History of Canada Dry

McLaughlin was a Toronto pharmacist and “mixer of mineral waters.” In 1906 he concocted a carbonated beverage, which he named “Canada Dry Pale Ginger Ale.” It was patented in 1907.

McLaughlin bubbly concoction became the mixer of choice in the Prohibition years because the soda masked the state of home made brewed hooch.

He added a crown to the trademark o symbolize “kinglike quality” in order to suggest superiority over its competitors.

The touches were dropped as the company grew.

In the early days the shield contained emblems of the Canadian provinces, plus a crouching beaver.

Although drugstores were only outlets for distributing carbonated beverages, McLaughlin pioneered techniques for mass bottling that made it possible to serve Canada Dry at baseball games and public beaches.

New York was his first US distribution beachhead in 1919. McLaughlin prospered partly because of the almost immediate popularity of his beverages in the US.

In 1923, the company was bought for $1,000,000 by P. D Saylor and J. M Mathes, who founded the present Canada Dry Corp.

Canada Dry was the first major soft drink company to put soft drink in cans in 1953 and it also introduced sugar free drinks in 1964.

In 1986, Cadbury Schweppes, the world’s first soft drink maker, purchased Canada Dry.
History of Canada Dry