Canada Dry® Ginger Ale began in 1904 as Pale Ginger Ale. Its founder, John J. McLaughlin, owned a sparkling water plant in Canada, so when he saw the rise in popularity of more syrupy ginger ales, he set to work perfecting a lighter version. This became the Canada Dry Ginger Ale we know today.
Often called the champagne of soda, it was marketed toward the refined crowd for many decades.