Hires to Canada!

Welcome to our Antique Bottle community

Be a part of something great, join today!

RCO

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 17, 2012
Messages
4,905
Reaction score
2,204
Points
113
Location
Ontario , Canada
these are the 2 aluminum hires root beer cans I had in the garage , didn't even realise the one was diet until I took a closer look at it .

the diet can says it was made by crush Canada inc - Toronto , the regular can says it was made by Cadbury beverages Canada inc Mississauga , pretty sure there from the 90's era

I think a lot of colour has faded off the second can , it appears there was red around the " words " root beer and on top although it still has a neat look to it

the diet can appears to be closer to original but might have seen some fading too as they were both found outside , can't remember where I found the diet can but regular one was in a nearby wooded embankment and found a couple years ago


DSC02299.JPG
DSC02301.JPG
 

Eric

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
Messages
540
Reaction score
48
Points
28
Great examples there... I love Hires... started collecting it after I bought a Hires floor cooler (needs some TLC)
You've got a great looking collection.
 

Canadacan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2014
Messages
1,902
Reaction score
950
Points
113
Location
Canada
Great examples there... I love Hires... started collecting it after I bought a Hires floor cooler (needs some TLC)
You've got a great looking collection.
Thank you!....I've always collected the brand but never really buckled down and got serious about it.
You don't see many Hires coolers!
 

Canadacan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2014
Messages
1,902
Reaction score
950
Points
113
Location
Canada
these are the 2 aluminum hires root beer cans I had in the garage , didn't even realise the one was diet until I took a closer look at it .

the diet can says it was made by crush Canada inc - Toronto , the regular can says it was made by Cadbury beverages Canada inc Mississauga , pretty sure there from the 90's era

I think a lot of colour has faded off the second can , it appears there was red around the " words " root beer and on top although it still has a neat look to it

the diet can appears to be closer to original but might have seen some fading too as they were both found outside , can't remember where I found the diet can but regular one was in a nearby wooded embankment and found a couple years ago

Cool!.. I have not seen those for ages!... So Proctor & Gamble bought Crush International in 1980 is my understanding but this must have taken a while to complete because the newspaper reported the sale in 1984...I may have missed 1980 articles in my search a couple of years back.
It seems the cans up to about 1980 were marked 'Crush International Limited' and from the early 80's to about 89 when P&G sold to Cadbury they were marked 'Crush Canada Inc.'...so 89 on they became marked 'Cadbury Beverages Canada Inc.'

Crush Canada Inc. sold to Proctor and Gamble - The Province, 01 Mar 1984, Thu, Main Edition, Page 32
Orange Crush-sold to Proctor and Gamble- The Province, 01 Mar 1984, Thu, Main Edition, Page 32 .jpg
 

RCO

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 17, 2012
Messages
4,905
Reaction score
2,204
Points
113
Location
Ontario , Canada
there is a picture of the second hires can on the can museum site , says its from 95 , the diet can is not posted to that site , but seems to be a couple years earlier as its marked crush not Cadbury

seem to recall Hires being sold here in the mid 90's , think it often came in a mixed pack with crush , 6 hires cans , 6 orange crush , 6 cream soda crush and 6 grape crush . pretty sure I can recall seeing such packs at events and such back then . Hires was likely the only one I would of liked .
actually never drank Crush as I find it way too sweet , so sweet it actually bugs my teeth , although may have been a lime crush flavour I had before , might of came in a plastic bottle ? recall liking that one
 

Canadacan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2014
Messages
1,902
Reaction score
950
Points
113
Location
Canada
there is a picture of the second hires can on the can museum site , says its from 95 , the diet can is not posted to that site , but seems to be a couple years earlier as its marked crush not Cadbury

seem to recall Hires being sold here in the mid 90's , think it often came in a mixed pack with crush , 6 hires cans , 6 orange crush , 6 cream soda crush and 6 grape crush . pretty sure I can recall seeing such packs at events and such back then . Hires was likely the only one I would of liked .
actually never drank Crush as I find it way too sweet , so sweet it actually bugs my teeth , although may have been a lime crush flavour I had before , might of came in a plastic bottle ? recall liking that one
Maybe it took Cadbury a while to phase out Hires? I was just reading P&G bought Crush International in 1980 as I mentioned, but never acquired the Canadian assets until 1984...hence the news paper article. So then the name did change to Crush Canada Inc. because they had controlling interest obviously.
I was going through my pics and came across a cool add from the 70's it shows the 1.5 returnable bottle! The only 1.5 I have is a Pepsi dated 1975...with the swirl but same basic shape as these.
20181213_161717 - Copy.jpg
 

RCO

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 17, 2012
Messages
4,905
Reaction score
2,204
Points
113
Location
Ontario , Canada
I don't recall ever seeing either of those bottles , Sussex ginger ale is from New Brunswick so that ad is likely from the east coast

the demise of Hires Root Beer in Canada is one of those things which now looks like a mistake . as I don't think the Mug root beer is very good and doubtful its ever been as popular as Hires was

there is some sort of alcoholic hires product in cans at the liquor store but its Hires mixed with vodka , something about root beer and vodka seems off , wouldn't bourbon or whiskey seems like a more likely partner , I see these cans the odd time in parks here but don't think its that popular either

the decision to stop producing it here seems like a mistake as its unclear what they gained by eliminating there most popular and well known root beer brand and by replacing it with a lesser known brand " mug " that if they got rid of and returned to Hires I doubt anyone at all would miss
 

Canadacan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2014
Messages
1,902
Reaction score
950
Points
113
Location
Canada
I don't recall ever seeing either of those bottles , Sussex ginger ale is from New Brunswick so that ad is likely from the east coast

the demise of Hires Root Beer in Canada is one of those things which now looks like a mistake . as I don't think the Mug root beer is very good and doubtful its ever been as popular as Hires was

there is some sort of alcoholic hires product in cans at the liquor store but its Hires mixed with vodka , something about root beer and vodka seems off , wouldn't bourbon or whiskey seems like a more likely partner , I see these cans the odd time in parks here but don't think its that popular either

the decision to stop producing it here seems like a mistake as its unclear what they gained by eliminating there most popular and well known root beer brand and by replacing it with a lesser known brand " mug " that if they got rid of and returned to Hires I doubt anyone at all would miss

Yes that ad is an eastern item. I have tried Hires hard root beer a couple of times, it's definitely different!..I think JD would be a better combo than vodka! :)
I'm not sure how Hires would do in todays market with Barq's and Mug out front, and A&W is readily available, then we have Orca Beverages out of Washington state bottling all the retro brands, Dad's, Frostie, Brownie, Ramblin,....they have about a dozen RB brands.
But I agree it would be great to see Hires make a come back!
 

Members online

No members online now.

Latest threads

Forum statistics

Threads
83,217
Messages
742,901
Members
24,229
Latest member
TracyPecora
Top