Who Owns Canada Dry?

Canada Dry was founded in 1904 by John J. McLaughlin in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. McLaughlin was the eldest son of Robert McLaughlin, founder of the McLaughlin Carriage Company and later McLaughlin Motor Car. John McLaughlin opened a carbonated water plant in Toronto and developed "Canada Dry Pale Ginger Ale" as his first product. The formula took three years to perfect.

The ginger ale gained popularity quickly. McLaughlin began shipping to New York, where it found a strong market. After John McLaughlin's death in 1914, his brothers George and Sam ran the company briefly. In 1922, they opened a bottling plant in Manhattan to meet growing U.S. demand.

In 1923, P. D. Saylor and Associates bought the business from the McLaughlin family and formed Canada Dry Ginger Ale, Inc., a public company. Under new ownership, Canada Dry expanded worldwide in the 1930s. The brand's popularity as a mixer surged during Prohibition in the United States, as its ginger flavor helped mask the taste of homemade liquor.

The 1950s brought product line expansion. Canada Dry introduced club soda, tonic water, and other flavored sodas. The brand became known not just for ginger ale but for a range of carbonated mixers. Cactus Cooler, a citrus-flavored drink, was among the products added during this period.

In 1964, Norton Simon took an interest in Canada Dry and merged it with his other holdings, McCall Corporation and Hunt Foods, to form Norton Simon Inc. Canada Dry operated as a division within this conglomerate for nearly two decades.

Dr Pepper bought Canada Dry from Norton Simon in 1982. Two years later, in 1984, Dr Pepper was acquired by Forstmann Little and Company. To pay off acquisition debt, Canada Dry was sold to R. J. Reynolds' Del Monte Foods unit. In 1986, RJR Nabisco sold its soft drink business, including Canada Dry, to Cadbury Schweppes.

Cadbury Schweppes held Canada Dry for 22 years. During this period, Canada Dry maintained its position as a leading ginger ale brand in North America. In 2008, Cadbury Schweppes spun off its beverage operations as Dr Pepper Snapple Group, and Canada Dry became part of the new publicly traded company.

Dr Pepper Snapple Group owned Canada Dry from 2008 to 2018. In January 2018, Keurig Green Mountain announced it would acquire Dr Pepper Snapple Group for approximately $18.7 billion. The merger closed on July 9, 2018, creating Keurig Dr Pepper. Canada Dry became part of KDP's Refreshment Beverages segment alongside Dr Pepper, 7UP, A&W, Snapple, and other brands.

Under KDP ownership, Canada Dry has continued to operate as a mass-market ginger ale brand. The brand faced a significant legal challenge related to its "Made from Real Ginger" marketing claim, which was resolved through a settlement requiring the removal of that claim from U.S. packaging. In 2024, a new class action lawsuit alleged that Canada Dry and Schweppes beverages were falsely advertised as "naturally flavored" without disclosing artificial flavors.

As of 2025, Canada Dry remains one of the most recognized ginger ale brands in North America. The brand sells ginger ale, diet ginger ale, club soda, tonic water, and fruit-flavored variants. KDP continues to invest in the brand through packaging updates and product line extensions.