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Welch'sA Tradition of Quality Fruit Flavors
The story of Welch’s dates back to 1869, when physician and dentist Dr. Thomas Bramwell Welch developed a method for pasteurizing grape juice in his home in Vineland, N.J. His goal was to produce an alcohol-free wine to be used at communion in his local church. Unfortunately, parishioners saw no need to do away with the traditional wine, and the “Dr. Welch’s Unfermented Wine” was a failure.
Dr. Charles E. Welch, son of Welch’s founder, was more interested in his father’s grape juice developments than in his own dentistry career. In 1875, he returned to Vineland and resumed production of “Dr. Welch’s,” while still maintaining his practice.
In 1893, Charles changed the name to “Welch’s Grape Juice,” and the renamed product premiered at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Later that year, he made Welch’s a national favorite by giving out samples at the Chicago World’s Fair. He then decided to give up dentistry and to focus full-time on the marketing of grape juice.
Welch’s continued to grow in the years that followed, due in part to ambitious advertising and promotion. Beginning in 1934 with the top-rated radio program, The Irene Rich Show, Welch’s sponsored such programs as Howdy Doody, Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse Club and The Flintstones.
In 1974, after a number of name and ownership changes, Welch’s introduced its grape soda to consumers. As “the soft drink alternative that people trust for their pre-teen children,” the soda became a hit with mothers of children aged 3-12.
Today, consumers can enjoy the outstanding taste of Welch’s grape soda or other delicious Welch’s flavors, including strawberry, fruit punch, pineapple, and peach. The Welch’s soda brands are all licensed through Plano, Texas-based Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages (CSAB), a subsidiary division of Cadbury Schweppes plc (NYSE:CSG). CSAB is one of the largest producers of soft drinks and premium beverages in the Americas.
What’s in a name? Beverages during Dr. Thomas Bramwell Welch’s time often carried the surname of the inventor along with the product name.
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