In the last two years, the sparkling water beverage, LaCroix, has become a pop culture hit and the millennial drink of choice. However before it was popping up on social media feeds, it was a humble Midwestern drink that was popular among middle-aged women.

Created in 1981 in a small Wisconsin town, fittingly called La Crosse, the drink was made by a beer company looking to expand their products. In an attempt to be an alternative to Perrier, LaCroix was the budget-friendly—yet equally healthy—choice. However for the first two decades of creation it flew almost entirely under the radar.

So how did young girls end up wearing T-shirts that say "La Croixs Over Boys?" According to Vox, it was a magical mixture of good press and the downfall of the soda industry. La Croix became the metaphorical methadone for a soda addict trying to go clean.

Me normally: Joe
Me while drinking a La Croix: Jeaux

— Joe Johnson (@JoeJohnsonIce) July 14, 2017

I'm gonna start freezing my la croix so I can eat it for my dinner and then wash it down with la croix

— Braeden Lemasters (@BraedenLemaster) July 9, 2017

La Croix is proof that if you just hang out long enough society will slowly accept you.

— Brooks Wheelan (@brookswheelan) July 6, 2017

"The company itself had the kind of infrastructure that could allow to scale it up very quickly," Jeffrey Klineman, the editor of the beverage industry publication BevNET said. "When you get a little bit of momentum, if you can execute behind that momentum, it can really drive a brand forward."

From 2004 to 2018 LaCroix went from 7 flavors to 21, and shows no signs of slowing down. Popular among millennials and a symbol of the health movement, LaCroix is a marketing miracle with a unique Midwestern history.