Kentucky’s other famous drink—aside from bourbon, of course—is Winchester’s Ale-8-One. Although some tell stories of it being served in their baby bottles, others in the state are not as familiar with the soft drink.
This gingery, citrusy, caffeine-infused carbonated beverage possesses a flavor that is unforgettable and apparently, not easily copied.
Ale-8-One dates back to 1926, when Winchester resident G.L. Wainscott, who already was bottling soda water and flavored drinks, came up with his signature drink. Not sure what to name it, he held a contest at the Clark County Fair and Ale-8-One, a twist on “A Late One” was the winner.
Wainscott’s original drink, developed in 1906, was a local success called Roxa-Kola. He was sued by a large cola company of a similar name—you know the one—and, much to everyone’s surprise, Wainscott won.
“Any company that had ‘cola’ in their name got sued by Coke,” said DeAnne Elmore, public relations and field marketing manager for Ale-8-One. “Most just quietly stopped production rather than go to court, but G.L. Wainscott fought and won. It was a very bold move.”
Although the company continued to produce Roxa-Kola until 1968, it turned its focus primarily to Ale-8-One.
The facility has about 110 full-time employees at its Winchester location. This family-owned company has been protecting the secret recipe for 90 years and four generations. Today, Wainscott’s great-great-nephew, Fielding Rogers, is the CEO. Rogers credits his uncle’s drive and ambition and his family’s dedication for Ale-8-One’s successes. Now 36, Rogers says he has worked there his whole life.
“There are pictures of me in the office with Dad when I was just a few days old,” he said. “My on-the-job training began as soon as I was old enough to work, just out of high school. I spent summers working as a retail merchandiser, servicing vending machines, and also in the quality control lab.”
The company enjoyed regional fame for many years, but growth was inevitable.
“For the first 50 years, it was mainly sold in Mt. Sterling, Morehead and Winchester,” Elmore said. “But ironically, in 2001, they made a distribution agreement with Coke, and it began to be delivered to 61 counties in Kentucky.”
Today, Ale-8-One is available in every county in the state, as well as Kroger and Harris Teeter grocery stores in Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, Illinois and Missouri and along the southern East Coast. It is also available by the single bottle at Cracker Barrel restaurants in 42 states.
“Our growth model is slow and controlled,” Elmore said. “We want to make sure it is a good fit at all times.”
And thanks to the company website, Ale-8-One can be shipped anywhere in the world.
Rogers sees little in the way of competition or imitation. He credits G.L., whom he called Uncle Lee, for that.
“Part of the genius of the recipe that Uncle Lee created was that it isn’t easily copied,” Rogers said. “It’s complex, and the real ginger we use is a special blend just for Ale-8. At the company, we pride ourselves on sourcing the best ingredients, which results in the highest quality and a consistent product. That in itself makes it hard for anyone to copy us.”
He says that he was once given an empty green bottle similar to Ale-8-One’s from a 1970s drink called Mountain Ale, but Mountain Ale apparently never found a market and is no longer around. Someone obviously tried, but it was no Ale-8.
Even though the facility produces about 10,000 cases per day, the goal is always to maintain the high quality, rather than expanding too fast and losing control of the product.
“We want to protect the good jobs we provide and the character of the brand,” Rogers said. “That’s much harder than it sounds when you are a small company competing with national giants.”
Elmore says that commitment to their values has paid off. Ale-8-One is a source of pride for Kentuckians.
“We hear stories all the time of what people do to show their loyalty,” she said. “But when you see an Ale-8 tattoo, that is a great testament to our company.”
More than just a soft drink, Ale-8-One’s distinct flavor can lend an extra dimension to recipes. Kentucky Monthly challenged three Kentucky chefs to concoct a dish using the beverage, with interesting and appetizing results. And to wet your whistle, Ale-8 provided a creative twist on the Commonwealth’s signature springtime cocktail, the mint julep, with the soft drink in a starring role.
Ale-8-One Braised Lamb Shanks with Creamy Polenta and Gremolata
Chef Dallas McGarity, The Fat Lamb, Louisville
Shanks:
6 14-16-ounce lamb shanks
2 medium carrots, cut into large chunks
1 onion, cut into large chunks
2 sticks of celery, cut into large chunks
1 orange, cut into wedges
4 whole fresh bay leaves
1/4 cup whole cloves
1 tablespoon whole Szechuan peppercorns
6 bottles Ale-8-One
Olive oil for searing
Salt and black pepper to taste
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat, and sear the lamb shanks until they are crispy on the outside.
