange cream, blackberry, peach, and even paw paw – Kentucky’s native banana-like fruit.
Ale-8’s reach has grown far beyond Kentucky. While still a beloved favorite at gatherings and celebrations across the bluegrass state, you’ll now find it in Cracker Barrel restaurants nationwide and in select retailers across multiple states. But this isn’t just a soda — it’s part of the community. Ale-8 has teamed up with organizations like Duncan Hines Days in Bowling Green to give away at its recreational events, on Kentucky State University scholarship initiatives, supporting outdoor spaces like Red River Gorge that are vital to Kentucky’s culture and recreation, and more.
Fans old and new can tour the historic bottling facility in Winchester to see where it all began — and experience firsthand a century of “bracing pep” in every sip. From a small Kentucky fair to 100 years of refreshment and community pride — here’s to Ale-8-One, a late one that’s always worth the wait.
