Does anyone have a recipie for Moxie??

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MDVDuber

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Yes I know - Long shot since 75% of you are probably saying WHAT? And about 60% of the remainder are saying YUCK! Why would you want to????

For those of you who don't know Moxie is a soda that as far as I know is only available in New England, and The further south in New England you go the less likely I am to find it. Anyhow, I grew up drinking it and now that I live in Maryland need to wait till my annual visit home to stock up.

What does it taste like? Well - sort of like Moxie... No really, when folks first try it there is a sort of initial HA - It's nothing special it tastes like Root Beer or Dr Pepper or....OH! What's that flavor?!?!? And then only about 40% go back for a second sip. For you Hop Heads - I liken it to a late hop bitterness, but not one I can relate to a specific hop flavor.

Anyhow, thanks in advance for your help!

For Further Reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moxie (It says available in PA - But I've never found it)
 
I just looked for it on amazon.com. its on there. Some pricey shipping though. At least shipping it to Colorado. But good luck. Is the bite from ginger?
 
I live in Maine, and have access to seemingly unlimited moxie.

I grew up in Southern Maine. Moving south of the Mason Dixon has brought with it some challenges. Primarily no good ice hockey and no Moxie (there are others but I don't want to offend my Virginian wife....).

I do not think the flavor is ginger - we cook lots of Asian food and ginger is a pretty familiar flavor. I've always assumed the Gentian Root was the secret ingredient - but I've tried adding Angostura Bitters to stuff and not realized the flavor of Moxie.
 
Take a recipe for rootbeer and double it, subtract the sugar, add some dirt and roots/bark. It is definitely its own thing.

And you would be one of the 60% or so that just doesn't like it. Understood, it's definitely unique.

I actually ran a semi-scientific experiment recently - ok so it was a total joke, but.... A friend's wife was teaching a middle school Social Studies class and they were studying New England. When she found out I had Moxie she asked for some for her class. I said fine - but I want a count of who likes it and who doesn't. It was pretty much a 60/40 split.

I gotta admit that the first time I had it I wasn't convinced, but think back to the first beer you ever had (and forget that it was probably a BMC), you didn't like it either, but were strangely intrigued.
 
Well, I wasn't just being a smart ass. It is kinda like rootbeer and has way less sugar than any other pop or colas. One of the ingredients is a root or bark of something which I can't remember right now. I'll have to give it another try.
 
Well, I wasn't just being a smart ass. It is kinda like rootbeer and has way less sugar than any other pop or colas. One of the ingredients is a root or bark of something which I can't remember right now. I'll have to give it another try.

No sweat - it's an acquired taste no doubt. So where is the "Middle Of Nowhere"? I've been to a few of those - and there I go being a smart ass....
 
It varies, I know moxie from regularly going to southern Maine. My wife's grandmother has a cabin...when I say cabin I really mean uninsulated rotting shack with pond water coming out the tap.
What's your avitar pic? From the handle I'm guessing autocrossing a vw.
 
I think there is fennel in it. I just drank a liter of it as part of a dare. I liked it better now than 3 years ago.
 
It varies, I know moxie from regularly going to southern Maine. My wife's grandmother has a cabin...when I say cabin I really mean uninsulated rotting shack with pond water coming out the tap.
What's your avitar pic? From the handle I'm guessing autocrossing a vw.

Shacks on ponds are some of the best places in the world.

Yeah - that's me autocrossing the semi-daily '92 Jetta. Nothing like having a few expensive and time consuming hobbies, Brewing, Dabbling in motorsports, Mountain biking...
 
Not the soda I thought--what's the one that has the mollases taste to it? I tried some when living in Maine--I think it was payback for feeding my classmates 'switchel'.
 
My wife, who is from TN, believes the secret taste of Moxie might be sassafras root. She might be close. I've had sassafras root tea and tastes marginally like the aftertaste of Moxie. I grew up in downeast Maine now living in east TN and a guy I grew up with lives over in western NC, both of us have been been trying to get our grubby mitts on just a 6 pack to enjoy.
 
Moxie is available in PA. In fact, it's bottled by the Catawissa Bottling Company. They will ship the plastic bottles. Here's their "unsophisticated" website: http://catawissabottlingco.com/. I've found it in small grocery stores in the area - none of the big chain stores.
 
Vagenius said:
I live in Maine, and have access to seemingly unlimited moxie.

I swear, it comes out of the water fountains where I live.

Interestingly, Moxie also makes an energy drink that only costs $0.99 for a pint can. I only wish it tasted like the real thing.
 
Fix the Pumps from Darcy O'Neil references some books from 1897-1930 and includes a recipe for Moxie syrup. Don't know if it's related at all, but it appears to contain wintergreen, gentian and syrup of sarsaparilla. So as it was mentioned, if that's the same Moxie, then it does appear to be sarsaparilla with gentian which would make it more bitter than sarsaparilla or rootbeer.
 
I grew up in Southern Maine. Moving south of the Mason Dixon has brought with it some challenges. Primarily no good ice hockey and no Moxie (there are others but I don't want to offend my Virginian wife....).

It's so funny, I grew up with Moxie in Southern Maine as well...at the time it was bottled in Georgia (believe it still is). I moved to the DC area and had to travel to Georgia on business often...thought great, I'll be able to get Moxie...nope, they made it there but you you couldn't find it outside of New England (easily anyway)...always joked it must be how they got rid of their toxic waste. I'll be home next month and look forward to having one.

Keyth
 
KevinM said:
Fix the Pumps from Darcy O'Neil references some books from 1897-1930 and includes a recipe for Moxie syrup. Don't know if it's related at all, but it appears to contain wintergreen, gentian and syrup of sarsaparilla. So as it was mentioned, if that's the same Moxie, then it does appear to be sarsaparilla with gentian which would make it more bitter than sarsaparilla or rootbeer.

Are you able to quote that recipe to the forum?
 
I didn't write that one down unfortunately, so I'll have to see about finding where I borrowed the book and go take more notes. I only wrote down how it was different than rootbeer or saraparilla and questioned what was different other than gentian since the sarsaparilla already contained wintergreen, or if it was that it wanted more wintergreen for flavor, or if the sarsaparilla syrup was different than the syrup for the soda. Apparently I also mixed moxie up with a soda that I thought was a pinkish color (probably a birch beer with more wintergreen, peptol bismol which has wintergreen, or wintergreen candies which have a wierd peptol bismol pink to them.)
 
If you can remember and get the recipe that would be great. I can't find a copy at any of the Libraries in Maryland (Inter Library Loan). Thanks.
 
Gentian root extractives seems to be the special sauce.

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Google books - preview pg 135

Moxie Syrup
Wintergreen extract 22ml - 3/4oz
gentian extract 22ml - 3/4oz
syrup of sarsaparilla 90ml - 3oz
caramel colour 15ml - 1/2oz
alochol(90%) 30ml - 1oz *******
Simple Syrup 1L - 1qt

thinkin' this is from before soda became an everybody drink.
 
MDVDuber said:
Sweet! And I just happen to have a bottle of Prairie Moon Sarsaparilla concentrate on the way! Now to find gentian and wintergreen....

Pennherb.com has gentian and many other herbs/spices
 
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