Green River (soft drink)

Last updated
Green River
Type Carbonated soft drink
Distributor Sprecher Brewery
Country of origin  Davenport, Iowa
Introduced1919;104 years ago (1919)
Color Chartreuse green
Related products Schoenhofen Edelweiss
Sweetwater Brewery
Website Sprecher Brewery website
A bottle of Green River Green River bottle.JPG
A bottle of Green River

Green River is a bright green, lime-flavored soft drink. [1] [2] [3] It was created by Richard C. Jones in Davenport, Iowa, sold widely by the Chicago-based Schoenhofen Edelweiss Brewing Company in 1919, subsequently sold by other vendors, and is currently manufactured by Sprecher Brewery. [1] [4] [5]

Contents

History

The Schoenhofen Brewery in 2007 Schoenhofen2.jpg
The Schoenhofen Brewery in 2007
1935 Everett Bottling Works (Washington) products included Green River. Everett bottling works from granite falls advert 1921 wy-an mod.jpg
1935 Everett Bottling Works (Washington) products included Green River.
Ray's Drive-In in Everett, Washington, serves Green River milkshakes. Rays drive in everett wa serves green river milkshake.jpg
Ray's Drive-In in Everett, Washington, serves Green River milkshakes.

Green River soda was first created in 1916 in Davenport, Iowa, by Richard C. Jones, who owned a local confectionary shop. [6] In 1919, Jones sold his recipe to the Schoenhofen Edelweiss Brewing Company of Chicago. [1] Prior to 1920, the brewery produced the popular Edelweiss beer. Schoenhofen began manufacturing Green River and other soft drinks in order to survive the Prohibition Era. [7] It was also made by the Sweetwater Brewery in Green River, Wyoming. In 1928 Green River soda was produced by Spokane Bottling Works of Spokane, Washington, [8] and in 1935 was of several products produced by the Everett Bottling Works of Everett, Washington, which also produced Orange Crush, Hires and Wy-an sodas. [9] Green River soda's popularity is still remembered in Everett in the form of a "Green River milkshake" at Ray's Drive-In, which opened in 1962.

It was popular as a soda fountain syrup, trailing only Coca-Cola in popularity throughout the Midwest. [1] [10] After Prohibition ended in 1933, the Schoenhofen Brewery continued to manufacture Green River, while resuming the production of alcoholic beverages. [1] The brewery closed in 1950. [10]

The Green River brand continued to be produced by a series of other manufacturers after the closing of Schoenhofen Edelweiss, [10] including Clover Club Beverages of Chicago, which produced Green River in the 1980s. [6] [10] By 1992, Green River had shrunk to the point of only being sold in Seattle. [10] According to one source, WIT Beverage Company acquired the brand in 2011, [4] while a vendor indicates it was offering it still via an expanding Clover Club in 2013. [10]

Sprecher Brewery acquired the Green River brand from Wit Beverage in October of 2021. [1] [4] [5]

Green River is frequently marketed as a nostalgia item, and its sales increase in March due to the association of the color green with St. Patrick's Day. [11] While not widely commercially available, it can be purchased at some Chicago area restaurants and retailers and Menards as well as ordered directly [12] from Sprecher Brewery. [13]

A glass of Green River Green River soft drink.jpg
A glass of Green River

Early 20th century entertainer Eddie Cantor, while with the Ziegfeld Follies of 1918, penned a jingle for the soft drink entitled "Green River". The ditty was performed by Cantor and the singing duo Van and Schenck. [14] The refrain was: [3]

For a drink that's fine without a kick,
Try Green River,
It's the only soft drink you should pick,
Try Green River.