2. Place the carrots, onion, celery, oranges, bay leaves, cloves and peppercorns in a large braising pan. Add the shanks to the braising pan so that they have a little room in between, and season with salt and black pepper. Pour in the Ale-8-One until it comes about halfway up the shank.
3. Cover and braise in the oven for about 3 hours, checking every hour until the shanks are tender and fully cooked.
Polenta:
1/2 quart heavy cream
1 1/2 quarts milk
2 cups polenta
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Warm the cream and milk in a large pot over medium heat. Just before the cream and milk begin to simmer, stir in the polenta using a whisk and season with salt and pepper.
2. Continuously stir the polenta until it starts to become thick. You will feel it with the whisk. Once the polenta is thick enough to serve, turn off the heat and whisk in the Parmesan. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Gremolata:
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup finely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 lemon (juice only)
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil
Combine all the ingredients in a large plastic container and allow to sit for at least 2 hours before using.
To plate:
Place the polenta in the center of a bowl. Place the braised shank on top, along with a little Ale-8 braising liquid, and spoon the gremolata over the top.
Potato Salad with Stone Fruit and Ale-8-One Mustard Vinaigrette
Chef Sara Bradley, Freight House Restaurant, Paducah
Potatoes:
3 pounds mixed colored baby new potatoes (we get ours from Ivy Farms)
1. Gently boil the potatoes in salted water until tender when pricked with a knife. Remove from heat.
2. Let the potatoes sit in the water until room temperature while you prepare the dressing.
Dressing:
1/2 cup Freight House mustard (If you don’t have access to Freight House fermented mustard, use up whole-grain mustard, 1/8 cup prepared horseradish and 1/8 cup orange marmalade)
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 cup Ale-8-One
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1. Combine all of the above ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
2. Cut the cooked potatoes in half or into bite-sized pieces and toss with the dressing. This can be done at any time from the morning the dish will be served, to 45 minutes before being served.
For serving:
2 ripe peaches, sliced
2 ripe plums, sliced
3 sprigs dill, roughly chopped
4 thin slices pickled red onion
1 small bunch of watercress
Mix dressed potatoes with peaches, plums and dill, then place onion and sprinkle watercress on top. Can be served cold, or at room temperature.
Ale-8-One Glazed and Stuffed Chicken Wings
Chef Jeremy Ashby, Azur, Lexington
Wings and sauce:
10 chicken wings, wing tips removed (reserve tips for sauces, stock or soup)
1/2 pound mild Italian sausage
1/2 cup diced shiitake mushrooms
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 cans Ale-8-One
1/2 cup Crystal hot sauce
2 tablespoons honey, local if possible
Spice rub:
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon lemon pepper
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1. In a mixing bowl, add the sausage, mushrooms, blue cheese and garlic. Mix ingredients together and form into little balls, about 1 1/2 ounces each.
2. French the chicken wings: If purchasing whole chicken wings, you will have three sections (drumette/drummy, flat/wingette and the tip). Remove the tip of the wing by cutting through the joint. Separate the drumette from the wingette by finding the joint in the middle and, with a sharp knife, slicing through it. Starting with the wingette, use a knife to make a circular cut all around the smaller end, so the meat will separate from the bone. Hold the piece upright and push the meat and skin down to the opposite end. There will be two bones; discard the smaller one. The skin should wrap over the meat and push down all the meat sticking to the bone. When the meat and skin are at one end, form them into a round shape, like a lollipop, but with a little pouch. On the flat section of the drumette, run the knife around the base of the smaller end, hold upright and scrape the meat and skin down from the bone to the far end. Again, form a ball and pouch at the end.
3. Place a ball of stuffing in the open cavity (pouch) of each wing created by Frenching them.
4. Prepare the spice rub by mixing together all the spices. Sprinkle the spice rub liberally all over the chicken wings.
5. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the Ale-8-One and slowly submerge the stuffed side of the chicken wings in the Ale-8. Simmer the wings for 20 minutes. Remove the wings and place on a serving plate.
6. Add the hot sauce and honey to the pan and reduce the Ale-8-One and sauce mixture by one-half or one-third or until it is thick like a glaze. Adjust the seasoning and drizzle the sauce on the wings.
Jubil8
2 teaspoons Ale-8-One Simple Syrup
6-8 mint leaves
Crushed ice
1.5 ounces bourbon
Ale-8-One
Gently muddle the simple syrup and mint leaves in a silver julep cup. Fill the cup with crushed ice. Add bourbon and fill the cup with Ale-8. Garnish with a sprig of mint.