Kick

Kick is a citrus-flavored carbonated soft drink associated originally with Royal Crown Cola, the American beverage company that marketed the product from the mid-1960s. It was introduced in 1965 in the United States, with early availability connected to Royal Crown operations in Nashville and Johnson City, Tennessee. The drink combined a citrus profile with caffeine and was positioned as a more forceful alternative to conventional orange- or lemon-lime-style sodas. Its name and the slogan “like a Mule” emphasized energy, impact, and an unconventional personality. Kick entered a competitive North American soft-drink market in which citrus-flavored caffeinated beverages were already gaining attention. Its principal competitive context included PepsiCo’s Mountain Dew and, later, The Coca-Cola Company’s Mello Yello. Rather than competing only as a mainstream family soda, Kick was associated with a more assertive image. Reference material describes the brand as seeking a niche among extreme-sports audiences, punk subcultures, and eventually video-game communities. This cultural positioning gave the product a distinctive identity even though it did not achieve the scale or distribution of the largest national soft-drink brands. The original Royal Crown-era product was discontinued in 2002 after Royal Crown was acquired by Cadbury Schweppes plc through the latter’s acquisition of Snapple. The discontinuation placed Kick among the many regional or secondary soft-drink brands that disappeared during a period of consolidation in the beverage industry. Its history therefore includes two distinct phases: an original commercial run under Royal Crown and a later continuation or revival under a different beverage arrangement. By 2023, Kick was again being produced under the Old Towne Beverages label. Michigan Bottling in Detroit, Michigan, was identified as the bottler, while Garden Foods Distributor, Inc. was identified as the distributor. The available reference material does not establish the legal ownership structure of the revived brand, its full geographic distribution, current sales, or a corporate headquarters. It does, however, indicate that the name remained commercially available rather than existing only as a discontinued historical trademark. Kick’s significance lies less in market scale than in its persistence as a recognizable alternative citrus soda. Its caffeine content, energetic naming, retro identity, and association with subcultural audiences distinguish it from more conventional soft-drink brands. Because the product’s distribution and ownership changed over time, present-day availability may depend on regional bottling and distribution arrangements rather than on a single nationwide operating company.

Kick was introduced in the United States in 1965 by Royal Crown Cola, the soft-drink business later known as part of the Royal Crown Company. The product was a carbonated citrus beverage containing caffeine. Its initial launch took place in the context of a rapidly developing market for strongly flavored, stimulant-oriented soft drinks. Royal Crown used the name Kick and the phrase “like a Mule” to communicate a sense of intensity and energy rather than a purely traditional refreshment proposition. The product’s competitive environment included Mountain Dew, owned by PepsiCo, and Mello Yello, introduced by The Coca-Cola Company. These brands helped define the market for caffeinated citrus sodas in North America. Kick attempted to establish its own position within that category through a distinctive name and an image that appealed beyond ordinary mass-market soft-drink consumption. Available reference material links the brand with extreme sports, punk culture, and later video-game communities. This suggests that its identity was shaped partly through subcultural associations and a more rebellious presentation. Kick remained a Royal Crown product until the consolidation of the company’s beverage portfolio. In 2002, the drink was discontinued when Royal Crown was acquired by Cadbury Schweppes plc through Cadbury Schweppes’ acquisition of Snapple. The end of the original production period reflected the commercial and portfolio consequences of corporate acquisition, although the available sources do not specify whether the discontinuation resulted from a formal strategic decision, declining sales, distribution changes, or other factors. The brand subsequently reappeared in a different operating context. By 2023, Kick was reported as being produced under the Old Towne Beverages label, bottled by Michigan Bottling in Detroit, Michigan, and distributed by Garden Foods Distributor, Inc. The available material does not provide a precise relaunch date, ownership history, national distribution map, or current volume data. It does establish that Kick continued as a commercially produced soft drink after its Royal Crown-era discontinuation. The brand’s historical trajectory is therefore typical of a regional or niche beverage that survived beyond the life of its original corporate owner. Its core product concept remained a caffeinated citrus soda, while its manufacturing and distribution arrangements changed. Kick’s recognition derives from its early placement in the citrus-soda category, its energetic branding, its subcultural associations, and its later availability through smaller or more specialized beverage operators. Further research would be needed to document formulation changes, packaging history, advertising campaigns, trademark ownership, and the exact relationship between the original Royal Crown product and the later Old Towne Beverages version.

• 2023

  Production is reported under Old Towne Beverages

  [1]Kick (soft drink)en.wikipedia.org

  Reference material reports that Kick is being produced under the Old Towne Beverages label, bottled by Michigan Bottling in Detroit, and distributed by Garden Foods Distributor, Inc.

• 2002

  Original production is discontinued

  [1]Kick (soft drink)en.wikipedia.org

  Kick is discontinued after Royal Crown is acquired by Cadbury Schweppes through its acquisition of Snapple.

• 1965

  Kick is introduced

  [1]Kick (soft drink)en.wikipedia.org

  Royal Crown Cola introduces Kick as a caffeinated, citrus-flavored carbonated soft drink in the United States.

An energetic, caffeine-containing citrus soda positioned as an alternative to larger mainstream beverages and associated with extreme-sports, punk, and video-game subcultures.

• Citrus soft drink · 1965

  Kick

  Kick is a carbonated citrus-flavored soft drink containing caffeine. The original product was introduced by Royal Crown Cola in 1965 and competed in the emerging North American market for high-energy citrus sodas. Its branding emphasized force and stimulation through the name Kick and the associated “like a Mule” expression. The product was later discontinued in 2002, but reference material indicates that it was being produced again under the Old Towne Beverages label by 2023.

• 2023

  Continuation under a smaller beverage-label arrangementStrategy

  Background

  After the end of the Royal Crown production period, the Kick name continued to have commercial relevance as a niche soft-drink brand.

  Action taken

  Kick was reported as being produced under the Old Towne Beverages label, bottled by Michigan Bottling, and distributed by Garden Foods Distributor.

  Aftermath

  The product was again available in the market by 2023, although the available reference does not establish the extent of its distribution or the legal ownership structure.

  Source

• 2002

  Discontinuation following Royal Crown ownership changeOther

  Background

  Royal Crown was acquired by Cadbury Schweppes through its acquisition of Snapple, creating a change in the corporate ownership and beverage portfolio surrounding Kick.

  Action taken

  Production of the original Royal Crown-era Kick was discontinued.

  Aftermath

  Kick ceased its original production run but later returned under a different beverage-label and bottling arrangement.

  Source

• 1965

  Launch of a caffeinated citrus sodaProduct launch

  Background

  Royal Crown entered a competitive citrus-soft-drink segment that included established or growing caffeinated beverages such as Mountain Dew.

  Action taken

  The company introduced Kick as a carbonated citrus drink with caffeine and an energetic brand identity.

  Aftermath

  Kick developed a niche identity associated with energetic and alternative consumer cultures, although the available sources do not provide market-share or sales results.

  Source

1. 1Kick (soft drink)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2NZME Radio Internship Team Launches Brand New Audio Networkscoop.co.nz