The name of the Creedence Clearwater Revival song "Green River", and accordingly the name of the album Green River , were inspired by the drink according to John Fogerty. [4] [15] [16]

In Zen Studios' digital recreation of the Williams pinball tables The Party Zone and The Champion Pub in the game Pinball FX 3 , all depictions of beer are replaced with Green River as a precautionary act of censorship to avoid repercussions of having the game's ESRB rating of Everyone 10+ changed. [17] : 13:05  [18] : 6:06 

Season 3 Episode 7 of the television show Las Vegas the 1962 character played Mike Leasure orders a Green River at the Jubilee Casino restaurant.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cream soda</span> Soft drink

Cream soda is a sweet soft drink. Generally flavored with vanilla and based on the taste of an ice cream float, a wide range of variations can be found worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holsten Brewery</span> German brewing company

Holsten Brewery is a brewing company founded in 1879 in what is now Hamburg's Altona-Nord quarter. The group now has seven breweries in Germany. Its nationally distributed premium brand is the pale lager Holsten Pilsener. The company was acquired by the Carlsberg Group in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stevens Point Brewery</span> Regional brewery in Stevens Point, Wisconsin

Stevens Point Brewery is a regional American brewery located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The brewery is the fifth-oldest continuously operating brewery and the third-oldest privately owned brewery in the nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sprecher Brewery</span> Craft brewery in Wisconsin, U.S.

Sprecher Brewery is a brewery in Glendale, Wisconsin, U.S. It was founded in 1985 in Milwaukee by Randal Sprecher, and is Milwaukee's first craft brewery since Prohibition. Sprecher produces an assortment of beers, flavored malt beverages, and craft sodas, and it is famous for its root beer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange soft drink</span> Type of carbonated drinks

Orange soft drinks are carbonated orange drinks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ice cream float</span> Beverage that consists of ice cream in a soft drink

An ice cream float or ice cream soda, also known as a spider in Australia and New Zealand, is a chilled beverage that consists of ice cream in either a soft drink or a mixture of flavored syrup and carbonated water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Unibrew</span> Brewing and beverage company in Faxe, Denmark

Royal Unibrew is a brewing and beverage company headquartered in Faxe, Denmark. Its brands include Ceres, Faxe, Albani, Thor, Karlens and Royal. Royal Unibrew also has a strong presence in the Baltic region, where it owns Vilniaus Tauras, Kalnapilis, and Lāčplēša Alus. As of 2018 it owns the brewery in France that produces the Lorina soft drink brand. It also brews and markets Heineken in Denmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury Brewing Company</span>

Mercury Brewing Company is a brewery founded in 1999 in Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA. when Ipswich Brewing Co was renamed. In subsequent years the brand would return to its roots operating under the Ipswich Ale Brewery name. They also operate an onsite restaurant the Ipswich Ale Brewer’s Table.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bundaberg Brewed Drinks</span> Non-alcoholic beverages company

Bundaberg Brewed Drinks Pty Ltd is an Australian family-owned business that brews non-alcoholic beverages. Based in Bundaberg, Queensland, the company exports to over 61 countries across the globe and is most known for ginger beer and other carbonated beverages.

Phoenix Beverages is the largest brewery in Mauritius. Their Phoenix Beer (lager) is widely distributed on the island and is exported to Europe, Australia, Reunion Island, Madagascar, etc. The company also has connections with the Guinness Brewery and is listed on the Stock Exchange of Mauritius. They have three plants in Mauritius, PhoenixBev Brewery Plant, PhoenixBev Carbonated Soft Drinks Plant and PhoenixBev Stills Plant. They also have a plant in Reunion Island known as Edena Boissons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Compañía Cervecera de Puerto Rico</span> Brewery in Puerto Rico

The Compañía Cervecera de Puerto Rico is a large brewery in Puerto Rico. It is located in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. The company's main brand is Medalla Light.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harboe's Brewery</span> Brewery in Skælskør, Denmark

Harboe's Brewery is a Danish brewery located in Skælskør, Denmark which was established in 1883. Harboes is an international beverage manufacturer with production facilities in three countries and business activities in more than 90 markets worldwide. They manufacture and market beverages and malt-based ingredients. The company has been family-owned and managed for five generations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Small Town Brewery</span>

Small Town Brewery was a brewing company based in Wauconda, Illinois, best known for creating the Not Your Father's brand of flavored beers.

