Blenheim Ginger Ale is a ginger ale

Ginger ale

Ginger ale is a carbonated soft drink flavored with ginger. Dr. Thomas Cantrell, an American apothecary and surgeon, claimed to have invented ginger ale and marketed it with beverage manufacturer Grattan and Company. Grattan embossed the slogan "The Original Makers of Ginger Ale" on its bottles...

 bottled by Blenheim Bottlers in Hamer

Hamer, South Carolina

Hamer is an unincorporated community in Dillon County, South Carolina, United States. Its elevation is 144 feet .It includes Hamer Hall, a residence from 1890 listed on the National Register of Historic Places....

, Dillon County, South Carolina

South Carolina

South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

. It was originally bottled in Blenheim

Blenheim, South Carolina

Blenheim is a town in Marlboro County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 137 at the 2000 census. It is named for Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England which itself is named for the Battle of Blenheim, a major English victory of the War of the Spanish Succession at what is now...

, Marlboro County, South Carolina

South Carolina

South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

. It was created by a local doctor in 1903 by mixing Jamaica ginger with the local mineral waters, chosen because the flavor of the mineral waters was so strong.

The spring which is the source of the water for the ginger ale was discovered by a man by the name of Spencer who was running from the Red coats during the Civil War. His shoe became stuck in the mud of the natural spring; he left it and kept running. Upon his return, he picked his shoe up and noticed the amount of water in the depression his shoe left. He tasted the water and realized its strong mineral content, which now adds to the distinctive flavor of Blenheim Ginger Ale.

Blenheim is owned by the Schafer family, who also own the world famous South of the Border

South of the Border (attraction)

South of the Border is a rest stop and roadside attraction on Interstate 95 and US Highway 301/501 between Dillon, South Carolina and Rowland, North Carolina. It is named "south of the border" being south of the U.S. state of North Carolina...

 roadside attraction.

It is sold in 12 ounce bottles.

Charles Kuralt

Charles Kuralt

Charles Kuralt was an American journalist. He was most widely known for his long career with CBS, first for his "On the Road" segments on The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, and later as the first anchor of CBS News Sunday Morning, a position he held for fifteen years.Kuralt's "On the Road"...

 did a segment on Blenheim Ginger Ale for CBS

CBS

CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

. Penn Jillette

Penn Jillette

Penn Fraser Jillette is an American magician, comedian, illusionist, juggler, bassist and a best-selling author known for his work with fellow illusionist Teller in the team Penn & Teller, and advocacy of atheism, libertarian philosophy, free-market economics, and scientific skepticism.-Early...

 is a fan of Blenheim Ginger Ale and wore a Blenheim shirt on the cover of Wired Magazine.

Further reading

• Craft, Robert. Some Like It Hot. Carolina Lifestyle. August 1982.
• Grimes, William. A Southern Ginger Ale With Sting in Its Tail. New York Times, February 25, 1998.
• White, Forest. Hot Stuff: Hale to the Ale in Blenheim Town. Charleston, S.C., Post and Courier, September 22, 1993.

External links

• BevNet Review
• Aliverti, Brent. Blenheim Ginger Ale. Includes scan of Penn Jillette in Wired photo. 09 October 2002. Retrieved May 16, 2005.
• Behind Blenheim's. Turner South
  Turner South
  Turner South was an American cable television network launched on October 1, 1999 by Turner Broadcasting System as the first regional entertainment network developed especially for viewers in the southern United States...
  
  . Wednesday, April 13, 2005 at 8:54 AM/ET. Retrieved May 16, 2005.
• The Blenheim Ginger Ale Shrine