13 months ago
UNION (NEWS CENTER) -- Moxie is one of those things people love or despise, with not much in-between. But no matter whether you have a taste for the unusual soft drink, Moxie is a part of Maine and New England history. That's why a new Moxie Museum is opening at the Union Fair. It's actually a new Moxie wing for the Matthews Museum, located on the fairgrounds in Union. Why there? Simple: Dr. Augustin Thompson, the creator of Moxie, was born in the town of Union. And while the drink was concocted by Thompson in Lowell, MA in 1872, the people in Union have hometown pride in the man and his creation. Moxie, says museum president George Gross, was America's most popular soft drink until the 1940s, when it was passed by Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola. He says those drinks were sweeter, and also less expensive than Moxie. Still there is a loyal following for the drink all these years later. "An acquired taste" the museum folks say. The new museum is filled with Moxie memorabilia, some dating back more than a century. Most prominent is the 32-foot tall wooden Moxie bottle, built as a trade show exhibit, and later actually used for a house! The Moxie Museum will be dedicated on Wednesday, August 26 during Moxie Day at the Union Fair.
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