About this episode

This episode explores the local legend of the Kool-Aid man and the inventor Edwin Perkins in Hastings, Nebraska.

In Hastings, Nebraska, the Kool-Aid man is a bit of a local legend. Not the anthropomorphic glass pitcher with a face who yells “Oh yeah” (though he’s part of the story too) but the original Kool-Aid man, Edwin Perkins, who invented the drink almost 100 years ago right here in Hastings. This episode was produced in partnership with Visit Nebraska.

Topics covered

• local legend
• Kool-Aid
• history
• invention
• Nebraska
• culture

Keywords

• Kool-Aid
• Edwin Perkins
• Hastings
• Nebraska
• local legend
• invention
• history

Sponsors

Visit Nebraska

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Kool-Aid

Places: Hastings, Nebraska

More episodes of The Atlas Obscura Podcast

• The Everyman’s Science Museum · July 21, 2026 · 19 min
• True Blue Places · July 20, 2026 · 16 min
• In The Heart Of NYC, A Refuge For Birds (Classic) · July 17, 2026 · 12 min
• Checking Into Hotel Imperial with Deborah Cohen (Classic) · July 16, 2026 · 24 min
• Beyond the Game: Spotting Miss Manhattan · July 15, 2026 · 20 min
• Beyond the Game: Take A Seat in Dallas · July 13, 2026 · 14 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Atlas Obscura Podcast podcast page.