Almdudler
Almdudler (German pronunciation: [ˈalmˌduːdlɐ] ) is the brand name of a popular herbal carbonated soft drink from Austria.
Product
[edit]The original Almdudler is a sweetened carbonated beverage made of herbal extracts. Almdudler has been called the "national drink of Austria".[1] Its popularity in Austria is second only to Coca-Cola. About 80 million litres of the beverage are produced per year.
Almdudler is currently sold in original, light (sugar-free), "still" (uncarbonated), and g'spritzt (mixed with carbonated mineral water) versions. In Austria, a Radler variety (mixed with beer), is available as Almradler. In the wine-growing regions of Lower Austria and Burgenland, it is a popular mixer with locally produced red and white wines.
History
[edit]After three years of development, Almdudler was produced from 1957 by the Viennese entrepreneur Erwin Klein (1924–1983).[2] According to the company's website, he derived the name from the then-common phrase auf der Alm dudeln, which means "yodeling in the (alpine) pasture". The drink was originally created and marketed as an alternative to alcoholic beverages or as a mixer for alcoholic drinks.
Klein promoted the popularity of Almdudler through advertising and sponsoring at major sporting events, such as the 1964 Winter Olympics held in Innsbruck. Since 1973, the Almdudler company only functions as a license supplier.
The Austrian family business Pfanner and the mineral water company Franken Brunnen have been distribution partners in Germany since 2016, and Stardrinks AG (a subsidiary of Heineken Switzerland AG) in Switzerland. For the 60th anniversary of the brand in 2017, the American artist Mel Ramos created a painting with the name "Almdudler’s Fabulous Blonde".[3]
Almdudler remains wholly owned by the Klein family.[4] Erwin Klein’s son Thomas serves as chairman of the parent company supervisory board, while Gerhard Schilling has been managing director since 2004.[5]
Marketing and distribution
[edit]Almdudler is currently bottled in Austria, Germany, Croatia, Belgium, and Switzerland. It is further exported to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, the Netherlands, Romania, Australia, and the United States.
In 2017, American figurative painter Mel Ramos created a painting for the brand's 60th anniversary entitled "Almdudler's Fabulous Blonde", which was exhibited in the Vienna Museum of Art History.[6][7]
Popularity
[edit]Nearly 99 percent of all Austrians know the herbal soft drink. Almdudler was ranked 7th in Austria's largest brand study. The so-called Brand Asset Valuator by the Young & Rubicam agency measures brand value from the consumer's point of view, and the 2000 respondents chose Almdudler as the only Austrian beverage brand among the top 10. Over 80 million liters of Almdudler are produced every year; 14 percent (as of 2010) and 20 percent (as of 2014) of total sales are bottled and sold in foreign markets.[8][9]
References
[edit]- ^ "Special Drinks". Taste of Austria. Archived from the original on 2021-08-21. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
- ^ Holzer, Anton (5 August 2006). "Eine Flasche Heimat". Wiener Zeitung (in German). Archived from the original on 2010-12-13. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
- ^ "Almdudler Pop Art zum 60. Geburtstag: Mel Ramos Gemälde im Kunsthistorischen Museum". OTS.at (in German). Archived from the original on 2017-10-17. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
- ^ "Die Almdudler Geschichte". Almdudler.com (in German). Retrieved 2023-04-08.
- ^ Hoepke, Simone (2022-08-27). "Almdudler-Eigentümer Thomas Klein: "Und jeder gibt zu allem seinen Senf dazu"". Kurier (in German). Retrieved 2023-04-08.
- ^ Almdudler Pop Art for the 60th birthday: Mel Ramos painting in the Vienna Museum of Art History Archived 2017-10-17 at the Wayback Machine Press release by Almdudler, 17th Oct. 2017 (in German)
- ^ Mel Ramos: The Definitive Catalogue Raisonné of Original Prints (pp. 196-197), Verlag für moderne Kunst, Vienna, Austria, 2019, ISBN 978-3-8349-1082-0.
- ^ "Almdudler | Österreichs beliebteste Kräuterlimonade seit 1957". 2014-12-20. Archived from the original on 2014-12-20. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
- ^ "Almdudler: Der Kräuterzwerg aus den Bergen". www.karriere.de (in German). Archived from the original on 2021-09-24. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
External links
[edit]- Official website (in German)