History

The building in Hastings, Nebraska , where Kool-Aid was invented Kool-Aid was invented by Edwin Perkins in Hastings, Nebraska. All of his experiments took place in his mother's kitchen.[1] Its predecessor was a liquid concentrate called Fruit Smack. To reduce shipping costs, in 1927, Perkins discovered a way to remove the liquid from Fruit Smack, leaving only a powder. This powder was named Kool-Aid. Perkins moved his production to Chicago in 1931 and Kool-Aid was sold to General Foods in 1953.[2] Hastings still celebrates a yearly summer festival called Kool-Aid Days on the second weekend in August, in honor of their city's claim to fame. Kool-Aid is known as Nebraska's official soft drink.[3][4] An agreement between Kraft Foods and SodaStream in 2012 made Kool-Aid's various flavors available for consumer purchases and use with SodaStream's home soda maker machine.[5]

Production

Kool-Aid is usually sold in powder form, in either packets or small tubs. The actual beverage is prepared by mixing the powder with sugar (the packets of powder are usually, though not always, unsweetened) and water, typically by the pitcherful. The drink is usually either served with ice or refrigerated and served chilled. Additionally, there are some sugar-free varieties. Kool-Aid is also sold as single-serving packets designed to be poured into bottled water, as small plastic bottles with pre-mixed drink, or as such novelties as ice cream or fizzing tablets. The colors in Kool-Aid will stain, and hence the substance can be used as a dye for either hair[6] or wool.[7]

Advertising and promotion

See also: Kool-Aid Man The Kool-Aid Man, an anthropomorphic pitcher filled with Kool-Aid, is the mascot of Kool-Aid. The character was introduced shortly after General Foods acquired the brand in the 1950s. In television and print ads, the Kool-Aid Man was known for randomly bursting through walls of children's homes and proceeding to make a batch of Kool-Aid for them. His catchphrase is "Oh, yeah!" Starting in 2011, Kraft began allocating the majority of the Kool-Aid marketing budget towards Latinos. According to the brand, almost 20 percent of Kool-Aid drinkers are Hispanic, and slightly more than 20 percent are African-American.[8] In 2013, Kraft decided to overhaul the Kool-Aid Man, reimagining him as a CGI character, "a celebrity trying to show that he's just an ordinary guy."[9]

Flavors

Original 6 flavors[10] Cherry, Grape, Lemon-Lime, Orange, Raspberry, Strawberry[11] Singles flavors[12] Black Cherry, Tropical Punch, Lemonade, Pink Lemonade, Cherry, Watermelon, Orange, Summer Punch Sugar-Free flavors[ citation needed ] Cherry, Grape, Lemonade, Soarin' Strawberry Lemonade, Tropical Punch, Raspberry, Watermelon, KiwiLime Water flavors[13] Jamaica, Mandarina-Tangerine, Mango, Tamarindo, Piña-Pineapple Other flavors worldwide or previously available[13] Apple, Berry Blue, Bunch Berry, Blastin' Berry Cherry, Blue Berry Blast, Blue Moon Berry, Candy Apple, Cherry, Cherry Cracker, Chocolate, Cola, Eerie Orange, Frutas, Vermelhas, Golden Nectar, Grape, Grape Blackberry, Grape Tang, Melon Mango, Strawberry Splash, Great Blueberry, Great Blue-dini, Groselha, Guaraná, Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade, Incrediberry, Kickin-Kiwi-Lime, Kolita, Lemon, Lemonade, Lemonade Sparkle, Lemon-Lime, Lime, Man-o-Mangoberry, Mango, Mountainberry Punch, Oh-Yeah Orange-Pineapple, Orange, Orange Enerjooz, Peach, Pina-Pineapple, Pink Lemonade, Pink Swimmingo, Purplesaurus Rex, Rainbow Punch, Raspberry, Roarin' Raspberry Cranberry, Rock-a-Dile Red, Root Beer, Scary Black Cherry, Scary Blackberry, Sharkleberry Fin, Slammin' Strawberry-Kiwi, Soarin' Strawberry-Lemonade, Strawberry, Strawberry Falls Punch, Strawberry Split, Strawberry-Raspberry, Sunshine Punch, Surfin' Berry Punch, Tangerine, Tropical Punch, Watermelon-Cherry, Shaking Starfruit, Watermelon, Solar Strawberry-Starfruit, Arctic Green Apple, Swirlin' Strawberry-Starfruit, Lemon Ice

In popular culture

Other Kool-Aid products

Kool-Aid Twists drink mixes (discontinued, some flavors still exist but no longer have the "Twists" moniker on the package)

Kool-Aid Ice Cream Bars

Kool-Aid Singles drink mixes

Kool-Aid Kool Bursts

Kool-Aid Jammers (juice pouches similar to Capri Sun)

Kool-Aid Fun Fizz/Pop 'n Drop

Kool-Pops Freezer Pops

Kool-Aid Koolers juice boxes (discontinued)

Kool-Aid Dippers

Kool-Aid Drink Pitchers

Kool-Aid Cans

Kool-Aid Bottles

Kool-Aid Island Twists drink mixes (discontinued)

Kool-Aid Mega Mountain Twists drink mixes (discontinued)

Kool-Aid Fruit T's drink mixes (discontinued)

Ghoul-Aid Halloween themed drink mixes (revived in 2012)

Sugar Free Kool-Aid drink mixes

Kool-Aid Magic Twists drink mixes (discontinued) the powder of the drink mix changed color

Sharkleberry Fin Kool Pumps (discontinued) was a Burger King promotional item

Kool-Aid Ice Cool drink mixes (discontinued) gave the drinker a cooling sensation

Kool-Aid Invisible drink mixes turns the white drink mix powder clear

Kool-Aid Blast Offs space themed drink mixes (discontinued)

See also

Freshie, a Canadian version of Kool-Aid