Moxie was made in Lowell, Massachusetts by Doctor Augustin Thompson's Moxie Nerve Food Company and was originally introduced into apothecary shops in 1876 as a "nostrum", which meant that it was stronger than a tonic and thus would be taken one spoonful at a time. It was first sold as a carbonated drink in 1884. It is interesting to note that Moxie was later also the first carbonated beverage to offer a sugar-free version.