Here at the CBD Beverage Blog, we’re big fans of history and enjoy enlightening our customers about the various aspects of our industry. Today, we’re going to examine the origins of the humble aluminum can, the type of vessel we use to bring our groundbreaking and delicious Sparkling CBD Sodas to market.
Enjoy the following brief tour through the history of the soda can. Then, if you're interested in adding more variety to our seven CBD soda and tea flavors, mix things up with five non-alcoholic CBD mocktail recipes from the CBD Beverage Blog team!
A Brief History of the Soda Can
Ever since canning was invented more than 200 years ago to preserve, and in some cases, transport food without spoiling, beverage manufacturers have been looking for a better, safer, more economical way to transport their product to the customer. During the 19th century sales and consumption of carbonated beverages mostly took place on-site in pharmacies. Gradually, however, soft drink entrepreneurs began bottling their creations and selling them on store shelves.
For decades glass bottles were the de facto method of marketing soft drinks, but bottles were, and are, an imperfect method of storage and transportation. First, because glass bottles are heavy. Before the advent of the internal combustion engine, large-scale beverage deliveries were made using horse-drawn carriages. A full load of full glass bottles could weigh several tons making transport on the dodgy roads of the time a genuine headache and shortening the lives of the horses tasked with pulling them.
Second, glass being glass, it tended to break pretty easily. Product losses were often staggering. All it would take would be one good-sized pothole to send half your product to oblivion. And we won't even get into the safety concerns surrounding glass bottles. The bottom line? Something better was necessary.
Enter the Soft Drink Can
In 1938 Clicquot Club Beverages began selling their popular Ginger Ale in a cone-topped can that bears more than a passing resemblance to classic motor oil cans. The can itself was produced by the Continental Can Company but soon developed a reputation for being leaky and negatively altering the flavor of the beverage inside. Something had to be done, and returning to the days of glass bottles wasn’t an option.
After about a decade of fine-tuning, Continental worked out all the bugs in their cone-shaped can designs, and in 1948 Pepsi became the first major soft drink brand to use them. But even though newly re-engineered cans were leakproof and preserved the taste of their contents, the cone-shaped top still left something to be desired as far as shipping and storage were concerned.
The First True Soda Cans
In 1955 the James Vernor Company of Detroit (the longest continually operating soft drink company in the United States at nearly 160 years), began marketing their ginger ale in 12-ounce, flat-top cans. The innovative design made it much easier to transport and store large numbers of cans and drove the cone-shaped can from the market almost overnight. Both soft drink producers and breweries quickly adopted the new design, although you needed a can opener to access the contents of the can. Can fever caught on quickly among beverage manufacturers, who quickly shifted their focus from heavy, dangerous glass bottles. Coca-Cola even began marketing their product in 32-ounce (1 quart) metal cans, though to be sure that didn't last long.
The Dawn of a New Era
A scant 8 years after the first flat-top metal soda cans were introduced the Reynolds Metals Company produced the first aluminum beverage can. The first soft drink to take advantage of these breakthrough lightweight cans was called "Slenderella" and by all accounts, it was the first widely distributed low-calorie soft drink. That was in 1963. Within 2 years all major soft drink manufacturers had shifted to the aluminum can. At first such cans required can openers like their predecessors. But in time the distinctive pull top opening system was developed and adopted industry-wide.
During the late 1970s and 1980s pull tops were phased out over environmental and safety concerns and replaced with the “ring pull” that endures to this day and that we use on our Sparkling CBD Soda and other CBD drinks. Today, aluminum cans are said by industry insiders to be 4 times as popular as plastic bottles when it comes to 12-ounce soft drinks.
Colorado, Where Aluminum Cans Are Born
Many people are not aware of it but the world's largest aluminum can manufacturing facility is located right here in the Centennial State. Ball Corp, which got its start over a century ago producing what are now iconic glass storage jars, operates a factory in Golden that produces 6 million aluminum cans per day and 8 billion per year. Imagine that. This local factory produces one can for every man, woman, and child on earth every year.
The company’s factory encompasses 500,000 square feet and includes a production line, labeling facility, and quality control center that produces aluminum cans - and aluminum “bottles” - for more than 1,000 beverages including many of the most recognized brands in the US market, as well as more than 400 craft breweries looking to make a unique branding statement with their cans.
Seven Delicious CBD Soda Mocktail Recipes
The National Day Calendar officially recognizes the second week of each January to honor the millions of Americans who opt for a sober lifestyle. Whether you’re abstaining from alcohol for Dry January or maintain sobriety year-round, our sparkling CBD sodas and sparkling CBD water products can still be enjoyed in countless non-alcoholic blends. The Colorado’s Best Drinks Beverage Blog team is here to help you celebrate National Mocktail Week with our twist on seven satisfying non-alcoholic beverage recipes - one featuring each of our delectable sparkling CBD water and CBD soda flavors.
Sparkling Lemon Lime Float
Serves: Two
What You'll Need:
- One cantaloupe
- Six ounces water
- One teaspoon lime zest
- Approximately six scoops raspberry sorbet
- One can Sparkling CBD Lemon Iced Tea
- Fresh raspberries (for optional garnish
How It's Made:
- Cut cantaloupe into halves, then remove and dispose of the seeds from each half.
- Scoop approximately ten small balls (roughly one inch in diameter) of melon from each half, then measure one cup of melon scraps from the remaining portions.
- Add one cup of melon scraps, water, and lime zest to a blender, then puree until all contents are thoroughly mixed.
- Divide eight to ten melon balls evenly between two drinking glasses.
- Add one scoop of raspberry sorbet to each glass.
- Divide remaining melon balls evenly between both glasses, then add a second scoop of sorbet to each glass.
- Divide blended cantaloupe glass between both glasses.
