The History of LaCroix

LaCroix was created in La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1981. It was first made in a family-owned brewery called G. Heileman. The name LaCroix is often thought to be French, but it is actually an homage to the drink’s hometown — the “La” is taken from La Crosse and the “Croix” comes from the St. Croix River, which is a tributary of the Mississippi River. In 1996, the National Beverage Corp. purchased LaCroix. This explains why the drink is sometimes associated with Florida — Ft. Lauderdale, Florida is where the headquarters of National Beverage Corp. is located. Interestingly, LaCroix didn’t always have its iconic, eye-catching branding. In 2002, the National Beverage Corp. hired Alchemy Brand Group, a branding company, to create a look that would help them stand out from all of the other fizzy drinks on store shelves. They selected 3 out of 20 options and then let consumers vote on their favorite. The current design won by a large margin! To further the drink’s appeal among Millennial fans, National Beverage Corp. also created a variety of mocktail recipes and published them online. They also made sure that there would be plenty of flavors for consumers to choose from — in fact, there are over 20 selections available, including orange, coconut, passionfruit, and pamplemousse (which is French for grapefruit). They’ve also expanded through their Cúrate line and a unique product called LaCroix NiCola, which is sparkling water infused with the essence of cola. Today, LaCroix is a massively popular beverage with many devoted fans.