So, how did I even stumble onto this whole Clicquot Club Beverages thing? Wasn’t like I woke up one morning and decided, “Today, I’m gonna become an expert on some defunct soda pop.” Nah, it was way more random than that. I was helping clear out my grandad’s attic, you know, the usual stuff – dust, cobwebs, boxes of who-knows-what. And in one of these old wooden crates, I found a couple of those old-timey green glass bottles. No paper labels, but one had this name, “Clicquot Club,” sort of embossed right into the glass. Rang zero bells for me.
Naturally, my curiosity got the better of me. I mean, an old bottle, a forgotten brand? That’s like catnip for someone like me. So, I fired up the old internet machine and started digging. And let me tell you, it was like falling down a rabbit hole. I ended up spending a good chunk of time on it. Here’s a bit of what I got up to:
- I spent hours, probably too many, just looking at old advertisements. Some were kinda neat, very of their time.
- Tried to learn about all the different drinks they made. Apparently, their ginger ale was a massive hit. They had sarsaparilla too, and a bunch of other flavors.
- I read up on their main plant in Millis, Massachusetts. Sounded like a huge operation back in its heyday. They even broadcast a radio show from there!
- And then there was their mascot, this little Eskimo kid. Definitely a product of its era, that one. But folks seemed to remember it well.
What really got me was how big Clicquot Club used to be. I mean, we’re talking a household name for decades. They were pioneers, apparently one of the first to bottle and sell ginger ale nationally. They sponsored things, they advertised everywhere. People genuinely loved their stuff. And now? It’s pretty much gone. Try finding a bottle you can actually drink today – good luck with that. All you find are these empty relics, or if they’re full, you wouldn’t dare drink what’s inside after all this time. It’s all collector’s stuff now.
It really made me think, you know? How does a brand that prominent just… disappear? From what I gathered, the quality was there. It wasn’t like they were selling swill. But I guess times change, bigger fish swim into the pond, tastes evolve. One minute you’re on top of the world, the next you’re a footnote, a curiosity found in an attic. It’s a bit sobering, makes you wonder about the big brands of today. How many of them will be totally forgotten in 50 or 70 years? My bet is quite a few.
And then, here’s a funny little thing that happened. About a month after I found those bottles in the attic, I was wandering through a local flea market. Just browsing, not looking for anything in particular. And what do I see on a table, wedged between some old tools and a stack of yellowed postcards? Another Clicquot Club bottle! This one even had a bit of its label left, with that Eskimo kid looking out. The seller wanted a whole five bucks for it. Five dollars for something that was once a giant. Seemed almost disrespectful, in a weird way. Of course, I bought it. Now it sits on my shelf, a little dusty reminder.
So, what’s the grand lesson from my dive into the world of Clicquot Club Beverages? Honestly, not much in the grand scheme of things. It’s just a fascinating peek into the past. It showed me how fleeting fame can be, even for something as simple as a popular drink. What was once everywhere can just fade away, becoming a story for folks like me to dig up. It’s a good reminder, I suppose, that nothing really stays the same. And sometimes, there’s a pretty interesting history behind the things we’ve forgotten. You just gotta be curious enough to look.
