A.J. Canfield Company facts for kids
| Industry | Soda Beverage Producer |
|---|---|
| Fate | Sold to Select Beverages in 1995, which later came under ownership of Keurig Dr Pepper |
| Founded | Chicago, Illinois, US (1924) |
| Founder | Arthur J. Canfield |
| Defunct | 1995 |
| Headquarters |
Chicago, Illinois
,
United States
|
|
Area served
|
US Midwest region |
| Products | soft drinks |
| Brands | Canfield's Diet Chocolate Fudge Canfield's 50/50 Canfield's Dry Ginger Ale Grandpa Graf's Swiss Creme |
The A.J. Canfield Company was a soda company based in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It started in 1924 and was known for making many different kinds of fizzy drinks. Later on, the company became famous for its unusual flavors, like Canfield's Diet Chocolate Fudge. The Canfield family sold the company in 1995 to another company called Select Beverages.
History of Canfield's Soda
The A.J. Canfield Company began in 1924. It was started by Arthur J. Canfield, who used to work for a railroad. The first location was in Chicago, Illinois.
For many years, Canfield's used a special way to sell its sodas. They used unique glass bottles that could only be returned to their own factory. Most other soda companies at that time used plain bottles that could be returned anywhere. Canfield's wanted people to think their drinks and bottles were better quality. This idea had mixed results. Some stores did not want to sell Canfield's sodas because it was extra work to return the special bottles. The company also used strong wooden cases to deliver and pick up their bottles. This helped stop the bottles from breaking.
Canfield's kept using these special bottles until the mid-1970s. Around 1976, they started using plastic bottles. These new plastic bottles had a unique shape, like old-fashioned milk bottles. At the same time, Canfield's launched a new advertising campaign. It was called "Come Taste The Rainbow - Canfield's Rainbow Of Flavor And Fun." They also added many new fruit-flavored sodas to their product line.
Canfield's advertised a lot on a TV channel in Chicago called WGN-TV. This continued until 1995, when the company was sold. Their biggest factory, located on the south side of Chicago, closed in December 1995.
In 1998, the company that bought Canfield's, Select Beverages, was bought by another company. This company was later taken over by Keurig Dr Pepper.
Canfield's Soda Flavors
Canfield's made many different kinds of soft drinks. Here are some of their popular flavors:
- Canfield's 50/50 was a soda that tasted like grapefruit and lime.
- Canfield's Diet Chocolate Fudge was a diet soda with a chocolate fudge flavor.
- Canfield's Dry was a type of ginger ale.
- Grandpa Graf's was another soda brand they produced.
- Swiss Creme Soda was a creamy soda flavor.
- Mickey Melon was a watermelon drink. It was made with Mickey Rooney.
- Club soda
- Tonic water
- Anna Banana
- Honee Orange
- Hula Punch
