Bireley's

Bireley's is a brand of non-carbonated, fruit-flavored soft drinks originally produced by the Frank W. Bireley Company (later Bireley's Inc.), established in California in 1923 by Frank W. Bireley. The brand grew rapidly, becoming known throughout the United States, and was acquired by General Foods in 1943. It subsequently disappeared from the market in its home country, but still retains a small international presence through Asahi Soft Drinks in Japan and, until 2019, Ichitan in Thailand. As of 2024, the brand is exclusively found in Japan.

History

The Bireley's brand originated from Frank Bireley's orange juice business, which began with him selling fresh squeezed juice to fellow students while studying at Stanford University. The business became very successful, and Bireley dropped out of university and established the Frank W. Bireley Company in 1923. The original product, known as Bireley's Orangeade, was first produced at the company's main plant in North Hollywood. The company later opened a bottling plant in Oakland in 1937, and established franchises with local bottlers throughout the United States. The company developed and patented an automated juice extractor system for its operations, which involved juicing, pasteurization and concentration at the main factory, then shipment for reconstitution and sweetening with sugar at the bottling plants. The drink's marketing promoted its lack of carbonation as a benefit. By 1942, the company was producing about 58 million bottles of the beverage a month, and Bireley had become known as the "orange juice king".

The company was acquired by General Foods in 1943, becoming a division under its new parent, with Bireley staying on as general manager. Several new flavors were introduced, and the brand expanded overseas, establishing presences under the name Bireley's California Orange in several countries, including in Thailand in 1950. In Japan, the drink was produced by Asahi Soft Drinks beginning in 1951. The brand enjoyed popularity in many countries during the 1950s, including the Philippines. In Thailand, the brand became a household name not only after the drink's popularity, but also the notoriety of the 1950s gangster Dang Bireley, who gained the moniker from that of the neighborhood where he lived, near the Bireley's bottling plant. (He was also the inspiration for the 1997 film

See also

• Green Spot (soft drink), another orange drink from California that gained wider popularity in Asia