What is Dr. Enuf? This is a question often asked by people who come in contact with Dr. Enuf’s products that are not native to East Tennessee. The answer to that question is long and full of history. And while the beverage may not be a national one and its notoriety may be only regional, almost every time a person goes to a gas station or grocery story in the United States they see products which Dr. Enuf influenced. It all started in 1949.
The History of Dr. Enuf
Bill Swartz was the man responsible for formulating the Dr. Enuf recipe. It would not be long before friends, co-workers, and general members of the community. At first it was a rare drink that was not massed produced considering the population of the Tri-Cities area. But it would not be long before that production would increase. Bill Swartz made a business deal with the owner of Tri-Cities Beverage Corporation and production increased exponentially. With the increase in production, so also was there an increase in demand. Due to the fact that Dr. Enuf was and is a regional drink,
East Tennessean’s Reviews of Dr. Enuf
East Tennesseans adopted it as a symbol of pride and heritage.
One East Tennesseean from Morristown Tennessee named Nathanael McMahan said this: “All East Tennesseans know the drink. Whenever I’m sick or tired I always can depend on Dr. Enuf. It is probably one of the most bitchin’ drinks I have ever had.” Nathanael McMahan was not the only East Tennessean that had a comment to make about Dr. Enuf.
Brad Eastridge resident of Johnson City, Tennessee said this: “Dr. Enuf? What do I think of Dr. Enuf? It is many things. It’s a symbol of East Tennessee, a cure for all that is bad, and probably one of the most tasty beverages that exist today. And when I say it’s probably one of the most tasty beverages, what I mean is it most definitely is the greatest tasting beverage. Two testimonies from East Tennesseans both show high favorability with the drink. But what about the influence of Dr. Enuf on drinks that are sold internationally and not just regionally like Dr. Enuf?
It all started on a train where two brothers Barney and Alley Hartman met Charles Schwartz the founder of Dr. Enuf. The Hartman brothers had created Mountain Dew as a drink mixer and was having trouble bottling it. Upon meeting Charles Schwartz on a train and letting Schwartz try the mixer, a business deal was where the drink would be bottled along side and closely incorporated to Mountain Dew. Mountain Dew would be eventually would be bought out by PepsiCo. So whenever a person walks into a store and sees a Mountain Dew product, they should know how much of an influence that Dr. Enuf had on the drink.
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While Dr. Enuf is a regional drink it is still enjoyed by Americans worldwide. Dr. Enuf has been known to send the drink to soldiers in mass. One example of a soldier drinking Dr. Enuf is Cpl. Brandon Brewer as seen above.
My opinion of Dr. Enuf is a positive one. I appreciate Dr. Enuf in mainly two ways. The first way is the cultural/historical form of the drink. East Tennesseans are a very proud people and when something native like Dr. Enuf is born from the region they adopt it as part of their culture.
The second thing that I enjoy about Dr. Enuf is the taste. While some small time regional beverages may taste subpar, which of course is why they stay regional most of the time, Dr. Enuf has a refreshingly good taste. It is an energy drink that is not overwhelming powerful and allows for a comfortable relaxing stimulant instead of something that resembles a energy drink where the consumer of the drink appears as if they have done too much cocaine. Dr. Enuf is definitely in my mind one of the best drinks in the world.
Writing for Interactive Experiences Blog 