The Vintage Soda Steelworkers Drank On The Job

From the second half of the 1800s through the first half of the 1900s, the Lehigh Valley of eastern Pennsylvania significantly contributed to the industrial age's steelmaking operations. It was home to Bethlehem Steel, the second-largest steelmaking corporation in the country, for starters. It's also home to Allentown, the birthplace of A-Treat soda, one of the foods steelworkers ate back in the day.

A-Treat was first created by brothers Jack and Joe Egizio in 1918 when they started making it in a three-car garage. In 1932, they moved the operation to a larger space in Allentown where they made dozens of flavors, such as black cherry, regional favorite birch beer, ginger ale, grapefruit, orange, pineapple, red cream, root beer, and sarsaparilla. Between the mid and late 1900s, sodas grew in popularity as a drink of choice over previously preferred lemonade and milk. It was during this time that company lunches for overtime steelworkers at Bethlehem Steel often included an A-Treat soda.

The soda company continued making and distributing its carbonated soft drinks throughout the Lehigh Valley after the steel plants closed, but it hit a snag in January 2015 when its Allentown factory shuttered its doors. Fortunately for loyal, longtime customers, the regionally-located Jaindl Farms acquired A-Treat shortly after it shuttered, including its soda formulas. It was able to return the fizzy beverages to store shelves by the end of the year, saving it from ending up among the discontinued sodas we aren't getting back, like OK Soda and Josta.

A-Treat soda became a beloved Lehigh Valley staple because of its unique taste. While most major soft drink brands use stock flavor extracts, the Allentown brand has always produced its own flavorings from basic essential oils. The flavorings which it doesn't produce itself are made by other sources according to its specifications. Essential oils are for more than just preventing your house from smelling while cooking fish. When the essential oils interact with the other ingredients in A-Treat sodas, their volatile, aroma-active compounds impart a distinct scent and taste.

It's worth noting that, although the use of essential oils hasn't changed, the sweetener has. Originally, A-Treat sodas were made with a combination of liquefied cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup. That's because, in taste tests, the company found the flavor lasted longer with liquefied cane sugar. It's not entirely clear when that changed, but most of the A-Treat non-diet flavors are now made with only high fructose corn syrup, likely due to costs. If you find the soda in its throwback 12-ounce glass bottles, you may still see the "made with cane sugar" distinction on the front, and taste the difference too.

If you live in the Lehigh Valley and surrounding counties of eastern Pennsylvania, you can find A-Treat sodas on store shelves at places like Giant Food Store, Redner's Markets, and convenience shops. The brand's store finder can help you find some in your area. If you live outside of the area, you can have A-Treat sodas delivered straight to your door through the brand's online store.