Royal Crown Cola Turns 100 Years Old

Aug. 29–Perhaps a MoonPie with a candle is in order. RC Cola, Georgia’s lesser-known native soft drink, is turning 100.

Pharmacist Claud Hatcher whipped up the first Royal Crown Cola in the basement of his family’s Columbus grocery store in 1905, and 100 years later, it still tastes like the good ‘ol days to a small but loyal fan base.

Legend has it that the RC and the MoonPie became a workingman’s lunch during the Great Depression because both treats were relatively cheap.

In the ’40s, RC staged taste tests with celebrities like Lucille Ball. In the ’50s, country singer Big Bill Lister recorded a song titled “RC Cola and MoonPie.”

RC, which changed hands many times, eventually lost its fizz. These days, RC is based in Plano, Texas, and owned by Cadbury Schweppes, which also owns Dr Pepper and other drinks.

RC claims less than 1 percent of the soft drink market. But loyal drinkers are still around, including some who have sported vintage Royal Crown T-shirts and visited an exhibit marking the drink’s centennial celebration at the Dr Pepper Museum in Waco, Texas.

The exhibit includes a book about the MoonPie, bottles dating to 1933 and an audiovisual piece with a decided twang.

Big Bill was not the last country singer to croon about RC. Tracy Byrd also has a song about the not-so-rich-and-famous, which includes the line: “Our champagne and caviar/ Is an RC Cola and a MoonPie.”

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CSG, CBRY,