The History Of Sun Drop And How It Became An Iconic Southern Drink

Every U.S. state has its name to claim, some admirable, some quirky, and others downright genius. When it comes to soft drinks, one portion of the country has a lot to crow about. That would be the Deep South, birthplace and current home to arguably the most iconic soda of all, Coca-Cola. But there's a Southern subculture of smaller soda makers, one with deep roots and and related super fans. One of the lesser known brands, but immensely popular with those in-the-know, is the citrus-centric, caffeine-heavy, Sun Drop soft drink. 

Sun Drop came to life in 1928 at the hands of a Missouri businessman, about four decades after Coco-Cola debuted in Atlanta, Georgia. Though Missouri is technically a border state to the American South, it's heavily influenced by Southern culture. It lies a handshake away from Tennessee and a slide over to North Carolina, the two states largely responsible for Sun Drop's identity as a Southern drink. Bottling plants in both states churned out the wildly popular buzzy drink, sending it soaring across state lines. That's in part thanks to NASCAR racing legend Dale Earnhardt, a North Carolina native, who promoted Sun Drop and was followed years later by Texas-born racing driver Ryan Hunter-Reay. 

The original bottling plant in Pulaski, Tennessee, rebranded as Sun Drop Bottling Co., still exists today. However, a good thing rarely goes unnoticed. The Sun Drop foothold takes much wider steps these days, under the ownership of Keurig Dr. Pepper. 

In its early days, Sun Drop may not have enjoyed the vast distribution of its larger Southern-born carbonation kings, but many folks in the South would say they liked it that way. Similar to North Carolina's Cheerwine soft drink, the well-loved Sun Drop brand dips in the deep well of regional identity, each begrudgingly sharing their secrets with the nation-at-large. It's part of a group of Southern sodas with huge followings and humble beginnings, including RC Cola, Nehi orange and grape colas, Big Red from Texas, and Barq's root beer from New Orleans. 

Like its lemon-lime soda cohorts, Sun Drop boasts a bold presence and distinctive taste. It's a citric explosion featuring orange juice, carbonated water, and lemon and lime flavorings. The idea of a citrus-based soft drink was unique at its inception, though followed years later by similar-tasting competitors such as Mountain Dew, a Southern-born soda from Tennessee. It also predated other bright lemon-lime drinks such as Sprite, 7UP, and Mello Yello. One thing making Sun Drop stand out in the citrus soda kingdom is its caffeine content, which is a lot. It harbors 64 milligrams per 12-ounce can, considerably higher than other similar sodas. 

To its credit, Sun Drop hears the wider voice of its expanded fan base, responding with variations such as a caffeine-free version. There's also a Cherry Sun Drop and two diet offerings, all with roughly the same caffeine buzz as the original.