LONDONDERRY, NH — For what began as a book-signing, there’s a lot to drink in.
On Saturday, June 1, the public is invited to take part in “The Great Moxie Flyover” at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, 27 Navigator Road, Londonderry.
The day’s activities include a historical presentation, a group photo taken overhead by a vintage plane, displays of Moxie memorabilia and merchandise, and samples of the iconic New England beverage with all paid admissions.
‘The Great Moxie Flyover’ is in honor of the recent publication of a book about the venerable soft drink co-authored by Merrill Lewis, a Manchester resident and president of the New England Moxie Congress.
Lewis, a long-time Aviation Museum volunteer, will be on hand to sign copies of the new book, on which he collaborated with fellow Moxie fanatic Dennis Sasseville.
“Our ‘Great Moxie Flyover’ is a great opportunity for the public to meet the authors of this new book, and celebrate the staying power of a soft drink with a unique place in New England culture,” said Jeff Rapsis, executive director of the Aviation Museum of N.H.
“Plus, if you’ve never tried Moxie and wondered what it tastes like, this is your chance to find out,” Rapsis said.
Events on Saturday, June 1 start at 11 a.m. in the museum, when Lewis will give a historical presentation titled “How Moxie Helped Win World War II,” including the ongoing saga of the fabled Moxie Bottle House, once a landmark close to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport when it was known as the U.S. Army’s Grenier Air Base. The talk will be followed by signings of the new Moxie book.
The lecture program, to be held inside rain or shine, is included with museum admission, which is $5 per person, with discounts for veterans, seniors, and students.
Samples of Moxie will be available courtesy Coca-Cola of New England, Inc., which produces the soft drink in its nearby Londonderry plant.
Coca-Cola is also loaning a 60-foot long freight trailer decorated to promote the soft drink.
At 12:30 p.m., participants will assemble on the museum’s front lawn for a Moxie group photo to be taken by a vintage plane passing overhead. The photo shoot will include a 50-foot-long Moxie trailer on loan from Coca-Cola of Northern New England.
All members of the public are invited to join in the photo; the only request is that people wear orange, Moxie’s traditional brand color.
The group aerial photo, to be made available to all participants afterwards via e-mail, will be taken by pilot Gene Gray of Sky Lines Aerial Ads of North Hampton, N.H.
Gray, piloting a vintage 1955 Piper Super Cub, plans to make several passes over the Aviation Museum beginning at 12:30 p.m. while towing a Moxie promotional banner 20 feet high and 50 feet long.
Gray will fly over the museum after first towing the banner over Manchester and area towns that morning.
The ‘Great Moxie Flyover’ and outside photo shoot is free and open to the public. It will take place weather permitting, with no rain date scheduled.
“Moxie” was first produced as a cure-all patent medicine in 1885 by Dr. Augustin Thomson of Lowell, Mass. The carbonated elixir, then known as “Moxie Nerve Food,” has evolved into a New England beverage favorite. Legions of loyal fans celebrate the quirky history of the brand, which is now owned by the Coca-Cola Co.
Despite the brand’s longevity, the customer base remains limited to New England and small areas of Pennsylvania and Houston, Texas. About 90 percent of the global supply of Moxie is produced in Londonderry, Lewis said, making it only fitting to celebrate the soft drink at the Aviation Museum, located a short distance from the bottling plant.
Moxie’s flavor is unique, a sweet drink with a bitter aftertaste. Moxie is flavored with gentian root extract, an extremely bitter substance commonly used in herbal medicine. The name has become the word “moxie” in American English, a noun meaning courage, daring, or determination.
Lewis will appear at another book-signing and presentation on Saturday, June 8 at 11 a.m. the Manchester Historic Association, 200 Bedford St., Manchester, N.H. Free Moxie samples will be available at that event as well.
Moxie gear such as hats, tee shirts may be purchased at both events, with all proceeds going to support the Moxie Wing of the Matthews Museum of Maine Heritage in Union, Maine, birthplace of Moxie creator Thompson.
Sponsors of the “Great Moxie Flyover” at the Aviation Museum of N.H. include Coca-Cola of Northern New England, Sky Lines Aerial Ads, and the New England Moxie Congress.
The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to preserving aviation history in the Granite State, providing educational outreach programs that encourage student interest in aeronautics and related fields, and organizing programs that bring together the state’s diverse aviation community.
The Museum is located at 27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, N.H. The museum is open Friday & Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 4 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, with discounts for seniors and military. Members and children under 12 are admitted free. For more information, call (603) 669-4820 or visit the www.aviationmuseumofnh.org.
