Peach soda, a carbonated soft drink made with peach juice or flavors, sugar, and artificial color, originated in the US in the early 20th century. The Georgia-based Chero-Cola Company introduced the first peach soda, Nehi Peach, in 1924. Its popularity peaked after World War II, but sales declined in the late 1970s. Today, peach soda is still available but in limited quantities and often sold in specialty food stores. Modern peach sodas rarely contain juice and are sweetened with corn syrup and preservatives. The rise of peach soda has also led to the emergence of peach-flavored iced teas and lemonades in the beverage industry.
Peach soda is a soft drink composed primarily of carbonated water, peach juice or peach flavors, and sugar. Artificial orange color is usually added as well. Peach soda originated in the United States in the early part of the 20th century. His popularity remained strong into the 1970s. Peach soda remains available in many countries, but its production is generally limited.
The Georgia-based Chero-Cola Company is believed to have introduced the first peach soda. Following successful sales of cola, ginger ale, and root beer, the company expanded its flavor portfolio to include peach, orange, and grape in the summer of 1924. These fruit-flavored beverages were branded under the derivative brand “Nehi Cola”. Nehi peach was marketed to Georgians under the tagline “Your favorite drink, in your favorite flavor”. Peaches are one of Georgia’s largest crops.
Sales of Nehi sodas reached their peak shortly after World War II. Sales didn’t begin to decline until the late 1970s. The soda was popular on its own or poured over ice cream to create a “peach float.”
Peach soda is still available in the United States, as well as a host of other countries, though not nearly as ubiquitously as it once was. Nehi’s Peach is still produced in limited quantities by Dr. Pepper Corporation, which acquired the Nehi brand in 2000. It is joined by small-scale peach sodas marketed under several other brand names, including Stewart and Crush.
Distributors typically only sell peach soda in a few key markets, and even then the product can only be found in specialty food stores. Part of this is likely due to rising costs of beverage production and reduced demand for peach sodas. Some, but not all, retailers will sell their beverages over the Internet.
Most peach sodas today resemble other vintage varieties. They’re often sold in old-fashioned bottles, for example, and often look pretty much the same on the outside. The way they are made is often different, however, as modern makers tend to follow more modern recipes.
Soft drinks in the 1920s were generally made with simpler ingredients. Typically, the entire ingredient list consisted of carbonated water, peach juice, brown sugar, and colorants. Modern sodas, including Peach, rarely contain any juice and are typically sweetened with corn syrup. Manufacturers also typically add preservatives for color and freshness.
Numerous fishery products in the beverage industry have emerged from the rise of peach soda. Peach-flavored iced teas, for example, have seen some stability in the market, as have peach lemonades. While the fishing industry has always had a few stalwarts, it’s never been a runaway best seller like regular colas and other fruity sodas, like orange, seem to be. This rarity often makes peach soda harder to grab, but for true fans, the sight is almost always worth the climb.
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