Moxie

Moxie is a carbonated beverage that was invented in Maine in 1876. It has character well suited to the stereotypical dour personality of the Pine Tree State. It is, in fact, Maine’s official soft drink. Those accustomed to Coke or ginger ale or other such soda pop usually find its taste traumatic. It is more bitter than sweet, like a gulp of medicine that makes you gasp. Those who love it claim that there is no soft drink like it. They are correct. Even its bubbles are not so much frothy as they are sharp. In the late 19th century, it was marketed as a nerve tonic that prevented “softening of the brain.” The name Moxie has come to be synonymous with such words as chutzpah and cojones, used to describe someone who is bold, unafraid, and in your face.