Every once in a while we at Sip & Savor take a step back from the issues and provide you with a little bit of beverage industry trivia.  Today is one of those days.  So let's take a look at Moxie, one of the oldest continuously sold carbonated beverages on the market in America.  Invented in Maine in 1884, it's also the official soft drink of the state. In fact, Moxie was honored once again this year at the 27th annual Moxie Festival held in Lisbon, Maine.

Invented by Dr. Augustin Thompson of Union, Maine, Moxie was first sold by the tablespoon as medicine in Lowell, Mass., back in 1876. It entered the market in 1884 as "Beverage Moxie Nerve Food," until the name was later shortened.

This year's Moxie Festival brought in 40,000 visitors to celebrate the drink, which was purchased by Cornucopia Beverages in 2007.  "There's really nothing to compare it to. It's not a cola, and it's not a root beer; it's its own little niche," Justin Conroy, Moxie brand manager, told the Union Leader of the purchase.

Moxie's catchy name has become part of the American vernacular.  We don't truly know what came first - the beverage or the slang term meaning to have vigor or pep. But we do know it sounds like the perfect way to describe the spirit of the participants who braved the rain this weekend to celebrate this little slice of Americana with a parade, race, canoe competition, Moxie recipe contest and more.