Michigan Made Pop (Soda)

Celebrate the great state of Michigan with any of these delicious pop (we don't call it soda).

It was January 26, 1837 when Michigan officially entered the Union after receiving the Upper Peninsula in concession for losing Toledo.

In honor of Michigan's birth month, I wanted to do a Michigan related post. I decided to provide a list of the pop (it's not soda in Michigan) that is made in the Great Lakes State. There is a lot of great stuff being made here, some which you may know, some you may want to know.

Vernors

Without question, the most popular drink to come out of Michigan is Vernors Ginger Ale. The drink was invented by James Vernor.

He was looking to make a ginger ale like the one made in Dublin, Ireland at the time. As he was working on his drink he was called into serving in the Civil War. When he got back, his ingredients has been aging in a oak barrel. What resulted lead to the Vernors we have today.

Today, the drink is under the Dr. Pepper/Snapple brand, I don't even know it it's produced in Michigan still, but it's still a Michigan original and what Michigan mom give to their kids with any stomach ailment.

Faygo

I have found time and time again when someone has left Michigan, and comes back, they head to the nearest store for some Faygo! This brand is found all over Michigan and into some other states as well.

Faygo began in Monroe, Michigan in 1907. The company was bought by National Beverage Corp in 1987. However Faygo is still made right here in Michigan.

In recent years, they have brought back the glass bottle version using pure cane sugar. These bottles have popped up in gourmet stores and soda shops all across the country. Some of my personal favorite flavors are Grape, Rock 'n' Rye, Vanilla Creme, and Peach.

Towne Club

Towne Club started up in the 1960s. It was unique in that you would go right to the company to buy the pop. You would take a wood case and walk around picking out different flavors. Each case fit 24 bottles.

In the 1980s this practice came to an end. Towne Club was suffering on hard times for quite a while. People thought they disappeared. However in recent years they have been making a comeback in a major way. They have a newly designed glass bottle that holds 16 oz.

To show their love for Michigan they have these two flavors - Honolulu Blue Cream Soda (referring the blue in the Detroit Lions uniform) and Michigan Cherry, which contains real Michigan cherry juice.

Frostie's

While not being an Michigan original, the brand was sold in 2009, to the Michigan based Intrastate Distributors Inc of Detroit (they also have the rights to Towne Club). So this brand has increased it's presence throughout Michigan in the last couple years, especially around Christmas time where many stores (including Busch's) carry their 4 packs of glass bottle pop.

Northwoods Soda

Some of the best is coming out of the Traverse City area. Northwoods Soda sells their pop in bottles and has syrup you can buy. Some restaurants have even gone to using them over the national brands, which I just love that support of local.

For a while there products were at Meijer but they were discontinued there a few years ago. Their website will help direct you to where you might find them. And with flavors like Wild Bill's Root Beer, Lake Effect Lemonade, Wild Eve Forbidden Fruit, and Yellow Snow you'll be hard pressed to decide which to try first.

Cherry Republic

Northwoods Soda also makes pop exclusviely for Cherry Republic. Straight from the Cherry Capital of the World, Cherry Republic is a company that sells nothing but cherry products from jam to jelly to of course pop.

Their Boom Chugga Lugga brand has several flavors, all using real Michigan cherry juice. Those flavors include: Black Cherry Cream Soda, True Cherry Cola, Cherry Ginger Ale, Cherry, and Cherry Root Bear. Every one of these flavors is 5 star worthy.

The pop can be found at their stores in Ann Arbor, Traverse City, Glen Arbor, Holland, Frankenmuth, and Charlevoix.

Brix Soda Company

One of the newest producers in Michigan is the Brix Soda Company of Grand Raids. I first discovered them at a Horrock's store in Lansing. They were selling them by the bottle but also had them on tap. Their Orange Cream soda is very good. I look forward to eventually trying more of their flavors.

Frankenmuth Root Beer

The last one I wanted to mention was this root beer that I fund at the shops at the Bavarian Inn. Frankenmuth is such a fun place to go and part of the experience has to be the food. I brought some of this root beer back with e on my latest trip.

✋ What is your favorite pop made in the mitten? Am I missing anything on this list? Leave a comment below. Also let us know if you need help tracking down any of these on our list.