Moxie is a carbonated beverage which was among the first mass-produced soft drinks in the United States, and is regionally popular to this day. Around 1876 Augustin Thompson, a medical doctor, developed a formula for an elixir which he called "Moxie Nerve Food", claiming that it was a treatment for almost anything. After a few years, Thompson added soda water to the formula and changed the name to "Beverage Moxie Nerve Food".

By 1884 he was selling Moxie both in bottles and in bulk as a soda fountain syrup, marketing it as "...a delicious blend of bitter and sweet, a drink to satisfy everyone's taste." Moxie Facts from The Marietta Soda Museum In the early phase of its life as a recreational soft drink, Moxie is said to have been kept handy by bartenders to give to customers who were too drunk to be given any more alcohol. This story may be apocryphal, however, considering Moxie's noted aftertaste, which many people find unpleasantly strong.

The popularity of Moxie produced popular advertising jingles, such as ?Just Make It Moxie for Mine?, and President Calvin Coolidge was known to have favored the drink. Boston Red Sox slugger Ted Williams endorsed Moxie. Author E.B. White, an adopted Mainer and noted Moxie fan, once wrote ?Moxie contains gentian root, which is the path to the good life.?

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