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]
| Type | Root Beer |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Cold Spring Brewing Company |
| Distributor | RJM Distributing |
| Introduced | 1996 |
| Ingredients | carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, honey, caramel color, natural & artificial colors, citric acid |
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
editKillebrew 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- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c "Killebrew Root Beer | The Killebrew Story". Archived from the original on 2023-07-26. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Twins Hall Of Famer Killebrew Dies At Age 74 - CBS Minnesota". WCCO-TV, CBS News. 2011-05-17. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "A Taste Of Target Field". WCCO-TV, CBS News. 2011-02-07. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
- ^ "Killebrew Root Beer | Find Killebrew Near You". Archived from the original on 2023-10-03. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Baseball Name Selling Root Beer". Tulsa World. 1993-06-12. Archived from the original on 2024-06-13. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
- ^ a b "Welcome to the Killebrew Beverages official website!". Killebrew Beverages. 2003. Archived from the original on 2003-08-05.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.