One morning in 1917 famed Chef Louis Perrin found himself with no oranges for juice. He sent his helper to the garden to scramble for anything which might substitute for the fruit juice. The kitchen helper emerged with tomatoes. Time being of the essence, Chef Perrin quickly concocted a brand new drink--tomato juice! This new drink, served first at the French Lick Springs Hotel, became an instant hit. At one time, just a short drive down State Road 145 across from the Resort's Employee Parking Lot was a tomato canning factory. This factory symbolized a time when French Lick was prosperous, self sufficeint and just slightly ahead of it's time. Today, nothing remains of the tomato factory but, the juice Chef Perrin concoted lives on!