Canada Dry

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2008)

Canada Dry is a brand of soft drinks marketed by Dr Pepper/Seven Up, a unit of Dr Pepper Snapple Group. Canada Dry is best known for its ginger ale, but also manufactures a number of other soft drinks and mixers. Although Canada Dry originated in its namesake country, Canada, it is now produced in many countries around the globe, and is very popular in the United States.

1 History
2 Controversy
3 Products
4 External links
5 Footnotes

[edit] History

John J. McLaughlin was the older son of Robert McLaughlin, founder of McLaughlin Carriage and McLaughlin Motor Car, located in Oshawa, Ontario. It was the largest such business in the British Empire. His brother, Robert Samuel "Colonel Sam" McLaughlin, took control of his father's firm and steered it into the automobile business — a move which resulted in it becoming General Motors Canada in 1916. However, John also enjoyed considerable success in his own business.

In 1890, Canadian pharmacist John J. McLaughlin opened a carbonated water plant in Toronto. In 1904, he created Canada Dry Pale Ginger Ale. When McLaughlin began shipping his product to New York in 1919, it became so popular that he opened a plant in Manhattan shortly thereafter. After J.J.'s death, the company was run briefly by Sam. P. D. Saylor and Associates bought the business from Sam McLaughlin and Canada Dry Ginger Ale, Inc. was born.

In 1907 the drink was appointed to the Royal Household of the Governor General of Canada, seeing the change in the label from a beaver atop a map of Canada to the present Crown and shield.

Canada Dry's popularity as a mixer began during Prohibition, when its flavor helped mask the taste of homemade liquor. In the 1930s, Canada Dry expanded worldwide, and from the 1950s onward, the company introduced a larger number of products. Today, Canada Dry is owned by Cadbury-Schweppes, but the ginger ale bottles often bear a map of Canada as part of the beverage's logo.

[edit] Controversy

The identification with Canada and the ownership and production by other countries has led to mix-ups in the consumer market. For instance, when the brand was boycotted in some parts of the United States because of Canada's non-participation in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Texan producers and British owners of Canada Dry complained that the boycott was misguided, since Canada Dry was not produced or owned by Canadians.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Products

Tonic water under a black light

Canada Dry Ginger Ale is the most popular of Canada Dry's products, and probably the most well recognized brand of ginger ale in North America.

Canada Dry Ginger Ale
Diet Canada Dry Ginger Ale
Canada Dry "Dry" Ginger Ale (Japan)
Canada Dry Club Soda
Canada Dry Tonic Water
Canada Dry Bitter Lemon
Canada Dry Diet Tonic Water
Canada Dry Lemon Soda
Canada Dry Tahitian Treat (retired)
Canada Dry Spur Cola, Hi-Spot, Apple, Tutti (cherry and fruit punch), Wink, and Orange (retired from Panama)
Canada Dry Golden Cockerel Ginger Beer
Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger Ale
Sussex Golden Ginger Ale
Sparkling Green Tea Ginger Ale
Cranberry Ginger Ale
Diet Cranberry Ginger Ale
Canada Dry Flavored Sparkling Seltzer Water (Orange, Lime, Raspberry, Cherry)
Canada Dry Cream Soda (Limited availability in U.S)
Pineapple Canada Dry (limited US availability?)
Peach Canada Dry (limited in US?)
Black Cherry Wishniak (limited in US?)
Island Lime (limited in US?)
Wild Cherry (limited in US? May only be available in 2-litre bottles. Bright red colour as opposed to a deep red/purple hue for the Black Cherry Wishniak)
Pink Grapefruit Canada Dry (available in Peru only)

At one time, Canada Dry also produced a wider range of flavored sodas, including orange, grape, Jamaica Cola, and Sport Cola (caffeine-free), but many of these are no longer available.