RICHMOND, Va. -- The fight to bring Northern Neck Ginger Ale just got a powerful ally.
U.S. Senator Tim Kaine has joined the chorus of consumers urging Coca-Cola to bring back the iconic brand.
Coca-Cola axed the drink, along with several other “underperforming products,” at the end of 2020 without a warning — blaming a shortage of aluminum.
That did not sit well with fans who signed a petition to bring back the drink first produced in Virginia back in 1926.
This week Kaine sent a letter to Coca-Cola to take a hard look at the soft drink.
"I urge the Coca-Cola Company to work to find a way to continue the production and sale of Northern Neck Ginger Ale in the region, whether it is restarting production, selling the brand to another company interested in producing it, or working with local stakeholders to find a producer able to license and distribute the brand regionally,” Kaine's letter read.
Stephanie Johnson, who started the Save Northern Neck Ginger Ale Facebook group, said she felt the company didn’t do enough research before deciding to stop production forever. And she said she’s not the type of person that takes “no” for an answer.
"I feel like this is one of those things that you have to continue to knock on the door,” Johnson said in an October interview. “That's what we're doing. We're gonna sit together, knock on this door together and keep on going.”
Johnson said she appreciated the support of Virginia politicians.
“I don't care what side of the aisle you're on," she said. "This drink stands in the middle."
Both King George County and Westmoreland County recently passed resolutions from their board of supervisors in support of bringing back the beverage.
Northern Neck Ginger Ale was originally produced on the peninsula until Coca-Cola bought it from the Carver family in 2001 and started producing it at their plant in Sandston.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
