The brand of ginger ale advertised as “the Champagne of Ginger Ales” is Canada Dry. The phrase highlights the drink’s pale color, refined image, and association with dry sparkling beverages rather than claiming that it contains champagne.
Canada Dry was created in Toronto in 1904 by Canadian pharmacist and chemist John J. McLaughlin. His “Pale Dry Ginger Ale” was less sweet than the golden-style ginger ales common at the time, so “dry” referred to its restrained sweetness, much as it does with wine.
The brand grew quickly after being introduced in the United States and became especially popular as a mixer during Prohibition. Its ginger ale is a dry-style product: pale, carbonated, and generally milder in color and flavor than golden ginger ales such as Vernors.
A frequent mix-up is confusing Canada Dry with Schweppes or Seagram’s, which are also major dry ginger-ale brands. Vernors is another notable competitor, but it belongs to the older golden style and is associated with a stronger, darker flavor. Canada Dry’s slogan is therefore a brand-specific advertising phrase, not a general name for ginger ale.