Arizona Beverages USA (stylized as AriZona) is a producer of many flavors of iced tea, juice cocktails, and energy drinks based in Woodbury, New York.[1] Arizona's first product was made available in 1992, to compete with Snapple. Both companies originated in New York.
AriZona is known for its "Big Can" drinks holding 22 US fl oz (650 mL) of iced teas, except for the AriZona chocolate fudge float at 695 mL. Juice drinks and other beverages that retail for around the price of US$0.99 in the United States and C$1.29 in Canada. Their beverages also come in 20 US fl oz (590 mL),
16 US fl oz (470 mL), 11.5 US fl oz (340 mL), as well as a 128 US fl oz (3,800 mL) (gallon) of AriZona.
The "Arnold Palmer blend" of iced tea and lemonade has been commercially available since the 1990s; AriZona has since risen to become the most popular primary distributor of the beverage, with over $100 million in sales in 2010.[2]
AriZona also distributes packed trays of tortilla chip products, consisting of "Nachos 'n' Cheese" and "Salsa 'n' Chips".[3] In 2020, the company introduced a line of fruit snacks in mixed fruit, Arnold Palmer, and green tea varieties.[4] They also have a major line of merch and drink mixes, including products such as rollerblades and skateboard wheels.[5]
History
The company roots trace back to 1971 when friends John Ferolito and Don Vultaggio opened a beverage distribution business in Brooklyn, New York. The company was a successful beer distributor.[citation needed]
In 1990, they saw the success of Snapple (also a Long-Island-based company founded in the 1970s) bottled juices and teas, and attempted to make their product. In 1992, they produced the first bottles of their own AriZona teas.[6] Vultaggio said the name was originally Santa Fe, in response to the adobe-style house he lived in, but he felt it did not look right on the packaging. He went with Arizona even though he had never been to the state and, in fact, had not even traveled west of the Mississippi River.[7] According to Vultaggio's son Spencer, the can designs came from his mother, Eileen,[8] whose water cooler inspired the lemon tea can design and whose perfume bottle, along with Spencer's coloring books, inspired the green tea design.[5] BevNet.Com added that graphic designer Jean Pettine also worked on the initial designs;[8] she would go on to design posters advertising the initial release of the green tea flavor.[9]
The suggested retail price printed on the can has remained at $0.99 even with rising costs for the company and despite rising inflation.[10][11] Retailers, however, can set their own price, with the company also producing cans without the 99¢ price on them as an option for retailers.[12]
