The suit was dismissed by the judge, who said the court could not protect the legitimate part of the plaintiff's business in this case. In 1907, the Moxie Nerve Food Company of New England filed a lawsuit in Boston against the Modox Company and others, alleging that they had copied the ingredients of Moxie and were using the name "Modox," which closely resembles "Moxie," and were infringing upon patents and trademarks. Ī group of friends from Allentown, Pennsylvania, celebrating Independence Day in 1913 with a case of Moxie at a grove. He marketed it as "a delicious blend of bitter and sweet, a drink to satisfy everyone's taste." Thompson died in 1903. In 1885, he received a trademark for the term. Īfter a few years, Thompson added soda water to the formula and changed the product's name to "Beverage Moxie Nerve Food." By 1884 he was selling Moxie both in bottles and in bulk as a soda fountain syrup. It likely derives from an Abenaki word that means "dark water" and that is found in lake and river names in Maine, where Thompson was born and raised. Thompson claimed that he named the beverage after a Lieutenant Moxie, a purported friend of his, who he claimed had discovered the plant and used it as a panacea, and the company he created continued to promulgate legendary stories about the word's origin. Moxie, he claimed, was especially effective against " paralysis, softening of the brain, nervousness, and insomnia." Thompson claimed that it contained an extract from a rare, unnamed South American plant, which is now known to be gentian root. Moxie originated around 1876 as a patent medicine called "Moxie Nerve Food," by Augustin Thompson in Lowell, Massachusetts. The name has become the word " moxie" in American English, a noun meaning courage, daring, or determination. It was previously produced by the Moxie Beverage Company of Bedford, New Hampshire until Moxie was purchased by The Coca-Cola Company in 2018. It continues to be regionally popular today, particularly in New England states.
Moxie was designated the official soft drink of Maine on May 10, 2005. It is flavoured with gentian root extract, an extremely bitter substance commonly used in herbal medicine. The sweet soda is similar to root beer, with a bitter aftertaste. It was created around 1876 by Augustin Thompson (born in Union, Maine) as a patent medicine called "Moxie Nerve Food" and was produced in Lowell, Massachusetts. Moxie is a brand of carbonated beverage that is among the first mass-produced soft drinks in the United States.
Moxie Cherry Cola, Moxie Cream Soda, Moxie Orange Cream, Ted's Root Beerĭiet Moxie, Moxie Energy, Moxie Energy Citrus, Moxie Energy Explosion, Moxie Energy Thunder, Olde New England Seltzer, Moxie Blue Cream For other uses, see Moxie (disambiguation).