- Top off each glass with Sparkling CBD Lemon Iced Tea.
- If desired, garnish each glass with fresh raspberries.
- Serve and enjoy!
Watermelon Citrus Slushie
Serves: Two
What You'll Need:
- One can Sparkling CBD Watermelon Soda
- Four ounces pineapple juice
- Two tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Eight ounces frozen peaches
- Two lime slices (for optional garnish)
- Ice
How It's Made:
- Add all ingredients to a blender, then puree until color and consistency are even.
- Divide contents evenly between two tall glasses.
- Top off each glass with Sparkling CBD Watermelon Soda.
- If desired, garnish each glass with a slice of lime.
- Serve and enjoy!
Black Cherry Blend
Serves: Three
What You'll Need:
- One cup raspberries
- One lime
- One teaspoon sugar
- Two cans Sparkling CBD Black Cherry Soda
How It's Made:
- Slice lime into four pieces.
- Squeeze one quarter of your sliced lime into a small pitcher.
- Add one quarter cup of raspberries to the pitcher.
- Muddle contents of pitcher until well blended.
- Pour both cans of Sparkling CBD Blackberry Soda to pitcher, then add teaspoon of sugar to blend and mix well.
- Select two to three tall drinking glasses, and add one quarter cup of raspberries and several cubes of ice to each.
- Divide contents of pitcher evenly between each drinking glass. Refrigerate any leftover contents to preserve their quality.
- Serve and enjoy!
Colorado’s Best Roy Rogers
Serves: Two
What You'll Need:
- One can Sparkling CBD Cola
- Two ounces grenadine
- Four maraschino cherries (for optional garnish)
- Ice
How It's Made:
- Fill two pint-sized drinking glasses halfway with ice.
- Add approximately one ounce of grenadine to each glass.
- Top off each glass with approximately half a can of Sparkling CBD Cola.
- If desired, add two maraschino cherries to the top of each glass for garnish.
- Serve and enjoy!
Caramel Cream Root Beer Float
Serves: Two
What You'll Need:
- One can Sparkling CBD Root Beer
- Three ounces International Delight Caramel Machiatto coffee creamer
- Two scoops vanilla ice cream
- Whipped cream (for optional topping)
- Caramel sauce (for optional topping)
How It's Made:
- Divide coffee creamer evenly between two tall drinking glasses.
- Add one scoop of vanilla iced cream to each glass.
- Divide Sparkling CBD Root Beer evenly between both glasses, pouring slowly and pausing when necessary to prevent overflow.
- Add one scoop of iced cream to the top of each glass.
- If desired, add whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce to each glass as an optional topping.
- Serve and enjoy!
Sparkling Ginger Sunrise
Serves: Two
What You'll Need:
- One can Sparkling CBD Ginger Ale
- Sixteen ounces fresh squeezed orange juice
- Eight ounces fresh squeezed lime juice
- Peels from two limes
- Peels from two oranges
- Ten cardamom pods (crushed lightly)
- Four cinnamon sticks (crushed lightly)
- One teaspoon black peppercorns (ground)
- Two lime slices (for optional garnish)
- Two orange slices (for optional garnish)
How It's Made:
- Add all ingredients to a small saucepan, then bring to a boil over high heat, lowering to a simmer once liquid has been reduced to approximately half of original amount.
- Let mixture cool for twenty minutes or until contents have reached room temperature.
- Strain solids from mixture and discard.
- Store concentrate in a glass jar for future use, or proceed with additional steps to use immediately.
- Add several ice cubes and approximately three ounces of concentrate to a pint-sized glass.
- Top off with one can of Sparkling CBD Ginger Ale.
- If desired, add two citrus slices to the rim of each glass for garnish.
- Serve and enjoy!
Blended Basil Sours
Serves: Two
What You'll Need:
- One can Sparkling CBD Lemonade
- Six ounces water (for simple syrup)
- Six ounces granulated sugar (for simple syrup)
- Six fresh basil leaves
- Four lemon wedges
- Two tablespoons lemon juice
- Basil leaves (for optional garnish)
- Four lemon wedges (for optional garnish)
How It's Made:
- To make simple syrup, add water and sugar to a small saucepan, then bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.
- Once mixture is at a boil, lower temperature and let simmer for approximately six minutes, then remove from heat and let cool.
- If desired, add basil leaves and one or two lemon wedges to the bottom of each glass, then muddle until well-blended.
- Add lemon juice and two tablespoons of simple syrup blend to each glass, then muddle more until simple syrup is well-blended with basil and lemon.
- Add several ice cubes and one teaspoon of lemon juice to each glass.
- Divide one can of Sparkling CBD Lemonade evenly between both glasses.
- If desired, add additional basil leaves to both beverages and a lemon wedge to the rim of each as optional garnishes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Enjoy Our Non-Alcoholic Beverages Every Week!
We hope that these seven specialty mocktail recipes help you and your family make the most of National Mocktail Week. No matter the occasion, there’s no need for social distancing to stop you from enjoying sweet and satisfying blended beverages. It’s easy to craft your own Sparkling CBD non-alcoholic mocktails today and every day of the year! Visit our Sparkling Shop to order a twelve-pack or a forty-eight pack of Sparkling CBD Citrus Water, Hibiscus Water or our other delicious products today. We'll bring a case to your doorstep- ready to savor straight from the can or in these delicious drink recipes. All seven flavors of our sparkling CBD sodas (and our two flavored Sparkling CBD waters) are delicious and refreshing. Our products all contain phytocannabinoid-rich, broad spectrum hemp extract. Better yet, each sparkling CBD beverage flavor is vegan, non-GMO, and free of gluten, sodium, and preservatives. PCR hemp extract is one of just five ingredients in every can of Colorado's Best Drinks, and you’ll taste that sweet simplicity with every sip.