Polar Beverages

Polar Beveragesis asoft drinkcompany based inWorcester, Massachusetts. It is a manufacturer and distributor of sparkling fruit beverages,seltzer,ginger ale,drink mixers, andspring waterto customers in the United States. It is the largest independent soft-drink bottler in the United States.
It markets beverages under itsflagship brand, Polar Beverages, and under the brandsAdirondack Beverages, Polar Seltzer, and Cape Cod Dry. In addition to its own drinks, Polar bottles and distributes national brands for companies such asKeurig Dr Pepper. The company has two bottling plants and six distribution facilities; it also offers corporate water services and beverage vending equipment.
It is a fourth-generation, family-owned business that traces its roots to 1882,and is run by Ralph Crowley Jr.,the great-grandson of founder Dennis M. Crowley.
Polar was founded by Ralph’s great-grandfather, Dennis Mark "Boss" Crowley.The business began in the 1880s as the J. G. Bieberbach Company, a liquor company. In 1916, the company took on the Polar name. The company stopped selling whiskey duringProhibitionand began selling carbonated beverages like waters, ginger ales and drys.The company is a member of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.[1]
Polar Beverages produces drinks flavored with natural fruit flavors. An in-house drink mixologist creates five limited edition varieties at two separate times of year to incorporate new flavors.
An asterisk (*) denotes a returning flavor.
In July 2020, Polar partnered with Keurig Dr Pepper to expand their market nationwide. Under the partnership, the Crowley family retains company ownership with direct access to Keurig's delivery and marketing network.
Apolar bearnamed Orson has been the company'smascotsince 1902.Next to the company's billboard nearI-290in Worcester, a large inflatable version of Orson can be seen smiling and "waving" to passersby. The oversized bear is tied down by wire, to keep the bear in place during rough weather, and to prevent theft. Orson has sometimes been stolen by localfraternitiesas aprank.
Polar Beverage's Seltzer line is an official drink ofUS Sailingunder a 3 year marketing partnership signed in 2024. Kissing Bridge, located in Colden, NY, also signed on as a separate sponsor in 2024.
Polar is thenaming rightssponsor forPolar Parkin Worcester, home of theWorcester Red Soxbaseball team, Triple-A affiliates of theBoston Red Sox.
In 1994, Polar made aTV commercialwhere a polar bear considers drinking aCoca-Cola, but throws it into arecycling binmarked, "Keep the Arctic pure."  The polar bear then reaches down into the freezing Arctic water and pulls out a can of Polar Seltzer and drinks from it contentedly.Coca-Cola filed amotionfor aninjunctionagainst Polar inUnited States District CourtinBoston, contending that the commercial made Coke's product appear impure.
The court granted Coca-Cola's motion because the commercial "implied that Coke [was] not pure" and misrepresented the nature and quality of Coke, thereby potentially harming the soft drink irreparably.The injunction required Polar to revise the ad.  According to Polar, the judge's ruling affirmed the right of Polar to use a polar bear in its ads, but limited them from discarding the Coke can.