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In 1930, Charles Lazier transformed a hastily drawn up recipe into what would become Sun Drop soda.
As a beverage concentrate salesman in Missouri, Lazier recognized an opportunity to create something distinct in the soft drink market.
He passed his secret recipe to his son Charles Jr., who would make Sun Drop a reality.
Sun Drop first appeared in Southern states under two names:
The targeted regional approach helped the brand secure devoted fans in specific markets.
The word "Golden" was chosen to highlight the drink's distinct yellow-green color and citrus flavor—qualities that differentiated it from other colas of the time.
Where most of the public was used to brownish colored liquid made famous by Coca-Cola and PepsiCo.
In 1970, Crush International bought Sun Drop.
Using their national distribution network, Crush was able to transform Sun Drop from a regional soft drink into a national brand.
The next decade brought change as Procter & Gamble acquired Crush International in 1980, placing Sun Drop within P&G's vast consumer goods portfolio.
This ownership was short-lived.
P&G sold its beverage holdings to Cadbury Schweppes plc in 1989.
Two decades later, Cadbury Schweppes split its business, and its beverage division became what we now know as Keurig Dr Pepper, Sun Drop's current producer.
P&G transformed Sun Drop's product line in 1985 through two key changes:
First, they reformulated Diet Sun Drop by replacing saccharin with aspartame, responding to health concerns about saccharin and consumer preference for aspartame.
Second, they created Cherry-Lemon Sun Drop, which reformulated the original citrus recipe with cherry sweetness and lemon tang.
From the 1970s through the early 1990s, Dale Earnhardt's partnership with Sun Drop amplified the soft drink's presence across the American South.
Earnhardt's dominance in NASCAR racing, combined with his devoted fan following, gave Sun Drop direct access to the racing community and broader Southern culture.
The brand leveraged his authenticity as a regional icon to strengthen its market position.
Sun Drop was able to tap into NASCAR's deep Southern roots while expanding its customer base.
Sun Drop has emerged as a favorite mixer for cocktails.
Its bright citrus notes and energizing caffeine content create unique combinations with spirits.
Bartenders and home mixologists pair Sun Drop's sweet-tart profile with vodka, rum, or whiskey to craft vibrant, refreshing drinks that stand apart from conventional cocktails.
In February 2002, Sun Drop released Caffeine-Free Sun Drop.
It was created to meet customer demand for non-caffeinated drinks and compete with other brands like Sprite.
For over 50 years, Sun Drop's bottling operations used Gastonia, North Carolina as its home base for producing the soda.
The plant anchored the brand's identity in the South, cementing Sun Drop's reputation as a distinctly Southern soft drink.
Beyond mere production, the Gastonia facility embodied Sun Drop's deep ties to the local community.
Sadly, the plant closed in 2016, after Keurig Dr Pepper acquired Sun Drop.
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