Shasta (soft drink) produced its first soft drink, a ginger ale. Until the 1950s, the company's products were mainly mixers for alcoholic drinks: mineral water, club soda, and ginger ale. Shasta introduced new marketing strategies in the 1950s, which became industry standards: the packaging of soft drinks in cans, the introduction of low calorie soft drinks, and the distribution of cans and bottles directly to grocers through wholesale channels. By 1960, Shasta was a well-known brand in the western United States. During the 1960s, under the ownership of Luke Wienecke, Shasta was sold to Consolidated Foods (later known as Sara Lee) and was
Ginger ale also used to soothe coughs and sore throats. Ginger ale is usually acceptable for people on a clear liquid diet. Ginger ale is generally high in sugar. It is popular in mixed drinks, and punch, and it is sometimes used as a non-alcoholic substitute for champagne or beer, since the beverages resemble each other in appearance. Ginger ale can be mixed with many hard liquors, beers and wines. In Jamaica, a common way to consume ginger ale is mixed with Red Stripe beer; this is called a Shandy Gaff. Ginger ale and ginger beer are similar beverages, however, there are