Hard soda, also referred to as flavored beer, adult soda, fermented soda, mature soda and alcohol soda, is a type of alcoholic beverage and craft beer that is manufactured in the style of a soft drink. It has gained recent prominence in the United States after the success of the Not Your Father's Root Beer brand manufactured by Small Town Brewery. As of late May 2016, at least 39 hard soda brands exist in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beer in Milwaukee</span> Beer culture in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has one major brewery and dozens of microbreweries, and is home to several iconic beer brands from a variety of brewers. It has had an association with beer throughout its history, with the brewing industry getting its start prior to its official founding as a city and was nationally recognized as such by the end of the 19th century. This heritage can be found explicitly in its Major League Baseball team, the Milwaukee Brewers, and on recognizable beer brands such as Old Milwaukee and Milwaukee's Best. This recognition of Milwaukee as a brewing hub dates back to the early 20th century, and boasted the world's largest brewing capacity as late as 1981. The city is nationally recognized with the nickname "Brew City" due to its nearly two centuries of brewing heritage from multiple past major brewers including Miller Brewing Company, Pabst Brewing Company, and Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. Today, through the ownership of MillerCoors, the city's largest brewery produces 10 million barrels of beer annually.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schoenhofen Brewing Company</span> Brewery in Chicago, Illinois

The Peter Schoenhofen Brewing Company was an American brewery established in 1861 by Peter Schoenhofen and Matheus Gottfried in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The company is notable for producing and selling the popular Edelweiss brand of American beer and the Green River brand soft drink.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craft soda</span> Soft drink that is produced in small quantities from natural ingredients

Craft soda is a soft drink that is produced in small quantities from natural ingredients. Craft soda is in most cases made with sweeteners other than sucrose (sugar) or high-fructose corn syrup and contains sparing amounts of preservatives. Craft soda is often innovative in terms of raw materials and flavors.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Miastkowski, Raf (November 21, 2017). "Things You Didn't Know About Green River Soda". Thrillist . Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  2. ↑ Decker, Kristin (March 16, 2014). "Green River Soda: Made in Chicago". WGN Radio. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  3. 1 2 Granger, Bill (May 7, 1989). "Drinking In The Nostalgia: A Poll And A Pop Bring Back The Flavor Of The Fifties". chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Haddix, C.; Kraig, B. (2017). The Chicago Food Encyclopedia. Heartland Foodways. University of Illinois Press. p. 289. ISBN   978-0-252-09977-9 . Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  5. 1 2 Rovito, Rick (October 27, 2021). "Sprecher Eyes National Growth With Purchase of Craft Soda Brands". Milwaukee Magazine. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  6. 1 2 D, Amy (April 11, 2013). "A Davenport First: Green River Soda". Davenport Library Blog. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  7. ↑ Dugan, John (March 8, 2011). "Schoenhofen Brewery, Chicago's beer riots and the brewer's star, and Chicago's historic breweries". Time Out Chicago. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Spokane Chronicle 28 Jun 1928, page 12". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  9. ↑ "Granite Falls Historical -- 05/23/1935, Page 8". gfp.stparchive.com. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The Soda Depot - Green River Story". The Soda Depot. Archived from the original on September 20, 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  11. ↑ Heil, Meredith (November 20, 2017). "16 Hard-to-Find Sodas We Wish Were Everywhere". Thrillist. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Green River 12 Pack | Sprecher Brewing Company". Sprecher. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  13. ↑ "Where can you get Green River in 2022? | Sprecher Brewing Co". Sprecher Brewery. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
  14. ↑ "My Life Is In Your Hands," Eddie Cantor's 1928 autobiography, written with David Freedman.
  15. ↑ Bizzarri, A. (2016). Iconic Chicago Dishes, Drinks and Desserts. American Palate. Arcadia Publishing Incorporated. pp. 127–130. ISBN   978-1-62585-810-8 . Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  16. ↑ Goldberg, Michael (1993). "Fortunate Son: John Fogerty - The 1993 Rolling Stone Interview". Rolling Stone . United States . Retrieved December 29, 2010.
  17. ↑ "What's Censored in Williams Pinball Volume 2?". YouTube. The Crow Continuum. 6 January 2019. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  18. ↑ "What's Censored in Williams Pinball Volume 3?". YouTube. The Crow Continuum. 14 April 2019. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.