As one of the best-known carbonated soda alternatives to emerge in the last decade, Fizzy Lizzy has always had a profile that far exceeded its overall sales; the all-natural juice drink has been celebrated in venues ranging from the pages of a profile in the New York Times Magazine to BevNET’s own Best Of awards.
But it’s hard work running a small beverage company, and after 13 years, founder Liz Morrill and her husband and partner, Aaron, have finally taken an exit, selling the company to venerable New York soda company White Rock Beverage.
“Aaron and I have loved it,” Morrill told BevNET. “But we have also found we want some time to do other stuff. That was increasingly getting away from us.”
Morrill said she is considering pursuing a teaching career, while Aaron Morrill has other investments and is also writing music.
“It was the most incredible experience in the world,” Morrill said, adding she felt that the brand was in good hands with White Rock, which has been in operation since 1871.
The release from White Rock follows:
White Rock Beverages Acquires Fizzy Lizzy, Gourmet Sparkling Juice Brand
Iconic American Beverage Company Picks Up Line Of Natural Sparkling Juices
WHITESTONE, N.Y., March 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Expanding its portfolio of healthy drink choices, White Rock Beverages announced today that it has acquired the New Jersey-based Fizzy Lizzy, the award-winning natural sparkling juice brand.
White Rock, one of America’s oldest beverage companies (founded 1871), will acquire Fizzy Lizzy’s award-winning lineup of beverages made from fruit juices and sparkling water. The brand, long the favorite of gourmet grocers, features a variety of flavors, including Grapefruit, Cranberry, Raspberry Lemon, Fuji Apple, Yakima Grape and Tangerine Passion Fruit.
The acquisition brings together two New York area beverage brands; one a relative newcomer, and the other, a venerable brand that celebrated its 142nd birthday this year. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Since its debut in 2000, Fizzy Lizzy quickly became a popular beverage and was hailed for its taste and natural ingredients. Each product contains approximately 60 percent fruit juice and 40 percent carbonated (or “fizzy” water). The beverages do not include added sugars or corn syrup, and feature all natural ingredients with unfiltered juice.
The company, founded by Liz Morrill, distributes its beverages to cafes and specialty and natural foods retailers, including Fresh Direct, Whole Foods, Fairway, Dean & Deluca and ‘wichcraft. It is distributed in more than 20 states and overseas.
“Having created, and then nurtured, Fizzy Lizzy for over 10 years, I couldn’t imagine a more suitable family to guide the further growth of Fizzy Lizzy than the Bodkins of White Rock,” said Morrill. “Larry Bodkin and his team share Fizzy Lizzy’s passion for quality and deepest commitment to brand integrity and customer service. White Rock’s reputation, resources, and employees are the perfect springboard to take Fizzy Lizzy to the next level and make our delicious, thirst-quenching and groundbreaking drinks available to millions more Americans.”
“Bringing Fizzy Lizzy under the White Rock umbrella will certainly augment our efforts of producing and offering healthier beverages,” said Larry Bodkin, president of White Rock. “Over the past decade we have shifted our attention to increasing our production of seltzers, mixers and pure cane sugar drinks, as consumers have opted for lighter and healthier beverages. Fizzy Lizzy is an outstanding brand that has won high praise from consumers and the media for its exceptional taste and perfect blend of fruit and fizz.”
Today, White Rock sells more than a dozen different flavors of seltzers and mixers, and boasts a large selection of specialty beverages. The company introduced Sioux City Sarsaparilla in the late 1980’s, and acquired the Olde Brooklyn brand of beverages in 2003. White Rock also offers reduced-size bottles and cans to cater to consumer demand for smaller serving sizes.
White Rock products are available in the U.S. and multiple overseas markets. Known throughout its history by its iconic logo, Psyche, White Rock’s kneeling nymph was one of America’s most recognizable trademarks of the first half of the 20(th) Century. The famed water fairy has signified White Rock’s commitment to the utmost quality, purity and refreshment since its debut as the company’s logo in 1894.
White Rock also takes credit for creating the image of Santa Claus as he is known and depicted today. In the early part of the last century, the company ran several print advertisements in national magazines that portrayed Santa Claus for the first time as a jolly, plump character. The Santa Claus from these ads would become the universally accepted look for St. Nick.