Who Makes Squirt Soda

Squirt soda is made by Keurig Dr Pepper, the American beverage giant that owns and distributes dozens of soft drink brands across the United States and internationally.

Squirt is a caffeine-free, grapefruit-flavored carbonated soft drink created in 1938 in Phoenix, Arizona, by inventor Herb Bishop, who developed a formula requiring less fruit juice and less sugar than competing citrus drinks of the era.

The brand has changed ownership multiple times since its founding, passing through Beverage America, A&W Root Beer, Cadbury plc, and the Dr Pepper Snapple Group before landing in the Keurig Dr Pepper portfolio following that company’s formation in 2018.

Squirt is particularly popular in the western and southwestern United States, where it developed a loyal consumer base during the mid-20th century, and it has long held a dedicated following as a cocktail mixer alongside spirits including tequila, whiskey, and vodka.

The current lineup includes original Squirt, Squirt Zero Sugar, and Ruby Red Squirt, the last of which is the only variant that contains caffeine, setting it apart from the caffeine-free original.

Squirt’s main direct competitor is Fresca, Coca-Cola’s grapefruit-flavored carbonated soft drink, which was introduced in 1963 specifically to challenge Squirt’s established position in the citrus soda category.

Who Owns Squirt Soda Today?

Keurig Dr Pepper is the current owner of the Squirt brand. The company was formed in 2018 when Keurig Green Mountain acquired Dr Pepper Snapple Group in a transaction valued at approximately $18.7 billion.

The combined company trades on the Nasdaq under the ticker KDP and is one of the largest beverage companies in North America, owning more than 125 owned, licensed, and partner brands.

Within the Keurig Dr Pepper portfolio, Squirt sits alongside other non-cola carbonated beverages including Dr Pepper, 7UP, Canada Dry, Schweppes, Crush, Sunkist, A&W, and RC Cola.

This extensive portfolio makes Keurig Dr Pepper the third-largest beverage company in North America after Coca-Cola and PepsiCo.

Physical production of Squirt bottles and cans takes place through Keurig Dr Pepper’s extensive network of owned bottling facilities and licensed independent bottlers spread across the United States.

Like most major soft drinks, Squirt is produced regionally rather than at a single national plant, with local bottlers mixing concentrate supplied by Keurig Dr Pepper with carbonated water and packaging it for their respective distribution territories.

Who Invented Squirt and What Is Its History?

Herb Bishop invented Squirt in 1938 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Bishop had been experimenting with citrus soft drink formulas and landed on a recipe that used less fruit juice and less sugar than existing grapefruit drinks while delivering what he described as the freshest, most exciting taste in the marketplace.

The drink was briefly known as Citrus Club before being renamed Squirt.

In 1941, the brand introduced its famous “Lil’ Squirt” mascot, a cartoon boy designed by Disney artist Bruce Bushman, which helped Squirt develop broad consumer recognition throughout the 1940s and 1950s.

During that same era, Squirt became widely used as a cocktail mixer, with print advertising campaigns explicitly positioning the drink alongside whiskey, gin, and vodka.

Squirt changed ownership for the first time in 1978 when it was sold to Beverage America. A&W Root Beer acquired it in 1986.

A&W Beverages then merged into Cadbury plc in October 1993, bringing Squirt into the British confectionery giant’s beverage division. After further ownership changes through the Dr Pepper Snapple era, Squirt became part of Keurig Dr Pepper following the 2018 merger.

In 1983, Diet Squirt became the first soft drink in the United States to be sweetened with aspartame, a historic first in the broader diet soda category.

That moment cemented Squirt’s place in American soft drink history beyond just its grapefruit flavor.

What Is Squirt Soda Made From?

Squirt is carbonated water flavored with natural grapefruit flavor and a small amount of actual grapefruit juice, which the label notes as less than 1% grapefruit juice content.

The drink uses high-fructose corn syrup as its primary sweetener in the standard version, while Squirt Zero Sugar replaces that with aspartame and acesulfame potassium.

The original Squirt is caffeine-free, which distinguishes it from Ruby Red Squirt, the grapefruit and ruby red grapefruit flavored variant that does contain caffeine.

