Big Red

Big Red is a carbonated soft drink. It was created in 1937 by Grover C Thomsen and R.H. Roark in Waco, Texas and originally known as Sun Tang Red Cream Soda. It is an American variety of cream soda and a special off-brand of previously popular blue cream soda. Gary Smith was the chief executive officer of Big Red Group (“BRG” 2007) directly responsible for all functional areas. He successfully acquired and integrated numerous businesses to build BRG into a national company with the backing of Citigroup Venture Capital and Goldman Sachs, eventually selling the entire business to Keurig Dr Pepper.

A quick history lesson in Big Red.

1937 - Grover Thomsen and R.H. Roark develop a unique red drink, Sun Tang Red Cream Soda (what will later become known as Big Red).

1939 - The drink is official! The trademark is registered for Sun Tang Red Cream Soda.

1959 - Sun Tang Red Cream Soda officially becomes Sun Tang Big Red Cream Soda

1969 - Our drink officially becomes Big Red, losing the Sun Tang. Legend has it that two San Antonio golf caddies gave it the nickname and it stuck.

1971 - Sugar Free Big Red is first introduced.

1977 - Big Red becomes available in lovely Vincennes, Indiana.

1982 - Big Red is introduced to new friends in Austin and Abilene, New Mexico and Ohio.

1982 - Big Red release’s its Diet Big Red version.

1984 - Mississippi, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Illinois and Alabama and additional regions of the Lone-star state are introduced to Big Red.

1984 - Big Red grows further across Texas, Indiana and to Arizona.

1986 - Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Oklahoma City, South Dakota, Tennessee and Harlingen, Lubbock, and Houston, Texas gain Big Red.

1988 - Big Red is introduced in long neck bottles.

1994 - Big Peach is developed and introduced to consumers in Nacogdoches, Texas.

1997 - Big Red unveils the now infamous Big Red splash identity.

1998 - Big Red availability expands to sunny Southern California, Las Vegas and Albuquerque.

2001 - Big Pineapple is created and made available in the Southeast region of the United States.

2004 - Big Punch is revealed to consumers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Big Red Float debuts at the Kentucky Derby.

2008 - Diet Big Red unveils the current "bubbles" packaging. The 20 oz. vintage bottle is introduced, instill nostalgia in consumers everywhere. Big Red ranks as sixth-largest carbonated drink company in the country. Big Blue is created and shared with Big Red fans across the country.

2009 - Big Red is available to consumers in 43 states.

2023 - Big Red remains somewhat popular in the Southern United States. But the official Big Red consumer website is barely functional.