Nebraska's Official Soft Drink

Kool-Aid was invented by Edwin Perkins (1889-1961) in Hastings, Nebraska in 1927. As a boy working in his family’s general store, Perkins became interested in a new powdered dessert mix named Jell-O and persuaded his father to carry it in the store. Kool-Aid's predecessor was called Fruit Smack, a bottled soft drink concentrate in six flavors. All of Perkin's experiments took place in his mother's kitchen. To reduce shipping costs, Perkins discovered a way to remove the liquid from Fruit Smack, leaving only a powder. Perkins moved his production to Chicago in 1931 and Kool-Aid was sold to General Foods in 1953. A yearly summer festival in Hastings celebrates with Kool-Aid Days on the second weekend in August in honor of their city's claim to fame. It is Nebraska's official soft drink.

Additional Kool-Aid details can be found here.

Fruit Smacked in Nebraska

 

Kool-Aid is an American brand of flavored drink mix invented by Edwin Perkins in Hastings, Nebraska. All of his experiments took place in his mother's kitchen. Its predecessor was a liquid concentrate called Fruit 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-Aid. In 1931, Perkins moved production to Chicago and Kool-Aid was sold to General Foods in 1953. Currently, Kool-Aid is owned by Kraft Heinz. Strangely, the colors in Kool-Aid will stain, and hence the substance can be used as a dye for either hair or wool. A yearly summer festival called Kool-Aid Days falls on the second weekend in August in honor of Hasting's claim to fame. Kool-Aid is known as Nebraska's official soft drink. 

See Hastings Museum.