Jump to content

Killebrew Root Beer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Killebrew Root Beer
TypeRoot Beer
ManufacturerCold Spring Brewing Company
DistributorRJM Distributing
Introduced1996
Ingredientscarbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, honey, caramel color, natural & artificial colors, citric acid
Killebrew Root Beer and Cream Soda in tallboy cans

Killebrew Root Beer is a root beer beverage produced with the endorsement of former Minnesota Twins baseball player Harmon Killebrew and currently sold by RJM Distributing.[1] The product is sold in 12 fl-oz glass bottles and tallboy 16 fl-oz cans covered in flat retro branding featuring a baseball diamond, a reproduction of Killebrew's signature, his retired number 3, a vertical stripe pattern reminiscent of Twins uniforms during his time playing, "Old-Fashioned" branding,[2] and the slogan, "With the Hall of Fame Taste", alluding to Killebrew's 1984 induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.[3] The company also sells a cream soda under similar branding.[1]

Killebrew Root Beer is advertised as being sweetened with Minnesota honey.[3][4] The beverages are sold at concessions stands and by roving vendors in the Twins' Target Field,[4][5][6] at Hammond Stadium, the Twins' spring training home in Fort Myers, Florida,[7] and at CHS Field, the home of the St. Paul Saints.[7][8] At Target Field, Killebrew Root Beer is also used in root beer floats at Townball Tavern.[4][9] In addition, it is sold in several restaurants, grocers, department stores, and convenience stores in Minnesota and the wider Midwest, notably Target, Hy-Vee, Lunds & Byerly's, and Cub Foods.[10]

History

[edit]

Killebrew has been in production since at least 1996 by Cold Spring Brewing Company in Cold Spring, Minnesota.[11][12] In 2003, a website was launched for Killebrew Beverages, a company based in Burnsville, Minnesota that offered three flavors: 'Rootbeer' [sic], 'Honey Cream', and 'Honey Lemon'.[13]

According to the 2003 site, the idea of launching a root beer brand can be traced back to 1984, when Harmon Killebrew supposedly received a "commemorative soda can" for being entered into the Baseball Hall of Fame. His son, Ken Killebrew, then "heard him joke, 'We ought to put a brew in this and sell it!'". The old website also claims that Ken started producing the beverage in 1993 based on "an old family recipe for root beer".[13]

Later, Killebrew Root Beer was absorbed into RJM Distributing, based in Ramsey, Minnesota.[3] Cold Spring Brewing Company was sold to a private equity firm in 2017 called Brynwood Partners.[14] The branding relationship with RJM is handled by Ken Killebrew,[15] especially now after his father's death in 2011.[2][6]

In 2015, RJM Distributing ran a contest campaign to cross-promote the creation of a Harmon Killebrew US postage stamp by offering a free year of root beer.[7]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b RJM Distributing, Inc. (April 26, 2010). "Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew Signs Agreement With RJM Distributing to Officially Endorse Killebrew Beverages". www.prnewswire.com. Archived from the original on 2024-02-13. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  2. ^ a b Rushin, Steve (May 17, 2011). "Grace and humility defined the great slugger Harmon Killebrew". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 2011-05-20.
  3. ^ a b c "Killebrew Root Beer | The Killebrew Story". Archived from the original on 2023-07-26. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  4. ^ a b c North, Delaware (2010-04-01). "Target Field Touches All Bases with Food and Beverage". Delaware North Newsroom. Archived from the original on 2024-02-25. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  5. ^ "Twins Hall Of Famer Killebrew Dies At Age 74 - CBS Minnesota". WCCO-TV, CBS News. 2011-05-17. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  6. ^ a b "Hall of Famer Killebrew dies of cancer at age 74". ESPN. 2011-05-17. Archived from the original on 2024-02-13. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  7. ^ a b c Cole, Howard (July 26, 2015). "Sign the Petition For A Harmon Killebrew Postage Stamp And You Could Win Free Root Beer For A Year". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2024-03-24. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  8. ^ Tribune, Star. "Hits and misses, food- and drink-wise, at St. Paul's dazzling new CHS Field". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on 2023-12-01. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  9. ^ "A Taste Of Target Field". WCCO-TV, CBS News. 2011-02-07. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  10. ^ "Killebrew Root Beer | Find Killebrew Near You". Archived from the original on 2023-10-03. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  11. ^ Kuss, Duane. "The Past, The Crash, The Future!". City of Cold Spring Government Office. Archived from the original on 2024-06-13. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  12. ^ "Baseball Name Selling Root Beer". Tulsa World. 1993-06-12. Archived from the original on 2024-06-13. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  13. ^ a b "Welcome to the Killebrew Beverages official website!". Killebrew Beverages. 2003. Archived from the original on 2003-08-05.
  14. ^ "USA: 143-year-old Cold Spring Brewing Co. sold to private equity firm". www.inside.beer. 2017-08-07. Archived from the original on 2024-02-13. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  15. ^ McCall, William (1995-11-03). "Brewers Sense Root Beer War Ahead : Markets: Sale of Barq's to Coca-Cola gives each of Big Three at least one brand. And regional firms expand to meet demand for frothy concoction". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2024-06-13. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
[edit]