  Downriviera Member Username: Downriviera Post Number: 1 Registered: 02-2008 |
Does anybody remember going to the soda fountain at the old Vernors plant on Woodward? I always got Vernors mixed with chocolate, and I know they mixed it with cream, too. I was wondering if anyone recalls of other ways they served Vernors there. | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 1886 Registered: 07-2004 |
Which location and when? Vernors was at Canfield and Woodward circa 1950-1975. But before that it was at what's now Hart Plaza. | ||
Bearinabox Member Username: Bearinabox Post Number: 536 Registered: 04-2006 |
Where do they make it now? Out of state? | ||
Downriviera Member Username: Downriviera Post Number: 2 Registered: 02-2008 |
Would have been the Canfield/Woodward location. My parents used to take me there sometimes. | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 1887 Registered: 07-2004 |
Oh, yeah. I have a photo somewhere. Let's see ... | ||
Living_in_the_d Member Username: Living_in_the_d Post Number: 59 Registered: 01-2008 |
Yeah, Vernors, very groovy. | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 1888 Registered: 07-2004 |
OK, it's not a photo of the plant, but of the cool company station wagon driving on Cass near Canfield.  | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 1548 Registered: 04-2006 |
Vernors was open that past the Mid-70's. I can recall my mom taking us by bus to the science museum when it used to be across Woodward from this place. I don't remember a soda fountain, but we did get vernors in the lobby from a machine and watch the connveyer belts. She was a big fan of Soda fountains and could never pass a Sanders without stopping. She would have not settled for a machine vernors if she could have got a Boston Cooler at the plant! | ||
Revolutionary Member Username: Revolutionary Post Number: 138 Registered: 09-2004 |
Vernor's hasn't been the same since they replaced the stevia with high fructose corn syrup. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S tevia I blame Cargill and the corn lobby for getting Stevia banned. | ||
Downriviera Member Username: Downriviera Post Number: 3 Registered: 02-2008 |
Great pic. Used to get hot Vervors at the old Olympia during Wings games. They had a fountain machine that dispensed it hot. I still drink it hot out of the microwave, best bet for colds and stomach ache. | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 2050 Registered: 12-2005 |
Vernors is now produced by Pepsi of Michigan at their Howell bottling plant. | ||
Gnome Member Username: Gnome Post Number: 732 Registered: 08-2007 |
I miss the sneeze you use to get from the bubbles. (Message edited by gnome on February 14, 2008) | ||
Digitalvision Member Username: Digitalvision Post Number: 562 Registered: 11-2003 |
How about this for a grudge... According to a book I have about the history of Vernors, apparently the owner of Vernors (at the time a city council member) was the tie breaking vote that killed the plans for a subway system in Detroit. He felt that the station, since it would of been in front of his Woodward store, would of lowered his foot traffic and hurt business as well as limited on-street parking. Funny how things change but stay the same. That said, still love my Vernors. | ||
Douglasm Member Username: Douglasm Post Number: 1019 Registered: 10-2003 |
Vernors is owned by Cadburry/Schwepps via CS's purchase of A&W Beverages. The reason it tends to be distributed by Pepsi distributors is that C/S also owns 7-UP/Dr. Pepper, which many Pepsi distributors carried to counter Coke's Sprite lemon/lime soda. Our local Pepsi distributor carries it from A&W Brands, bottled in Everett, WA. Cadburry/Schwepps is sort of the G. Heileman of the soda pop business. Their brands include Canada Dry, Crush, Hires, Squirt and Royal Crown Cola. | ||
Chitaku Member Username: Chitaku Post Number: 1854 Registered: 03-2006 |
my dad lives by that stuff and I could just never get it(i've grown to like it with age). My goal is to get him a sweet vernors fountain | ||
Tponetom Member Username: Tponetom Post Number: 225 Registered: 06-2007 |
We have been getting Vernor's here, in Tucson, for the last 13 years. Up until 2 years ago I would buy a 12 pack for 2 dollars when it went on sale about once every two months at which time I would buy 8 -12 packs. Now, the good times are over. They are currently "on sale" at Fry's (Kroger's) 3-12 packs for 11 dollars. Yes, they are distributed by Pepsi. Any old Detroiter will remember Vernor's on Woodward. Going "downtown" on any day, meant going to Vernor's and then to Hudson's. A bottle of Vernor's in the local candy stores or Ice Cream Parlors usually cost a dime that we seldom, if ever, had. Two nickel cokes were trump cards but certainly not as tantalyzing. | ||
Flyingj Member Username: Flyingj Post Number: 89 Registered: 08-2006 |
Tponetom, my father just got back from Tucson(he lived there several years-statistically 10% of Tucson's population are Michigan emigres) & couldn't get over how f'd that overnight freeway construction is-the 10's like a slaughterhouse. On Leap Year you WILL go to the Grand Opening of Bevmo(between the First 100 customers & Daily Star coupon you're good for $35 in free stuff-including Vernor's in 4-packs of glass bottles; http://www.bevmo.com/HTMLPopUp s/bm-Opening-TucsonAZ.html | ||
Fury13 Member Username: Fury13 Post Number: 3939 Registered: 10-2003 |
Vernor's used to have a significantly stronger taste and it was more fizzy. Going national resulted in a more bland product for the mass market, I guess. | ||
Fishtoes2000 Member Username: Fishtoes2000 Post Number: 410 Registered: 06-2005 |
It used to be aged 4 years in oak. I've got an old Vernor's bottle that proudly displays that. I imagine the lab came up a suitable artificial flavor additive for that, eh? Are any local micro-brews making Vernor's-style ginger ale in the Detroit area? | ||
Downriviera Member Username: Downriviera Post Number: 5 Registered: 02-2008 |
Its true that Vernor's is not as good as it used to be, but I think its still better than any other ginger sodas out there, and I've tried a lot of them. I know it sounds crazy, but try a glass of Vernor's with a couple teaspoons of a good chocolate syrup stirred in, its amazing. They used to serve it that way at the plant. | ||
Sharms Member Username: Sharms Post Number: 44 Registered: 07-2007 |
The Vernor's sneeze.....what a memory.... | ||
The_rock Member Username: The_rock Post Number: 2135 Registered: 11-2003 |
I'll fess up. I remember the Vernor's shop on Woodward at the River. Great location at the time. Following a "treat" at the shop, you could then hop on the Boblo boat, or better yet, take the steamer,Put In Bay, to Put In Bay! DandC boats were within viewing distance, too. Busy waterfront to say the least and Vernor's was a great draw for kids and grownups alike. Seems to me that Jim Vernor lived | ||
The_rock Member Username: The_rock Post Number: 2136 Registered: 11-2003 |
on Chicago (?) and was a pharmacist by trade, living into his 80's. | ||
Wally Member Username: Wally Post Number: 375 Registered: 12-2003 |
^ I've noticed the "sneeze" is gone too. Too bad. Interesting about the stevia. I don't care for Vernor's anymore. I don't think Stroh's tastes the same as it did 20 years ago either. | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 1892 Registered: 07-2004 |
It's all that corn syrup. :P | ||
Irunwscissors Member Username: Irunwscissors Post Number: 20 Registered: 11-2007 |
Vernors and milk, heated....yum. |
