Club (soft drink)
 | |
| Type | Carbonated soft drink |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Britvic Ireland |
| Country of origin | Ireland |
| Introduced | 1940 |
| Colour | Orange |
| Variants | Club diet |
| Related products |
Club Lemon Club RockShandy Club Apple Club Energise |
Club is the brand name for a series of popular Irish carbonated soft drinks produced in Ireland by Britvic Ireland and previously by Cantrell & Cochrane (C&C) and bottled at their plant in Dublin.
The series includes Club Orange, Club Lemon, Club Rock Shandy (a mixture of the orange and lemon flavours) and Club Apple soft drinks.
In the case of Club Orange, the ingredients are carbonated water, sugar, orange juice, citric acid, the preservative (sodium benzoate), the colours beta carotene and apocarotenal, and vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Club Orange is distinctive for the fragments of fruit flesh (juice vesicles), referred to in marketing material as "bits", that remain in the glass after the drink has been consumed.
The previous advertising slogan of Club was "the bits inside make it come alive" although it was rarely seen on Club bottles and commercials. From 2009, the products slogan is "Some bits are crucial", making reference to its orange vesicles. Since 2011, the new slogan has been "The Best Bits in the World" which can be found on all Club products. It is so popular a drink with Irish people that it is one of the most sought-after products by Irish expatriates.
History
Club Orange is an orange flavored fizzy drink. Club Orange was the first orange fruit juice to appear on the Irish market. [1] It was launched in the late 1930s, but the formula has been refined since then to its present state. The name Club derives from the Kildare Street Club in Dublin, which commissioned C&C to make an orange-flavoured drink.[2] In 1960, Club Lemon was introduced as a sister product, and in the 2000s several other flavours were added to the range.
In 2004 C&C relaunched Club Lemon, which now like its orange counterpart contained vesicles. Over the years many different drinks have appeared under the Club label, including Club Orange and Cranberry, Club Berry, Club Apple, among others.
In 2003 Club Energise was launched. Club Energise is an Isotonic drink, intended for sports recovery and rehydration. It was developed by leading sports Physiologist Dr. Liam Hennessy.[3]
Facts and figures
- There are currently four different flavours of Club soft drinks.
- There are currently two diet flavours of Club: Club Diet Orange and Club Diet Lemon.
- Recently Club Zero was released, a sugar free version of Club Orange.
Production
Ingredients are sourced from all over the world, and then carbonated to make it fizzy. All the ingredients are blended together in Dublin. Bottles are then checked and labeled before being shipped out all across Ireland.