Clicquot Club Company
Encyclopedia
The Clicquot Club Company, also known as Clicquot Club Beverages, pronounced "Klee-Ko" and sometimes spelled "Cliquot", was a national beverage company that sold several varieties of soda. After 80 years of operation, the company was bought and shut down by Canada Dry
in 1965.
, the beverage company was built by Henry Millis from money he had received from his father Lansing Millis. The company produced mainly sparkling cider for the first few years but later on Millis would experiment in other flavors as well. The sparkling cider was soon dropped and the company began focusing mainly on ginger ale. In 1885, the town of Millis was founded in his family name. During this time the soda company hired a significant amount of the town's residents and would continue to do so for years to come. Millis continued to improve upon his beverages through his philosophy of making the drinks as though he were making them for his own friends. He imported high-quality exotic ingredients including Jamaica
n ginger
, and Cuba
n pure refined sugar
. These two were the key ingredients to his ginger ale making the company stand out in this field.
Even though word of his soda spread over southeastern New England
in the next few years, the cost of such fine ingredients eventually forced Henry Millis to sell his company in 1901. The new proprietors took advantage of every form of advertising, including a musical variety radio program, The Clicquot Club Eskimos
. Such clever marketing expanded the company until the factory in Millis became 1/3 of a mile long, even with its own private train station. The section around this massive factory became known as "Millis-Clicquot, Massachusetts
." Even with this huge building the company still staggered to meet its demand. In 1938 the company became the first to sell its beverages in a can, at this time known as a "cone-top" can, making it easier to manufacture. With the establishment of a new network of Clicquot Club Bottling Plants in 1938 the company soon had dozens of factories across the country. This number grew rapidly until in 1952 the company had plants in over 100 cities all across the United States, from Maine
to California
. In the 1950s the company began distributing internationally, in places such as Nassau, Jamaica, the Bahamas, virtually all of South America
, and the Philippines
. The company began to decline in sales worldwide thanks to other soft drinks and was purchased in 1960 by the Cott Beverage Corporation
of Connecticut
. By 1965, the Cott Corporation was acquired by Canada Dry
, who sold off all product surplus before shutting down Clicquot. Today the original plant in Millis remains mostly abandoned, although one-third of it is (as of June 2006) occupied by garden and hardware stores. Although there has been contemplation of starting the company back up again in recent years, no attempts have ever gotten further than the drawing board.
Canada Dry
Canada Dry is a brand of soft drinks owned since 2008 by the Texas-based Dr Pepper Snapple Group. For over a century Canada Dry has been known for its ginger ale, though the company also manufactures a number of other soft drinks and mixers...
in 1965.
History
Founded in 1881 in Millis, MassachusettsMillis, Massachusetts
Millis is a town in Norfolk County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is a small town with a population of 7,891 according to the 2010 census. The town is approximately southwest of downtown Boston and is bordered by Norfolk, Sherborn, Holliston, Medfield, and Medway...
, the beverage company was built by Henry Millis from money he had received from his father Lansing Millis. The company produced mainly sparkling cider for the first few years but later on Millis would experiment in other flavors as well. The sparkling cider was soon dropped and the company began focusing mainly on ginger ale. In 1885, the town of Millis was founded in his family name. During this time the soda company hired a significant amount of the town's residents and would continue to do so for years to come. Millis continued to improve upon his beverages through his philosophy of making the drinks as though he were making them for his own friends. He imported high-quality exotic ingredients including Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n ginger
Ginger
Ginger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....
, and Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n pure refined sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
. These two were the key ingredients to his ginger ale making the company stand out in this field.
Even though word of his soda spread over southeastern New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
in the next few years, the cost of such fine ingredients eventually forced Henry Millis to sell his company in 1901. The new proprietors took advantage of every form of advertising, including a musical variety radio program, The Clicquot Club Eskimos
The Clicquot Club Eskimos
The Clicquot Club Eskimos was a popular musical variety radio show, first heard in 1923, featuring a banjo orchestra directed by Harry Reser. A popular ginger ale, Clicquot Club, was Canada Dry's main rival...
. Such clever marketing expanded the company until the factory in Millis became 1/3 of a mile long, even with its own private train station. The section around this massive factory became known as "Millis-Clicquot, Massachusetts
Millis-Clicquot, Massachusetts
Millis-Clicquot is a census-designated place in the town of Millis in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States.The population was 4,607 at the 2000 census...
." Even with this huge building the company still staggered to meet its demand. In 1938 the company became the first to sell its beverages in a can, at this time known as a "cone-top" can, making it easier to manufacture. With the establishment of a new network of Clicquot Club Bottling Plants in 1938 the company soon had dozens of factories across the country. This number grew rapidly until in 1952 the company had plants in over 100 cities all across the United States, from Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. In the 1950s the company began distributing internationally, in places such as Nassau, Jamaica, the Bahamas, virtually all of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. The company began to decline in sales worldwide thanks to other soft drinks and was purchased in 1960 by the Cott Beverage Corporation
Cott
The Cott Corporation is a leading supplier of private label carbonated soft drinks distributing to Canada, the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Europe. In addition to producing many private-label beverages for retailers, Cott also has a large and growing portfolio of its own brands...
of Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. By 1965, the Cott Corporation was acquired by Canada Dry
Canada Dry
Canada Dry is a brand of soft drinks owned since 2008 by the Texas-based Dr Pepper Snapple Group. For over a century Canada Dry has been known for its ginger ale, though the company also manufactures a number of other soft drinks and mixers...
, who sold off all product surplus before shutting down Clicquot. Today the original plant in Millis remains mostly abandoned, although one-third of it is (as of June 2006) occupied by garden and hardware stores. Although there has been contemplation of starting the company back up again in recent years, no attempts have ever gotten further than the drawing board.