Purple Elixir: How Grapette brought the taste of Arkansas to the world
November 14, 2024
Before Walmart became Arkansas’s biggest export, there was Grapette, the punchy neon purple soda with a unique grape flavor that conquered America and beyond.
Still around today, Grapette has a story full of twists and turns — as unpredictable as a sugared-up 8-year-old. It’s also not just about grape soda. You could be enjoying a Grapette creation without even knowing it.
Fooks Flavors
Kentucky-born Benjamin Tyndle Fooks moved to Camden (Ouachita County) with his family as a 13-year-old in the early 1900s. The ambitious son of a lumberman, Tyndle (as he was called) set out to become a Methodist minister before his 20th birthday before realizing it wasn’t his calling. Fooks gave up seminary in a matter of months, opting instead to follow his father into the family business. He worked in the field for several years before purchasing, in rapid succession, two sawmills and a gas station. All before turning 25.
It was while running his filling station in early 1926 that Fooks had a customer come hoping to sell his small soft drink plant with a line of flavors. By the end of that very day, he had purchased the company. With meager savings and some local investor help, he sold the gas station and acquired an additional bottling plant.
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https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2024/11/14/purple-elixir-how-grapette-brought-the-taste-of-arkansas-to-the-world