Shasta is a brand of U.S. soft drink that reached the peak of its popularity in the 1980s^{[citation needed]}. It is marketed as a cheaper version of famous brand soft drinks like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper.

[edit] History

Shasta began as The Mt. Shasta Mineral Springs Company located in Baltimore, Maryland on December 6, 1889. It was also known as The Shasta Water Company. It produced bottled mineral water from Shasta Springs in northern California. The water was poured into glass-lined railroad cars and shipped off for local bottling.

In 1931, Shasta produced its first soft drink: pale dry ginger ale. Until the 1950s, the company's products were mainly mixers for alcoholic drinks: mineral water, club soda, and ginger ale. During the 1960s, Shasta was purchased by the Sara Lee food company (then known as Consolidated Foods). In 1985, it was acquired by the National Beverage Corp., which also owns the popular Faygo line.

Old partially-covered ad for Shasta Orange Soda

Shasta claims to have been the first to introduce metal soft drink cans and diet soft drinks.^[2] Its diet soft drinks use sucralose (Splenda brand) instead of the aspartame traditionally found in diet drinks.

Shasta Tiki Punch

[edit] Flavors

• Apple
• Black Cherry
  • Diet Black Cherry
• Club soda

• Chocolate Soda
  • Diet Chocolate Soda
• Cola
• Cranberry
• Creme soda
  • Diet Creme Soda
• Dr. Shasta (similar to Dr Pepper)
  • Diet Dr. Shasta
• Ginger ale
  • Diet Ginger Ale
• Grape
  • Diet Grape
• Grapefruit Zázz
• Guava / Passion fruit
• Horchata (cinnamon, vanilla and nutty rice flavor)
• Iced tea with Lemon
• Jamaica (hibiscus flower flavor)
• Kiwi Strawberry
  • Diet Kiwi Strawberry
• Lemonade
• Mango
• Orange
  • Diet Orange
• Pineapple
• Pineapple Orange
• Raspberry Creme
• Red Pop (similar to Big Red)
• Root beer
  • Diet Root Beer
• Ruby Red Grapefruit
  • Diet Grapefruit
• Sangría
• Strawberry
  • Diet Strawberry
• Strawberry Peach
  • Diet Strawberry Peach
• Tamarind
• Tiki Blue
• Tiki Mist
• Tiki Orange Mango
• Tiki Punch
• Tonic Mix
• Twist Lime Lemon
  • Diet Twist Lime Lemon
• Fruit punch (Carbonated & non-carb)
• Vanilla Cola
  • Diet Vanilla Cola

During 2003–2006, Shasta sold soft drinks called Shasta Shortz that were marketed to children. Shasta Shortz products were packaged in 8oz 'mini cans' (as opposed to the typical 12oz soda can) and had sweeter and more candy-like flavors.^[3]

Flavors included:

• Bubble Gum
• Camo Orange Creme
• Chillin' Cherry Punch
• Cotton Candy
• Rah-Rah Root Beer
• Red Grape Stain

[edit] In pop culture

• "It's Saturday night; I've got no date, a two liter bottle of Shasta, and my all-Rush mix tape... let's rock." — Fry, about to use his video game skills to stop an alien invasion, Futurama ("Anthology of Interest II").

• "I want a pop, pop, pop! I want a Shhhhhhhhhhhasta, Shasta!" — from a 1980s vintage Shasta TV commercial.

• "Shasta! It has'ta be Shasta!" — from a 1970s vintage Shasta TV commercial.

• "Do you happen to have any diet creamsicle Shasta, by any chance?" Turtle to Carla, Adam Davies' assistant. — Entourage Season 2 Episode 1, eight minutes into the episode.

• "Shasta. I need diet root beer Shasta." — The final episode of Channel 101 series Quest.

• A TV commercial for Shasta Red Apple is featured in the 2008 movie Semi-Pro.

• "...Actually, it would be the fuck and smoke and sleep and roll over and wash your crotch and get two cans of Mr. Pibb and we can go home and fuck a whole lot more. Because that's all that's in those vending machines at a motel; Mr. Pibb and Diet Shasta Orange. And that bottle of Canada Dry Tonic Water that NOBODY WANTS!" - George Carlin, from the stand-up Album, "You are All Diseased."

• "Diet Coke."- Celia "No diet Shasta in a can, room temperature, no straw."-cop From Weeds season 4 episode 1

• Shasta was also the soft drink that famed Australian TV host Jeff Salyers used to spray on himself at the end of every broadcast.

[edit] External links

• ShastaPop.com website

[edit] References

• ShastaPop.com Museum website