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History of the Moon Pie and its association
with RC Cola
The Moon Pie hit the markets of
Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1917 and R. C. Cola
arrived in 1934. They were an instant success
when they combined forces in the 1950's. You
could buy a RC (Royal Crown) Cola and Moon Pie
special for 10 cents, back then, that was a full
16 ounces of soda and the Moon Pies' weighed
about near (that's southern for Approximate
size) a half pound.
This combo was
soon labeled as the instant fast food lunch of
the fifties. Although it's never been
acknowledged that the merging of the two was a
planned marketing strategy or just plain
luck.
This combination has inspired
many to write, read and celebrate in its
existence. Songs such as the 1950s hit "Gimm'e
an RC Cola and a Moon pie" from Big Bill Liston
in the 1950's to today's version from NRBQ
called "RC and Moon pie" and "Moon pie" by Edwin
Hubbard As well as the popular children's
musical version by Bill Harley called "Weezie
and the Moon Pies". Along with several books
"The Great American Moon Pie Handbook" by Ron
Dickson in 1985 and the somewhat new children's
book "Jimmy Zangwow's Out-of-This-World Moon Pie
Adventure" written by Tony DiTerlizzi and
released in 2000.
The South's Fascination
with RC Colas and
Moonpies
Celebrations of the
Moon Pie and RC Cola
"The World
Championship Moon pie Eating Contest" is held
annually in the town of Oneonta, Alabama, You can bet
they wash down those Moon Pies with an ice cold
RC Cola. Every year in June there is a Craft Festival in Bell Buckle
Tennessee dedicated and called the RC &
Moon Pie Craft Fair. This fair holds contests
with names that read the Moon Pie Song Contest
and Moon Pie Madness. The RC & Moon Pie
Craft Fair is scheduled for June 21st this
year.
Millions of special made mini
Moon Pies are thrown every year during the Mardi
Gras this tradition has newer beginnings that
date back to the mid 1970's when revilers were
hunting for lighter items to toss. Also during
the seventies came a new style of eating the
Moon Pie; "heated". The invention of the
microwave took eating a moon pie to a higher
more wonderful and sinful level. Whoever
invented the microwave, let me say "Thank You".
One of the newest mouthwatering versions of the
Moon Pie creations is the Moon Pie Ice Cream
Sandwich made by the Matterhorn Company
The Moon
Pie and R.C. Cola combination has held fast in
our southern state over the decades. Every
southerner has fond memories of the Moon Pie and
RC Cola. The occasional afternoon walk to the
local store to retrieve a Moon Pie and an
R.C.Cola with a parent was commonplace. Some of
the most important parental conversations took
place during the enjoyment of this delightful
combination. The hurried traveler while stopping
for a gas fill up, would regularly purchase a
R.C. Cola and Moon Pie to tie him or her over,
might I add that a hurried stop in Tennessee is
equivalent to about 20 minutes or
so.
We venture to say that every
store in Nashville that carries food still has a
Moon Pie and R.C. Cola within it's walls, from
the local grocery store to gas stations to
dollar stores. Not only have the R.C. Cola and
Moon Pie survived and flourished throughout the
south, their popularity is still growing
globally. You can now order these treats
anytime, via the Internet, to anywhere in the
world, although it is best to order during the
winter months.
Just in case you
didn't know, R.C. Cola was an innovator in many
areas. They were the first to introduce their
beverage in an all aluminum can, the first to
make a low calorie diet cola (Diet Rite) and the
first cola manufacturer to make a caffeine free
Soda (R.C. 100).
Angel
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