06/14/2026
Today is Vernors 160th anniversary! 🥤🎉
First served to the public in Detroit in 1866, Vernors Soda was created by Detroit pharmacist James Vernor and has become one of the city’s most enduring brands and soft drinks. Today, it remains the oldest surviving ginger ale in the United States and a flavor generations of Detroiters have grown up with.
To celebrate, Eastern Market is hosting a free Vernors 160th Anniversary Celebration today, June 14, from 1 to 4pm on Riopelle Street. The event includes historical exhibits, Vernors-inspired food and drinks, interactive experiences, a street-wide toast at 3:30pm, and plenty of opportunities to celebrate one of Detroit’s most iconic creations.
Long before it became a household name, Vernors was sold at a soda fountain inside James Vernor’s Woodward Avenue pharmacy. Over the decades, it grew into a Detroit institution, with generations of Detroiters who still reach for a Vernors when they’re feeling under the weather or ordering a Boston Cooler.
While Vernors is now owned by Keurig Dr Pepper and no longer produced in Detroit, its roots still remain firmly planed here in the city where it began.
160 years later, Vernors remains one of Detroit’s most iconic brands and is a must to try when visiting.
Drop a 💚 if you love Vernors!
