White Rock Beverages

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White Rock Beverages
private Corporation
Industry Beverages
Founded 1871 Waukesha, Wisconsin
Founder H.M. Colver
Headquarters Whitestone, NY, United States
Products Seltzer, Soft drinks
Owner Morgan Family
Website White Rock Beverages.com

White Rock Beverages (White Rock Products Corporation) is an American beverage company located in Whitestone, NY. The company was established in 1871 by pharmacist H.M. Colver in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Potawatomi Indians and settlers believed that the nearby White Rock natural spring had special medicinal powers, so White Rock Beverages started out as destination for vacationers and health seekers. By 1876, the company was bottling and distributing the natural spring water throughout the country.[1]

Marketing with Santa Claus[edit]

Coca-Cola is frequently credited with the "invention" of the modern image of Santa Claus as an old man in red-and-white garments – [2] however, White Rock predated Coca-Cola's usage of Santa in advertisements for soft drinks. In 1923, the company used Santa to advertise its ginger ale after first using him to sell mineral water in 1915.[3][4]

Drink maker history[edit]

By 1923, White Rock Beverages was one of the largest producers of mineral water in the United States. The company also produced ginger ale and other soft drinks. Its property value was then calculated at $7,311,767 ($101,550,733 today). This included land holdings and bottling plants.[5]

In 1941, the company which manufactured White Rock soft drinks was called White Rock Mineral Springs Company.[6]

[edit]

The company has used the image of Psyche as its logo for over 120 years. The company purchased the rights to a painting titled "Psyche at Nature's Mirror", by Paul Thumann, at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893.[7][8][9][10]

Brand portfolio[edit]

White Rock Cola
Type Soft drink
Manufacturer White Rock Beverages
Variants Diet
Related products Coca Cola
Pepsi Cola

White Rock

  • Seltzer: Plain • Mandarin Orange • Lemon Lime • Black Cherry • Raspberry•Cucumber Watermelon
  • Mixers: Club Soda • Diet Ginger Ale • Ginger Ale • Diet Tonic Water • Tonic Water
  • Organic: Passion Orange • Raspberry Crème • Red Peach
  • Soda: Cream Soda, Black Cherry, Root Beer, Grape, Orange, Lemon-Lime, Cola

Sioux City

Olde Brooklyn:

  • Williamsburg Root Beer
  • Coney Island Cream Soda
  • Brighton Beach Black Cherry
  • Flatbush Orange Soda
  • Bay Ridge Birch Beer
  • Red Hook Raspberry
  • Greenpoint Grape Soda
  • Park Slope Ginger Ale
  • Diet Williamsburg Root Beer
  • Diet Coney Island Cream Soda

In Popular Culture[edit]

In the pre-code film Men Call It Love, Norman Foster's character tells his butler "Say, look here Brandt. Haven't you been with us long enough to know to always keep a supply of White Rock handy?" The butler stutters, "Why--why sir" and then opens the fridge to reveal an ice box full of bottles of White Rock, with the Psyche logo clearly visible.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Rose, Joel (December 5, 2011). "White Rock Beverages Still Thirsty After 140 Years". NPR. Retrieved December 10, 2011. 
  2. ^ Mikkelson, Barbara; Mikkelson, David P. (February 27, 2001). "The Claus That Refreshes". snopes.com. Retrieved June 10, 2005. 
  3. ^ "Did White Rock or The Coca-Cola Company create the modern Santa Claus Advertisement?". whiterocking.org. The White Rock Collectors Association. 2001. Retrieved January 19, 2007. 
  4. ^ "Coca-Cola's Santa Claus: Not The Real Thing". BevNET.com. December 18, 2006. Retrieved January 19, 2007. 
  5. ^ "White Rock Mineral Springs". Wall Street Journal. June 11, 1923. p. 12. (subscription required (help)).  Alternate Link via ProQuest
  6. ^ "Candy and Beverage Industry". Wall Street Journal. October 22, 1941. p. 5. (subscription required (help)).  Alternate Link via ProQuest
  7. ^ "The Goddess of Purity". White Rock Beverages. 
  8. ^ Mariani, John (October 16, 2011). "White Rock Girl: Still the Sexiest Alive (on a Water Bottle)". Esquire (magazine). 
  9. ^ Theodore, Sarah (June 1, 2006). "White Rock: A classic brand becomes a specialty player". Beverage Industry Magazine. 
  10. ^ "Psyche". Grapefruit Moon Gallery. 

External links[edit]

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