Ruby Red Squirt was introduced to give the brand a variant that could compete more directly with caffeinated citrus sodas like Mountain Dew in markets where caffeine-containing drinks are preferred.

Squirt contains less than 1% actual grapefruit juice despite its strong grapefruit flavor. The majority of the citrus taste comes from natural grapefruit flavoring rather than squeezed juice, which keeps the manufacturing process consistent across all the regional bottling plants that produce the drink.

Squirt Soda vs. Fresca: What Is the Difference?

Squirt and Fresca are the two most recognized grapefruit-flavored carbonated soft drinks in the American market, and they have been competing directly since Coca-Cola launched Fresca in 1963 specifically to challenge Squirt.

Despite this, the two drinks have distinct flavor profiles and positioning.

Squirt contains a small amount of grapefruit juice and uses sugar as its standard sweetener, giving it a slightly richer, less austere flavor than Fresca.

Squirt is also caffeine-free in its original form. Fresca is sold exclusively in a sugar-free formulation, making it a diet soda positioned for calorie-conscious consumers, while Squirt maintains both a regular and a zero-sugar option.

In terms of regional distribution, Squirt has historically been stronger in the American West and Southwest, while Fresca has tended to have broader national supermarket distribution.

Both brands have loyal regional followings, and both are used extensively as cocktail mixers in bars and home entertaining contexts, particularly with tequila-based drinks in markets with large Mexican-American populations where grapefruit soda mixed cocktails called Palomas are popular.

Is Squirt Soda Popular in Mexico?

Yes, Squirt has significant popularity in Mexico, where grapefruit-flavored soft drinks hold a stronger market position than in many other countries. The Paloma, a cocktail made with tequila, grapefruit soda, and lime, is one of Mexico’s most beloved mixed drinks, and Squirt is one of the most commonly used sodas for that preparation.

In Mexico, Squirt is bottled and distributed through the local Keurig Dr Pepper bottling network, and it competes with local Mexican grapefruit soda brands that have developed their own loyal followings in that market. The brand’s connection to Mexican cocktail culture has strengthened its identity in Mexican-American communities across the American Southwest, where it remains one of the most culturally recognized soft drink brands.

What Other Brands Does Keurig Dr Pepper Own?

Keurig Dr Pepper owns one of the most diverse beverage portfolios of any company in North America. Beyond Squirt and Dr Pepper, the company’s carbonated soft drink portfolio includes 7UP, Canada Dry ginger ale, Schweppes, A&W Root Beer, RC Cola, Sunkist soda, Crush, and Sun Drop.

The company also controls significant non-carbonated beverage brands including Snapple, Bai, Core, Mott’s, Hawaiian Punch, Clamato, and Margaritaville beverages. On the hot beverage side, the Keurig portion of the business controls the K-Cup coffee system and owns Green Mountain Coffee, Caribou Coffee, and other coffee brands.

This dual nature as both a cold beverage and coffee company makes Keurig Dr Pepper unusual among its peers. The merger of Keurig’s pod coffee business with Dr Pepper’s soft drink empire created a company that touches American beverage consumption at breakfast, lunch, and dinner in ways that neither Coca-Cola nor PepsiCo can fully match. For other Keurig Dr Pepper brand origins, see Who Makes Dr Pepper and Who Makes 7UP.

Frequently Asked Questions About Squirt Soda

Is Squirt soda a Pepsi or Coke product?

Neither. Squirt is owned by Keurig Dr Pepper, the third major American beverage company alongside Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. Fresca is the Coca-Cola grapefruit soda. There is no PepsiCo grapefruit soda currently on the market at scale in the United States.

Does Squirt soda contain caffeine?

Original Squirt and Squirt Zero Sugar are both caffeine-free. Ruby Red Squirt is the only Squirt variant that contains caffeine, distinguishing it from the brand’s original formulation.

Where can I buy Squirt soda?

Squirt is widely available at major grocery chains, convenience stores, and online retailers throughout the United States. It is particularly well stocked in western and southwestern states where the brand has its deepest historical market penetration. The brand is also widely available in Mexico and in Mexican food specialty retailers across the U.S.