Red Rock (beverage)


Red Rock is a popular brand of ginger ale and cola that has since been revived for retail sale in recent years. The Red Rock Company was among the oldest producers of carbonated beverages in the United States.

History

The Red Rock Company was founded in 1885 by Lee Hagan and G. T. Dodd of Atlanta, Georgia. Dodd initially introduced ginger ale as the company's first product, which became popular in the Southern U.S. By 1938, Red Rock was an early leader in the distribution of carbonated beverages, distributing 12-ounce bottles by way of a distribution network of 200 bottlers. By 1947, Red Rock products were bottled in 45 of the 48 U.S. states but by 1958, the company's success began to decline.
Red Rock Cola was endorsed by famous baseball player Babe Ruth.

Red Rock today

After the 1950s, the Red Rock Company seemed to vanish entirely and it is unknown when the company disestablished. An orphaned affiliate continued producing the product in the Dominican Republic, and it is now distributed there by the Cervecería Nacional Dominicana. The formulas for Red Rock's carbonated beverage products survive and are now owned by Sensient Technologies of Indianapolis, Indiana, which has its own network of distributors. Clayton Distributors of Atlanta is a major distributor of Red Rock branded ginger ale and cola.