Early Life and Career Beginnings

Charles Elmer Hires, the excellent pharmacist and entrepreneur behind root beer. Hires was also known to be one of the greatest promoters of commercially prepared root beer. It was this zeal that gave birth to the founding of his company. Charles E. Hires Co., which manufactured and distributed Hires Root Beer.

Hires was born on August 19, 1851, in Hopewell Township, Cumberland County, New Jersey. He was the son of John and Mary Hires.

Hires’s fascination with chemistry and medicine emerged at a young age, leading him to begin an apprenticeship with a local pharmacist at just 12 years old. This early experience set the foundation for his career in pharmacy and business.

At the age of 16, Hires moved to Philadelphia, where he opened his own drugstore. There, he sold a variety of products, including cough syrups, tooth powder, and insect repellents. His innovative mindset and entrepreneurial spirit helped him stand out in the competitive pharmaceutical industry.

The Invention of Root Beer

Hires’ most famous contribution to the world came from an unexpected source—his honeymoon. While staying at a hotel, he discovered an herbal tea made from roots, known as “root tea.” Inspired by its unique flavor, he envisioned marketing it as a temperance drink, offering a wholesome and non-alcoholic alternative to beer.

Hires introduced his creation, root beer, at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876. Initially sold as a dry extract to be mixed with water, sugar, and yeast, it quickly gained popularity. To make it more convenient, he later developed a liquid concentrate and began selling pre-bottled and kegged versions. Hires also promoted root beer as a drink with health benefits, claiming it could improve digestion, purify the blood, and calm the nerves.

Business Challenges and Successes

While Hires’ innovation revolutionized the beverage market, his business journey wasn’t without challenges. Some temperance activists criticized his root beer, accusing him of promoting a beverage they mistakenly believed contained alcohol. Despite these obstacles, Hires’ marketing acumen and determination helped root beer achieve nationwide success.

Hires is often credited as the first person to successfully brand and market root beer on a large scale, creating a legacy that endures to this day. His famous quote, “Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know you are doing it, but nobody else does,” underscores the importance he placed on effective marketing.

Personal Life and Legacy

Hires was not all about business only, he also made time and effort to build his family. He was married twice. Hires’s first marriage was to Clara Kate Smith in 1875 but unfortunately she died in 1910.

Hires’s love story didn’t end with his late first wife. In the same year, he remarried to Emma Waln.

Charles Elmer Hires passed away on July 31, 1937, at the age of 85, in Haverford, Pennsylvania, after suffering a stroke. His life’s work not only introduced a beloved beverage to the world but also set a standard for innovation and marketing in the food and beverage industry.

Today, root beer remains a quintessential American drink, and Hires is remembered as a visionary entrepreneur who turned a simple herbal tea into a household name.