Canada Dry
“Dry” is one of those basic English words that have been around long enough to acquire all sorts of meanings only tangentially related to its primary definition, which in the case of “dry” pretty much amounts to “not wet.”
In figurative senses, however, “dry” can mean, among other thing, insensitive or unemotional, caustically witty (”dry humor”), barren or unfruitful, miserly, plain, unattractive, dull, stiff or overly formal, or, of course, very thirsty. “Dry” is even an American slang term applied to those locales that forbid the consumption or sale of alcohol.
A more pleasant sense of “dry,” dating back to at least 1700, is used among wine connoisseurs to mean “free from sweetness or fruity flavor,” which in many wines is a desirable attribute.
Now fast-forward to Canada in 1904, where Toronto pharmacist and entrepreneur John J. McLaughlin was searching for a winning soft-drink formula to add to his line of bottled soda water. Most ginger ales of the day were syrupy concoctions, dark in color and extremely sweet. McLaughlin was looking for something brighter and lighter, and after many experiments he finally perfected his dream beverage. In 1919 he began exporting it to New York City as “Canada Dry Pale Ginger Ale,” and within a few years established his first American factory in Manhattan. While most carbonated beverages at that time were sold through corner drugstores, McLaughlin pioneered distribution at ball games, beaches, and anywhere people gathered.
By the 1920s, Canada Dry had been acquired by P.D. Saylor and Company and was on the verge of becoming a nationwide brand in the U.S. Ironically, it was one of the other meanings of the word “dry” — prohibiting the sale of alcohol — that gave Canada Dry its biggest boost.
Canada Dry Ginger Ale turned out to be just right for disguising the often raw taste of home-brew alcohol and became the mixer of choice during Prohibition in the US. By the 1930s, Canada Dry had added several other varieties to its line and was on its way to global success.
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