Detroit is celebrating Vernors 150th anniversary this week. That celebration winds up tomorrow, when the city will try to set a world record for most pop drinkers at a time.
Keith Wunderlich, curator of Vernors collectibles, joined us on Stateside today to talk about the iconic company, which started with Ginger Ale.
"It was part of the culture of Detroit, not just a drink."
Wunderlich has a whole basement full of Vernors items from the past. Many of those items are on display at the Detroit Historical Museumthis weekend, as part of the celebration.
He said he thinks of Vernors as “part of the culture of Detroit, not just a drink.” He’s heard it called “mom’s cure-all for the sore throat or the cold,” for example.
“Vernors was a destination,” Wunderlich said. “When we had street cars in Detroit, the street cars went down Woodward and they went all the way around Vernors – it took up an entire city block to head back north up Woodward. So it was a part of everyday life in Detroit.”
You can hear the full conversation above.
GUEST Keith Wunderlich, curator of Vernors collectibles
