The History of Polar Seltzer

In 1882, Polar Beverages opened its doors as a sparkling water company in Worcester, Massachusetts. Founder and bartender Dennis Crowley continued to perfect his sparkling water recipe over the next few decades, thinking that it would help him grow his burgeoning whiskey business, but after the Prohibition movement began gaining traction, he decided to focus on selling sparkling seltzer water instead, hoping the novelty of the carbonation would entice people. By the 1930s, Polar was offering a variety of sparkling beverages, including mineral water, seltzer, club soda, sparkling orange dry, and ginger ale. During World War II, the company survived with the help of the sisters, wives, and mothers of male employees who had been shipped out. Polar expanded in the 1950s, and in the 1960s, the company’s mascot was introduced — a polar bear named Orson. (Today, an inflatable version of Orson is still visible on the roof of the Polar Beverages building in Worcester.) In the 1970s, Polar began adding fruit flavors to its lineup of seltzer. In the 1980s, packaging switched from glass bottles to convenient cans. Some of the company’s most enduring flavors were introduced in the 1990s, including the popular Ruby Red Grapefruit Polar Seltzer. In the early 2000s, Polar introduced its first collection of seasonal, limited-edition seltzers, which quickly sold out. Polar Seltzer’ade & Polar SeltzerJR were launched in the early 2020s. Today, Polar offers a variety of flavors remains a beloved seltzer brand, particularly in its native New England.