It Was a Michigan Favorite, but Who Remembers O-So Pop? Detroit, Michigan

There was Vernors Ginger Ale...then Faygo...then Towne Club...then Hi-Klas.....have most of us completely forgotten about O-So pop?

O-So became extremely popular in Detroit thanks to its bottling plant in the Delray neighborhood. The plant sat at 8559-61 W. Jefferson Avenue and the structure now is a crumbling fixture along the banks of the Detroit River, just a stone's throw from the polluted Zug Island.

The plant was owned by John Kar, who bottled his own brand of soda pop aside from O-So. His plant opened in 1922, and his soda pops became an instant hit. Even though O-So originated in Chicago, Kar's Michigan distribution made it one of 20th Century Michigan's favorite sodas, alongside the previously-mentioned other four.

Get our free mobile app

Like Faygo, Towne Club, and Hi-Klas, O-So was another 'bargain pop' that was easily affordable when times got tough on the ol' wallet.....and the flavors were basically the same. But the flavor that got the most attention was O-So Grape...it was advertised more than the others, even though Rock & Rye and Cream (not crème) sodas were up there as favorites, too.

Other flavors included orange, root beer, strawberry, lemon-lime, and cherry. Neighborhood kids would head down to the plant and watch the bottles being filled...some teen workers were paid wages in pop instead of cash, just for the privilege of being employed at a pop plant!

The back of the plant was so close to the river, the owners would sometime fish out of the window...don't think you'd wanna catch and eat any of those fish in the 2000s...too much pollution from Zug Island.

So for those who are old enough to remember O-So pop, the gallery below will take you back. For those NOT familiar, O-So has made a comeback. You can buy O-So pop in cherry, grape, orange, peach, and root beer. Where? At summitcity.com. Get a few bottles and see what all the fuss was about all those years ago.....

MORE SODA POPS: