Sun Drop facts for kids
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| Type | Citrus soda |
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| Manufacturer | Keurig Dr Pepper |
| Distributor | Local bottlers and distributors |
| Country of origin | Missouri, United States |
| Region of origin | |
| Introduced | 1949 |
| Ingredients | Orange juice |
| Variants |
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Sun Drop is a citrus-flavored soft drink made by Keurig Dr Pepper. It has a yellowish-green color. This drink is known for having a lot of caffeine. It also contains orange juice, and small bits of orange pulp give it a special taste and look. Sun Drop is a competitor to other citrus sodas like the Coca-Cola Company's Mello Yello and PepsiCo's Mountain Dew.
The Story of Sun Drop
Sun Drop was created in Missouri by Charles Lazier. He was a salesman who sold ingredients for drinks. One day, in 1949, Mr. Lazier quickly wrote down a recipe for a new soft drink. He gave it to his son, Charles Jr., who worked in his father's lab.
Two years later, in 1951, Sun Drop Cola was officially introduced. This happened at a big meeting for soda makers in Washington, D.C.. The special recipe for Sun Drop was patented on April 15, 1930. For over 50 years, until 2016, Gastonia, North Carolina, was a main place for bottling Sun Drop.
At first, the drink was sold in some Southern states. It had names like "Sundrop Golden Cola" or "Golden Girl Cola." In 1970, a company called Crush International bought the brand. They made the name and look of Sun Drop the same everywhere.
Later, in 1980, Procter & Gamble bought Crush International. Then, in 1989, Procter & Gamble sold its soft drink brands to Cadbury Schweppes plc. In 2008, Cadbury Schweppes split up. Its drink part became Keurig Dr Pepper, which now makes Sun Drop.
Before Cadbury Schweppes bought it, Procter & Gamble added new Sun Drop flavors in 1985. They made a new Diet Sun Drop using a different sweetener. Also, Cherry-Lemon Sun Drop was introduced that same year. In 2002, Caffeine-Free Sun Drop was added because many fans asked for it. A diet version of Cherry Lemon Sun Drop came out in 2014.
Sun Drop is very popular in many parts of the Southern United States. This includes places like Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina. It's also liked in parts of the Midwestern United States, such as Wisconsin and western Minnesota. People who love Sun Drop sometimes pay a lot to have it sent to them if they live where it's not sold. Families have even sent it to U.S. soldiers serving far away.
Sun Drop is the official drink of the "Fancy Farm Picnic" in Fancy Farm, Kentucky. This is a well-known event.
From the 1970s to the early 1990s, famous NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt helped promote Sun Drop in the American South. His son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., was also sponsored by Sun Drop in 1993. They will race together again in a special event in 2022. Sun Drop was also a main sponsor for racecar driver Ryan Hunter-Reay in the IndyCar Series from 2011 to 2013.
In 2016, Carolina Beverage Corp. bought Sun Drop Bottling Co. of Concord. The plant in Concord, North Carolina then closed.
Sun Drop Grows Bigger
In 2011, Keurig Dr Pepper started selling Sun Drop all over the country. They launched a new plan with an updated website and a Facebook page. They also made a deal with MTV. This plan is part of Keurig Dr Pepper's goal to sell more non-cola sodas. They are trying to reach people who drink Mountain Dew. This happened a few months after Coca-Cola started selling its high-caffeine citrus drink, Mello Yello, nationwide.
Dr Pepper Snapple worked with Scratch, MTV's marketing group. Scratch helped create new ads and designs for Sun Drop, including a new can look. MTV also showed Sun Drop in its TV shows, like the reality series The Real World.
Different Kinds of Sun Drop
There are six main types of Sun Drop drinks:
- Sun Drop (green can, green label, 64 mg caffeine per 12 fl oz can; 105 mg caffeine per 20 fl oz bottle)
- Diet Sun Drop (white can, white label, 68 mg caffeine per 12 fl oz can; 114 mg caffeine per 20 fl oz bottle)
- Caffeine-Free Sun Drop
- Caffeine-Free Diet Sun Drop
- Cherry Lemon Sun Drop (64 mg caffeine)
- Diet Cherry Lemon Sun Drop
When Sun Drop is bottled in glass bottles, it is usually made with sugar instead of corn syrup. This gives it a slightly different taste.
