The History of Kool-Aid
 Hey Kool-Aid!
Remember that TV ad? Well, Kool-Aid® got its start right here in Hastings, Nebraska. This internationally known soft-drink
mix, now owned by Kraft Foods, actually started out as a liquid concentrate called Fruit Smack.
Edwin Perkins was always fascinated by chemistry and enjoyed inventing things. When his family moved to southwest
Nebraska at the turn of the century, young Perkins experimented with home-made concoctions in his mother's kitchen. Edwin's father
opened up a General Store in Hendley, Nebraska. It was in the store that Edwin became entranced with a new dessert mix introduced
by a childhood friend (and future wife) Kitty Shoemaker. The powdered dessert came in six delicious flavors and was called
Jell-O®. Edwin convinced his father to carry the dessert line in his store. It was at this same time Edwin sent away for a kit
called "How to Become a Manufacturer." During the following years, Perkins graduated from high school, published a weekly newspaper,
did job printing, served as postmaster and set up a mail order business called "Perkins Products Co" to market the numerous products
he had invented.
In 1918, Perkins married his childhood sweetheart, Kitty, and developed a remedy to kick the tobacco habit called "Nix-O-Tine."
By 1920, the demand for this and other products was so great, Perkins and his wife moved to Hastings, which had better rail service
for shipping purposes. Another product that was proving to be popular was a concentrated drink mix called Fruit Smack. Fruit Smack,
like Jell-O®, came in six delicious flavors. The four-ounce bottle made enough for a family to enjoy at an affordable price.
However, shipping the bottles proved to be costly and breakage was becoming a problem as well. In 1927, Perkins developed a method
of removing the liquid from Fruit Smack so the remaining powder could be re-packaged in envelopes (which Perkins designed and printed)
under a new name to be called Kool-Ade. (He later changed the spelling to Kool-Aid.)
The product, which sold for 10¢ a packet, was first sold to wholesale grocery, candy and other suitable markets by mail order in
six flavors; strawberry, cherry, lemon-lime, grape, orange and raspberry. In 1929, Kool-Aid® was distributed nation-wide to
grocery stores by food brokers. It was a family project to package and ship the popular soft drink mix around the country.
By 1931, the demand for Kool-Aid® was so strong, other items were dropped so Perkins could concentrate solely on Kool-Aid®.
He moved the entire production to Chicago for more efficient distribution, to be closer to supplies and to be able to expand even
further if necessary.
During the Great Depression, Perkins cut the price in half to just 5¢ a packet, a "luxury" most families could afford. Young
entrepreneurs sprung up across the country setting up Kool-Aid® stands. While most of the profits were consumed by the
youngsters, it was something most children enjoyed. Perkins introduced off-shoots of Kool-Aid® including pie fillings and ice
cream mixes. These products never really took off with the public. During World War II, fruit acid and dextrose rationing prevented
any expansion. After the war, the demand for Kool-Aid® was so great that Perkins had to expand the factory and by 1950, 300
production workers produced nearly a million packets of Kool-Aid® each day.
In 1953, Perkins announced to his staff that he was selling Kool-Aid® to General Foods. Within a year, the popular Smiling
Face Pitcher was introduced in print advertisements. Root Beer and Lemonade flavors were added to the original six flavors in 1955
and pre-sweetened Kool-Aid® was developed in 1964 and redeveloped in 1970. Kraft Foods acquired General Foods and became the
new owners of Kool-Aid®. They refined the Kool-Aid® pitcher into Kool-Aid® Man and introduced new Kool-Pumps and Kool
Bursts to the market. Kool-Aid® continues to be a popular product with roots in Hastings. It is the official soft drink of
Nebraska.
Edwin and Kitty Perkins never forgot their Nebraska ties and returned home often. The Perkins Foundation has been instrumental
in many projects in and around Hastings including gifts to Hastings College, Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital, Good Samaritan
Retirement Village and the Hastings Museum and Lied Super Screen Theatre. Edwin passed away in 1961 and Kitty followed 16 years
later. Both are buried in Hastings.
The Hastings Museum houses an impressive Kool-Aid® collection as part of the Kool-Aid: Discover
the Dream exhibit, including the original Kool-Aid® Man costume worn in the television commercials. Hastings College has
another collection on display in the Perkins Library on campus.
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For more information on the history of Kool-Aid®, a 16-page booklet published by the Adams County
Historical Society is available from The Museum Store. This is the most complete history
available in print. Contact The Museum Store at 402-461-4629 or by
email.
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