Yoo-hoo

Yoo-hoo is an American chocolate beverage. The stated ingredients on the label include water, high-fructose corn syrup, whey, sugar,corn syrup solids, cocoa, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, sodium caseinate (from milk), non-fat dry milk, salt, tricalcium phosphate,dipotassium phosphate, xanthan gum, guar gum, natural and artificial flavors, soy lecithin, mono- and diglycerides, vitamin A palmiate,niacinamide (vitamin B3), vitamin D3, and riboflavin (vitamin B2).

History

Yoo-hoo originated in New Jersey in the 1920s, when Italian-American Natale Olivieri sold "Tru-Fruit" soft drinks in his small store. Olivieri discovered a process to produce a chocolate soft drink that would not spoil. The name Yoo-hoo, already being used for Olivieri's other fruit drinks, was applied to the chocolate-flavored drink as well. Yoo-hoo would soon begin to be bottled by a major bottling company and to be sold in supermarkets and shops worldwide.

A bottling plant was opened up in Batesburg, South Carolina by Tommy Giresi in the 1940s.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Yoo-hoo went through a large promotional campaign that included Yogi Berra and the New York Yankees officially sponsoring the drink. The image of Berra drinking a bottle of Yoo-hoo while wearing a suit, in particular, became famous. The ads featured Berra holding the bottle next to his face and saying with a smile, "It's Me-He for Yoo-Hoo!"

Also during the 1950s, B.B.C. Industries took over Yoo-hoo. They held ownership until 1976, when it was bought by Iroquois Brands. Yoo-hoo was sold again in 1981 to a group of private investors, which in turn sold Yoo-hoo to Pernod Ricard in 1989.

In 2001, Pernod Ricard sold Yoo-hoo to Cadbury-Schweppes, with production responsibilities falling to CS's Mott's group, and marketing and advertising responsibilities under Snapple. This led to an increased awareness of the once-popular beverage.

The soft drink company's headquarters are in Rye Brook, New York, with plants in Carlstadt, New Jersey, and Opelousas, Louisiana. Yoo-hoo owns other chocolate drink brands, which include Choc-Ola, Brownie, Cocoa Dusty and Chocolate Soldier.

In May 2008, Cadbury-Schweppes split into Cadbury and the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, of which Yoo-hoo is now part.