Ale-8-One
Ale-8-One is a regional ginger ale distributed only in Kentucky and portions of neighboring Indiana and Ohio in the United States. Bottled in small-town Winchester, Kentucky since 1926, the champagne-colored soft drink was concocted by G.L. Wainscott, who had been experimenting with carbonated beverages since 1902. Wainscott conceived the logo as a pun for "A Late One," suggesting that it was "the latest thing" in soft drinks.
Long available only in Kentucky, in April 2002 the Ale-8-One Bottling Company expanded its distribution to areas of Ohio and Indiana in through an agreement with Coca-Cola Enterprises. In 2003 the company announced limited distribution of Diet Ale 8, their first new product since the invention of the original.
Despite persistent local rumors of a buy-out by beverage giant Coca-Cola, Ale-8-One continues to be a small, family-owned enterprise. The current president is Wainscott's great-nephew, Frank A. Rogers, III.