The Old Keg Story

History of Old Keg Root Beer

Old Keg Root Beer traces its origins to Reading, Pennsylvania, where it was introduced by the Excelsior Bottling Company during the early 1940s. While the Old Keg name first appears in surviving records in 1941, the company behind it had already earned a respected reputation that stretched back nearly fifty years.

Founded in the 1890s by Thomas J. Fessler and S. G. Dunkelberger, Excelsior Bottling Company grew from a local bottling operation into one of Reading's established beverage producers. From its Maple Street bottling works, the company manufactured ginger ale, seltzer, and other carbonated soft drinks while also bottling traditional malt beverages. By the time Old Keg Root Beer was introduced, Excelsior had weathered changing consumer tastes, Prohibition, and the challenges of a rapidly evolving beverage industry.

Old Keg reflected that heritage. Rather than relying on flashy advertising or novelty, it embraced the image of a rich, old-fashioned root beer. Its original slogan, "Real Draught Taste," expressed the company's goal of capturing the smooth, full-bodied flavor long associated with root beer served fresh from the keg—a fitting tribute from a bottler whose experience reached back to the nineteenth century.

Like many regional soft drinks of its era, Old Keg was created during a time when independent bottlers gave communities across America their own distinctive hometown flavors. These family-owned businesses helped shape the country's soft drink culture, producing brands that often became local favorites for generations.

Today, Old Keg stands as a tribute to the independent bottlers whose craftsmanship and dedication helped define America's golden age of regional soft drinks. Sweetened with real cane sugar and inspired by the traditions of the original Pennsylvania brand, Old Keg offers today's root beer enthusiasts the opportunity to enjoy a genuine piece of American soda history.