Coca- Cola acquires beloved Maine soda Moxie
PORTLAND, Maine — Coca-Cola announced Tuesday it is acquiring Moxie, a long-lived and beloved New England soda brand that is the official state beverage of Maine.
Moxie has been around since the 19th century and it’s famous in New England for its unique flavor, which is the product of a root extract that gives it a distinctive taste that polarizes drinkers.
Bottling of the soda will remain in New Hampshire, said Lauren Thompson, a spokeswoman for Coca-Cola. She said the company’s goal is to “work to protect the heritage and regional culture of the brand.”
Coca-Cola sees an opportunity to bring Moxie’s brand to a wider audience, but distribution of Moxie will not change, Thompson said.
Coca-Cola declined to provide the price of the sale, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year.
The acquisition by The soft drink Moxie is the official state beverage of Maine. Coca-Cola won’t result in any noticeable differences for consumers, said Nick Martin, a spokesman for Coca-Cola of Northern New England.
The soda is produced at a facility in Londonderry, New Hampshire, and that facility will remain the exclusive manufacturer.
“If I had to look into my crystal ball, it will primarily remain a regional brand,” Martin said. “It just goes to show you that there’s a tremendously loyal following to this product.”
Moxie is most closely associated with Maine, where it is the subject of the annual Moxie Festival in Lisbon, a river town of 8,800.
The drink is also widely used as a mixer in New England, where it’s used to make “Moxie cocktails.”
Moxie states on its website that the drink was patented in 1885 as “Moxie Nerve Food,” and it was the first bottled carbonated beverage made in America. It was once the subject of “wild curative claims,” but would grow to become a popular soft drink in the coming decades, the website states.