Rock Creek and Other Ginger Ales in Washington DC
The origins of major soft drink brands, like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper, are well known—they were the creations of late 19th century druggists searching for rejuvenating elixirs. The broader business of selling sparkling waters and flavored sparkling drinks goes back much further. Washington had a thriving sparkling beverage industry from its very early days. Though national brands dominated in the 20th century, there were many local producers before that, offering soda water, flavored drinks, and, especially, ginger ale, which was invariably seen as the true measure of a bottler's skill and quality.
