Detroit's Drink Turns 160: Vernors Party in Eastern Market this Sunday

Detroit's drink is turning 160, and there's a big Vernors party in Eastern Market to celebrate. Today, Jer heads into one of the largest Vernors collections anywhere with Keith Wunderlich, founder of the Vernors Club, to talk about how a Civil War–era pharmacy experiment became a Detroit icon.

We get into the history behind "Detroit's Drink," from the original Woodward bottling plant to the family business days and beyond, and why the Vernors story still resonates with Detroit's legacy of manufacturing and great food. Then, we look ahead to Sunday's street celebration on Riopelle in Eastern Market, where the Vernors Club is marking the 160th anniversary.

Expect a Vernors brunch at Marrow in the Market (yes, gnome waffles and Vernors barbecue), special cocktails, a Boston Cooler cream ale from Eastern Market Brewing, Vernors cream ale tastings, and Milk & Froth scooping Vernors ice cream and floats for the first time since the 1980s. It's family-friendly, too, with Henry the Hatter making gnome hats for kids, coloring tables, and even the Vernors gnome and James Vernor V on hand.

If you love Detroit, this one's for you.

More event details about Sunday: https://easternmarket.org/events/vernors-160th-anniversary-celebration/

Follow the Vernors club: https://vernorsclub.weebly.com/