Remember drinking Kool-Aid? The sweet fruity drink that dyed your teeth and tongue, and your mom got upset when you spilled it on your clothes?
According to Wikipedia:
"Kool-Aid was invented by Edwin Perkins and his wife Kitty in Hastings, Nebraska, USA. Its predecessor was a liquid concentrate called Fruit Smack. (smack?) To reduce shipping costs, in 1927, Perkins discovered a way to remove the liquid from Fruit Smack, leaving only a powder. This powder was named Kool-Ade. A few years later, it was renamed 'Kool-Aid', due to a change in U.S. government regulations regarding the need for fruit juice in products using the suffix "-ade"[citation needed][dubious – discuss]. Perkins moved his production to Chicago in 1931 and Kool-Aid was sold to General Foods in 1953.
Hastings still celebrates a yearly summer festival called Kool-Aid Dayson the second weekend in August, in honor of their city's claim to fame.
Advertising and promotion
The mascot of Kool-Aid, Kool-Aid Man (aka The Big Man), is a large anthropomorphic frosty pitcher filled with Kool-Aid (usually cherry, though other flavors have been used). He was introduced in Kool-Aid advertising shortly after General Foods acquired the brand. In TV and print ads, Kool-Aid Man was known for bursting suddenly through walls, seemingly summoned by the making and imbibing of Kool-Aid by children. His catch phrase is "Oh, yeah!" For many years, the Kool-Aid Man was portrayed by a live-action actor in a giant pitcher suit; starting in the mid-1990s, the character was computer-generated. The most recent Kool-Aid commercial, however, features a new actor in a whole-new pitcher costume."
Originally, Kool-Aid sold for 10 cents a packet, but during the depression, Perkins cut the price in half to 5 cents so families could afford it.
This sweet drink has left a legacy in our culture. Did you know that because of the Jonestown massacre and cyanide laced grape Kool-Aid being the drink of choice, coined the saying, "Don't drink the Kool-Aid." That basically means, don't trust any group of people that you think tend to be a little kooky.
Other than drinking the stuff, Kool-Aid has a variety of uses:
Fabric dyes, great for tie dying tee shirts.
Yarn dyes.
Frosting's, just add Cool Whip.
Fruity lip gloss, add to petroleum jelly and heat.
Lemonade flavor to remove iron stains from the bath tub.
Orange flavor to run through the dishwasher as a cleaner.
Water color paints.
Hair dye.
Face paints.
The list is endless and to think we drank it and stained our insides a variety of psychedelic colors.
Most importantly, don't forget Ken Keasy's Kool-Aid acid test presented by his Merry Pranksters.
Kool-Aid anyone?
5 comments:
I still make Kool-Aid popsickles when the comfort food mode strikes.
BTW, you've been tagged with a meme
http://cloistervoices.blogspot.com/2009/01/meme-eccentrics.html#links
I used to love Kool-Aid but can't remember the last time I had any. Perhaps it's because I need to stick to diet drinks now. Anyway, just wanted to let you know that you made by blog today. Here's the link: http://blondesherry.blogspot.com/2009/01/top-commentors-in-december-and-blogs-i.html
Kool-Aid was for selling! My cousin and I set up our Kool Aid stand on the first warm day of and dreamed of how we would spendthe fortune we would make! We did make spending money - and usually used it for malted balls (2for a penny).
I make Kool-Aid popsickles too. :) Remember Fizzies? I had a neighbor friend (1956) and her mom made them for us when we were kids but with tap water and no ice so they weren't so neat. If they're still around I'll have to test them again with ice.
Okay, I just Googled it and found this. I haven't seen your whole blog so for all I know you already have Fizzies in here. If not, check this out.
Fizzies are Back!
I'm a baby boomer too so your blog is right up my alley. I love to reminisce and I know that those times ARE much different than today. It's sad but we grew into today and it is most definitely not like we had it when we were kids.
Three summers ago I went back to where I grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana and some of those great feelings returned. Especially in the alleys. I drove the alleys that I used to play in and I was so excited. lol
Actually the Jonestown massacre they used FLAVOUR-Aid, a Kool Aid knock off. the saying gets the history wrong. I will admit though, Don't drink the Kool aid rolls off the tongue better. It's a saying that denotes mind control or cult mentality thinking more than mass murder/suicide though.
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