Search results
Perhaps the most famous name on the Main Line, at least for those in other parts of America, is Hires — Charles E. Hires, the father of root beer. He started out as a drug store boy in a country town at when he was 12.
- Overview
- Personal Life
- Career Details
- Social and Economic Impact
- Sources of Information
Charles Elmer Hires, who developed a beverage he called "root beer" in 1875, was the first soft drink entrepreneur. His company paved the way for giants such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi. A Philadelphia-based pharmacist by profession, Hires was only 24 when he created his world-famous concoction, which he originally sold as dry concentrate that needed to...
Charles Elmer Hires was born on August 19, 1851, on his family's farm outside of Roadstown, New Jersey. He was the sixth of 10 children of John Dare Hires and Mary (Williams) Hires, who counted among her ancestors Martha Washington, wife of President George Washington. Despite such distinguished ties, the Hires family was not a wealthy one. Young C...
Hires was only 12 years old when he went to work at a local pharmacy. Intrigued by the profession, he moved to Philadelphia four years later to take a similar job. By 1867, Hires was working at a wholesale drug house while attending night classes at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and the Jefferson Medical College. He then headed to the town o...
Although Charles Elmer Hires did not technically "invent" root beer, he displayed a certain creativity and persistence—plus a genius for marketing and advertising—that turned a concoction of roots, bark, and herbs into America's first major soft drink. His initial attempts were a far cry from the easily accessible, ready-to-drink beverages of the m...
Bibliography
Fucini, Joseph J. and Fucini, Suzy. Entrepreneurs: The Men and Women Behind Famous Brand Names and How They Made It.Boston: G.K. Hall, 1985. Ingham, John N. Biographical Dictionary of American Business Leaders.Vol. H-M. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1983. Schuyler, Robert Livingston, ed. Dictionary of American Biography. Vol. 22, Supplement Two. New York: Scribner's, 1958. Van Doren, Charles. Webster's American Biographies.Springfield, MA: Merriam, 1979. Who Was Who In America.Vol. 4, 1961-1968. C...
Charles Elmer Hires (August 19, 1851 – July 31, 1937) was an American pharmacist and an early promoter of commercially prepared root beer. He founded the Charles E. Hires Co., which manufactured and distributed Hires Root Beer. [1]
Aug 9, 2019 · Root beer as we know it today is descended from "small beers," a collection of beverages (some alcoholic, some not) concocted by American colonists using what they had at hand. The brews varied by region and were flavored by locally grown herbs, barks, and roots.
- Mary Bellis
Root beer was originally made with sassafras root and bark which, due to its mucilaginous properties, formed a natural, long lasting foam, a characteristic feature of the beverage. Root beer was originally carbonated by fermentation. As demand and technology changed, carbonated water was used.
The Charles Hires' version of the root beer beverage was first introduced to the public at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial exhibition. The Hires family continued to manufacture root beer and in 1893 first sold and distributed bottled root beer.
People also ask
Who invented root beer?
Did Charles Elmer Hires invent root beer?
When did Charles hires start selling root beer?
When was 'Hires Root Beer' invented?
Who is the father of root beer on the main line?
How is root beer made?
Nov 18, 2023 · The journey of root beer — from a North American indigenous tribal tea to pharmacist Charles Elmer Hires’ first national soda brand— highlights a legacy of innovation and tenacity. Here’s a look!
