![]() (The crunchy auditory effect was not intentional by the company, Mr. Last year, the Martinelli’s dads at the helm of the brand were surprised by a viral moment on TikTok after some young people in Fresno, Calif., discovered that the sound of biting into the plastic of the Martinelli’s single-serve apple juice bottle mimicked the sound of biting into an actual apple. Ruder said, “we’ve learned a lot from TikTok.” In 2019, the brand tried out a modest Twitter campaign, using the hashtag #nexttimemartinellis, to encourage consumers to take a night off from alcohol. Ruder said, has no intention of wading into any waters that stray from the vision of a “premium fruit forward product.” (Lest anyone think the company is opposed to alcohol, Martinelli’s recently released a limited run of hard cider, inspired by the family’s pre-Prohibition offerings.)īut one area where the company is ready to embrace change is in its marketing. But now that people are drinking “nonalcoholic on some nights and alcohol on others, there’s a real opportunity for us to be part of that,” he said. ![]() “There used to be a stigma, to be quite honest, to the nonalcoholic beverage,” Mr. In particular, “the whole ‘sober curious’ movement has caught our attention.” In recent years, the company has considered ways to get “beyond the juice aisle,” Mr. There is Classic Apple Cider, Blush, Apple-Grape, Apple-Cranberry, and in more limited distribution, Apple-Pomegranate, Apple-Peach, Apple-Mango and Pear Cider. Today, Martinelli’s sparkling cider comes in eight flavors and three sizes (the 25.4-ounce bottle, which the company refers to as its “iconic champagne bottle product,” usually retails for $3 to $6). “It was a way the children could be festive with their families.” “But what happened was people started serving it to their kids,” Mr. Sales-wise, the beverage had a bit of a slow start. “That’s one of those things that is kind of a family tradition that was passed down,” he said, brightly, adding, “I do believe I have a very perceptive palate, especially as it relates to apple juice and apple juice flavors.” Martinelli continues to taste every day’s production of apple juice and cider so that he can pick up any flavor variations. Martinelli’s kids called the sparkling cider when they were little.Įven after stepping down as chief executive, Mr. Ruder, 51, are real Martinelli’s dads, with plenty of stories of keeping their families and friends well stocked in “bubble juice,” as Mr. Martinelli, a fourth-generation leader of the business, recently ceded his role as chief executive to Gun Ruder, who introduced himself as the “first nonfamily member to run the family business.” (Still, by most definitions, he is family Mr. On the side, they also began making single-serve sparkling juice, said John Martinelli, the chairman of the company, in a recent interview. In addition to selling apple juice starting in 1917, the family made money by bottling Coca-Cola at their plant. Martinelli & Company had to shelve that product. The Martinelli family, immigrants from Switzerland, had been making hard cider in Watsonville, Calif., since 1868, but when the sale of alcohol became illegal in 1920, S. That the sparkling cider is nonalcoholic is a tradition that dates back to Prohibition. According to the company, 70 to 75 percent of 25.4-ounce Martinelli’s sparkling cider bottles sold each year are purchased between Halloween and New Year’s Eve.įor this particular consumer, if it comes down to Veuve Clicquot or Martinelli’s, there’s no contest. ![]() ![]() He likes to swing by the grocery store to pick up a bottle before a party.Īnd he is part of a distinct cohort that is responsible for the brand’s skyrocketing sales this time of year. He (though the Martinelli’s dad need not be a “he” or even a “dad”) loves the crinkle of foil and the dark green of the glass. More of an apple juice guy than a beer dude, the Martinelli’s dad - an American archetype, I’d like to posit - embraces tradition and simple luxuries. Most hosts will tell you it’s for the kid’s table. You might find a collection of celebratory beverages, wine and beer of various types, but there is one staple that is nonnegotiable for many households: a bottle of crisp, sparkling Martinelli’s cider. Maybe it includes multiple gravy boats and not one but two sweet potato side dishes. Picture the ideal holiday spread: There are rich foods, festive place settings, twinkling candles.
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