Kool

Kool-Aid is the name of an artificially flavored drink, owned by the Kraft Foods Company. more...

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Invention and production

Kool-Aid was invented by Gerard and Edwin Perkins in Hastings, Nebraska. Its predecessor was a liquid concentrate called Fruit Smack. To reduce shipping costs, in 1927, Perkins discovered a way to remove the liquid from Fruit Smack, leaving only a powder. This powder was named Kool-Ade (and a few years later, it was renamed 'Kool-Aid' due to a change in US Government regulations regarding the need for fruit juice in products using the term "Ade"). Perkins moved his production to Chicago in 1931 and Kool-Aid was sold to General Foods in 1953.

Other uses

Kool-Aid’s high concentration of food coloring and its low retail cost (US$0.25 a packet as of 2006) have led some to use Kool-Aid to dye fabric and hair.

Dyeing Fabric and Yarn

Kool-aid dyes protein (animal) fibers such as wool, silk, and fur (hair). It is popular with knitters for dyeing wool yarn. As it’s food-safe, it doesn’t require special utensils reserved for this purpose as other dyes do. Tamarindo (brown), Switchin’ Secret (light green/tan), and Grape (purple) are popular flavors, because they can be used to tone down the otherwise day-glo colors. A typical formula is one packet of Kool-aid per ounce of fiber, combined with 1/2 cup of water and optionally, a tablespoon of vinegar. Heat is used to set the color, usually by steaming or boiling.

Introduction to Dyeing with Kool-Aid; Dyeing with Kool-Aid Color Chart;

Hair Dye

Using a packet of Kool-aid, a spoonful of corn starch, and a small amount of water, a paste can be made and applied to the hair. Kurt Cobain, of the band Nirvana, had his hair dyed with red Kool-Aid before a performance on Saturday Night Live.

Advertising and promotion

The mascot of Kool-Aid, Kool-Aid Man (aka The Big Man), is a large anthropomorphic frosty pitcher filled with Kool-Aid and marked with a finger painted smiley face on it, seen in Kool-Aid's advertising. He was introduced shortly after General Foods acquired the brand. In TV and print ads, Kool-Aid Man was known for bursting suddenly through walls, seemingly summoned by the making and imbibing of Kool-Aid by children. His catch phrase is "Oh, yeah!"

Because the Perkins Products Company had its origins in Nebraska, and the company's founder kept his ties to the state, Kool-Aid was dubbed the official soft drink of Nebraska. Kool-Aid Days, a summertime festival that includes the World's Largest Kool-Aid Stand, is held annually during the second weekend of August in Hastings, Nebraska.

Read more at Wikipedia.org