In 1890 he created McLaughlin Belfast Style Ginger Ale, which was a dark, sweet beverage. He bottled this product and sold it at fairs and at beaches.
McLaughlin’s bubbly concoction became the mixer of choice in the Prohibition years because the soda masked the taste of home-brewed hooch.
The label included a map of Canada with a beaver, which is the national symbol of Canada. His wife and customers found his drink to syrupy for their tastes, so he began work on a lighter colored and less sweet version.
By 1904 McLaughlin had perfected a recipe for pale dry ginger ale. It was first exported to the United Sates in 1919. In 1922, he trademarked the name Canada Dry.
McLaughlin invented Canada Dry
