About Us

To know us is to love Blenheim

Family Owned & Operated

Here at Blenheim, we continue the long history of making ginger ale the old fashioned way. Our passion spans the generations from the drinks creators, Dr. C.R. May and A.J. Matheson, to the third generation of the current owners, the Schafer family. Blenheim Ginger Ale is a Southern tradition that dates back to the 1800’s when Dr. C.R. May advised his patients with stomach ailments to drink the local mineral water flowing from a Blenheim, South Carolina natural spring. When these patients complained about the strong taste of the water, Dr. May added Jamaican Ginger to it to conceal the mineral taste.

Blenheim soon became so in demand that the original bottling plant was opened in 1903 to accommodate all the local folks who simply could not get enough of this delightful concoction. In 1993 the Blenheim Bottling Company was acquired by the Schafer family, who also own the South of the Border Tourist Complex. They quickly renovated the original plant in Blenheim to meet new quality standards, and began bottling this unique ginger ale.

Soon it was clear that the antiquated plant could never fulfill the demand that existed for Good Ole’ Blenheim, so a new plant was built on the South of the Border complex with a larger capacity and a modern bottling system. Currently Blenheim is the oldest continuous independent soda bottler in the world, and a cult favorite among locals, visitors, spicy food aficionados, and celebrities alike.

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