Cricket Natural Beverages are

soda Soda or SODA may refer to: Chemistry * Some chemical compounds containing sodium ** Sodium carbonate, washing soda or soda ash ** Sodium bicarbonate, baking soda ** Sodium hydroxide, caustic soda ** Sodium oxide, an alkali metal oxide * Sod ...

made with a

green tea Green tea is a type of tea that is made from '' Camellia sinensis'' leaves and buds that have not undergone the same withering and oxidation process which is used to make oolong teas and black teas. Green tea originated in China, and since the ...

base. According to the manufacturer, every bottle contains two cups of green tea, and it is sweetened with

cane sugar Sucrose, a disaccharide, is a sugar composed of glucose and fructose subunits. It is produced naturally in plants and is the main constituent of white sugar. It has the molecular formula . For human consumption, sucrose is extracted and refined ...

rather than

high-fructose corn syrup High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), also known as glucose–fructose, isoglucose and glucose–fructose syrup, is a sweetener made from corn starch. As in the production of conventional corn syrup, the starch is broken down into glucose by enzym ...

. The drink does not contain any

phosphoric acid Phosphoric acid (orthophosphoric acid, monophosphoric acid or phosphoric(V) acid) is a colorless, odorless phosphorus-containing solid, and inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is commonly encountered as an 85% aqueous solution, w ...

, preservatives, artificial colors or flavors. Although not widely available, the manufactured flavors include

cola Cola is a carbonated soft drink flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, citrus oils and other flavorings. Cola became popular worldwide after the American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, a trademarked brand, in 1886, which was imita ...

in both sugar- and

Splenda Splenda is a global brand of sugar substitutes and reduced-calorie food products. While the company is known for its original formulation containing sucralose, it also manufactures items using natural sweeteners such as stevia, monk fruit and ...

-sweetened varieties, Pomegranate Raspberry, Mandarin Orange, and White Peach. Cricket Natural Beverages was created by John and Mary Heron of

Potomac, Maryland Potomac () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, named after the nearby Potomac River. Potomac is the seventh most educated small town in America, based on percentage of residents with postsecondary deg ...

Ingredients

The ingredients in Cricket Cola include:

Kola nut The term kola nut usually refers to the seeds of certain species of plant of the genus ''Cola'', placed formerly in the cocoa family Sterculiaceae and now usually subsumed in the mallow family Malvaceae (as subfamily Sterculioideae). These cola ...

extract,

concentrate,

vanilla Vanilla is a spice derived from orchids of the genus ''Vanilla (genus), Vanilla'', primarily obtained from pods of the Mexican species, flat-leaved vanilla (''Vanilla planifolia, V. planifolia''). Pollination is required to make the p ...

extract, primarily sweetened with

. The Pomegranate Raspberry, Mandarin, and White Peach are naturally flavored.

Packaging

Cricket is available only in 12 oz retro glass bottles. It available in single bottles, 4-packs or by the case (24 bottles).

Sale to Meridian

In late 2008, Cricket was acquired by Meridian Beverage Company, a Chicago-based healthy beverage company, for an undisclosed amount of Meridian Stock. Co-founder Mary Heron became senior vice president of sales and marketing for Meridian as part of the acquisition.Making It: A Potomac couple develop a natural alternative to Diet Coke and get just the boost they crave

/ref> As of March 2010 Meridian does not list Cricket on their website as one of their product lines. It is unclear through media outlets if the product will be relaunched by Meridian. Since its sale, Cricket has been increasingly difficult to find at

Whole Foods Market Whole Foods Market IP, Inc., a subsidiary of Amazon, is an upscale American multinational supermarket chain headquartered in Austin, Texas, which sells products free from hydrogenated fats and artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. A US ...

and

Potbelly Sandwich Works Potbelly Corporation is a publicly traded American fast-casual restaurant chain that focuses on submarine sandwiches and milkshakes. Potbelly was founded in 1977 in Chicago, and its name refers to the potbelly stove. Potbelly's menu features a va ...

, two of Cricket's main retail chains.

References

American cola brands {{Soft-drink-stub

Ingredients

Packaging

Sale to Meridian

See also

References