What the hell is Koolaid?!?

Answer 1

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.

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.



Kool-Aid
Overview
Kool-Aid: Discover the Dream

The History of Kool-Aid

Kool-Aid Days

Answer 2

Hmmmmm.....Let me see, do I behave like the typical brit on this site and patronise you because you are ignorant to something from America or do I just tell you? Since, I have no burning desire to stoop to the pettiness I read on this site, I will just tell you what is Koolaid.
It is a powdered drink mix that comes in a tiny packet and you add usually a cup of sugar and some water. It comes out tasting a bit like squash or ribena or cordial. There's also the variety that comes with the sugar already added and then there's the artificially sweetened kind as well.
You can get it at Cybercandy in Covent Garden, London if you're around there.

Answer 3

Koo-laid is a powdered drink for kids. You add sugar and water. It comes in many flavors. One packet makes 2 quarts. I don't recommend it though, it's basically flavored sugar water, and has no nutritional value. The only good thing about it is the cost. You can get about 10 packets for around a dollar.

Answer 4

What is Kool-Aid?
Kool-Aid is an inexpensive non-carbonated soft drink that comes in powder form, mixed with water and sugar. It's a sweet colorful drink favored by children.

According to legend, members of The People's Temple killed themselves by drinking Kool-Aid mixed with cyanide.

To "Drink the Kool-Aid" is to adopt a religion with suicidal zeal. The first time I heard this expression in the software industry was from people I knew at General Magic. It goes like this: I Drank the Kool-Aid.

Tom Wolfe wrote The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.

According to the Kool-Aid FAQ, "It is a popular misconception that 900 followers of cult leader Jim Jones committed suicide by drinking Grape Kool-Aid laced with cyanide at their commune in Jonestown Guyana in the late 1970's. The followers of Jones actually drank cyanide laced Flavor-aid, a cheap imitation of Kool-Aid."

Answer 5

A flavored powder you mix with water and sugar. The sweetness can be adjusted by how much sugar you add. You can buy it in all kinds of flavors including lemonade. I dont make it alot but its pretty good. Its very cheap to buy, its around 10 cents a package.

Answer 6

Its an American drink... Pure sugar crystals which are flavoured, you mix with water which melts the crystals. You can then pop the jug in the fridge. I hate it, its too sweet for me, but my boyfriend loves it and gets his family to send some over from America.

Answer 7

Terry c you are sad for knowing all that about Koolaid

kool aid is chemicals (just add water) for kids in america

Answer 8

a powdered drink that when mixed with water creats a sort of lemonade, it's really an American thing, so don't worry.

Answer 9

a drink, usually purchased in powder form to mix with water.

Answer 10

no cursing young lady.

koolaid flavouraid drink mix. Ideal for dyeing as well as drinking