Shasta (drink) facts for kids
_logo.svg){kind=logo} |
|
Shasta Twist sculpture at the Shasta headquarters in Hayward, California
|
|
| Industry | Beverages |
|---|---|
| Founded | December 6, 1889, Siskiyou County, California |
| Headquarters |
,
United States
|
|
Area served
|
United States |
| Products | soft drinks, drink mixers |
| Parent | National Beverage Corp. |
| Subsidiaries | Shasta Beverages, Intl., Inc. Shasta Sales, Inc. Shasta Sweetener Corp. Shasta West, Inc. |
Shasta Beverages is an American company that makes many different kinds of sodas. They are known for offering a wide range of flavors at a good price. You can find their sodas and some drink mixers under the brand name Shasta. The company's name comes from Mount Shasta in northern California and the nearby Shasta Springs.
Contents
History of Shasta Sodas
Shasta started a long time ago, in 1889. It was first called "The Shasta Mineral Springs Company." It was located at the base of Mt. Shasta, California.
From Water to Soda
In 1928, the company changed its name to "The Shasta Water Company." They bottled mineral water from Shasta Springs. This water was shipped in special railroad cars for bottling in other places.
Shasta made its very first soft drink in 1931. It was a ginger ale. For many years, until the 1950s, Shasta mostly made mixers. These included mineral water, club soda, and ginger ale.
New Ideas for Drinks
In the 1950s, Shasta came up with new ways to sell their drinks. These ideas became common for other companies too. Shasta started putting soft drinks in cans. They also introduced "diet" soft drinks, which had fewer calories. Shasta also began delivering their cans and bottles directly to grocery stores.
By the 1960s, Shasta sodas were very popular. They were well-known in most of the western United States and parts of the Southwest. During this time, a company called Consolidated Foods bought Shasta. Consolidated Foods later became Sara Lee. Shasta's name then changed to "Shasta Beverages." In 1985, another company, National Beverage Corp., bought Shasta. This company also owns the Faygo soda brand.
Shasta Advertising
In the early 1980s, Shasta started selling its drinks all over the country. They also spent more money on advertising. In 1983, Shasta's advertising company hired a musician. This musician wrote and performed a catchy song, called a jingle, for a Shasta commercial.
Shasta Products
Shasta currently makes 34 different kinds of soft drinks and mixers. Mixers are used for mixing with other drinks.
|
|
Discontinued Shasta Flavors
Shasta Beverages has stopped making some soft drink flavors over the years. This includes a line of flavors that were made for Hispanic customers (marked with ‡) and came out in 2007.
|
|
In 1993, Shasta Beverages made special flavors for children. These included Mario Punch and Princess Toadstool Cherry. They came in small 8-ounce cans.
From 2003 to 2006, Shasta also sold drinks called "Shasta Shortz." These were also for children. Shasta Shortz came in 8-ounce cans and had sweeter, candy-like flavors. Some of these were Bubble Gum, Camo Orange Creme, Chillin' Cherry Punch, Cotton Candy, Rah-Rah Root Beer, and Red Grape Stain.
Shasta Ingredients
Shasta Beverages uses high-fructose corn syrup to sweeten many of their regular drinks. For their diet soft drinks, they use artificial sweeteners like sucralose and acesulfame potassium. Some of their sugary drinks, like their cola, use a mix of high-fructose corn syrup and sucralose.
Here are some ingredients found in Shasta sodas (listed from most to least):
- Diet Cola: carbonated water, caramel color, phosphoric acid, citric acid, potassium citrate, sucralose, potassium benzoate (a preservative), caffeine, acesulfame potassium, natural flavor
- Root Beer: carbonated water, high-fructose corn syrup, caramel color, natural and artificial flavors, potassium benzoate (a preservative), sucralose
- Tiki Punch: carbonated water, high-fructose corn syrup, citric acid, potassium benzoate, gum acacia, natural and artificial flavor, glyceryl abietate, red 40
- Orange Soda: carbonated water, high-fructose corn syrup, citric acid, potassium benzoate (a preservative), modified corn starch, glyceryl abietate, natural flavor, yellow 6, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), sucralose, calcium disodium EDTA, red 40
- Black Cherry: carbonated water, high-fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural and artificial flavors, potassium benzoate (a preservative), caramel color, red 40, sucralose, blue 1
- Creme Soda: carbonated water, high-fructose corn syrup, potassium benzoate, citric acid, caramel color, artificial flavor, sucralose
Images for kids
-
Partially hidden old billboard for Shasta Orange Soda in San Francisco, California (2004).
