USA: A Taste for the Beverage Business

From the lowlands of South Carolina to the urban landscape of the District of Columbia, boutique drink makers in the Fifth District are tapping into a nostalgic thirst for old-fashioned flavors and a craving for unique tastes.The beverage menu includes everything from root beer and ginger ale to fancy teas and waters. Take Virginia, for instance, home to Northern Neck Ginger Ale and Carver's Original ginger ale, as well as root beers like Root 66 and Dominion Root Beer. The springs of South Carolina provide the water used in Blenheim Ginger Ale. North Carolina touts Cheerwine cherry cola, while Maryland cheers for Honest Tea. And when it comes to waters, there's nothing plain about North Carolina's sport drink, AquOforce Sport Water Plus, or Virginia's sparkling Quibell.Region Focus writer Betty Joyce Nash takes readers inside the beverage business in the spring issue of Region Focus.Region Focus, a quarterly business magazine published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, provides information on and analysis of the economy and business activities of the District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and most of West Virginia.