Jones Soda

Peter van Stolk started the Jones Soda brand in 1995 under his Western Canada beverage company, Urban Juice and Soda Company Ltd. The soda was developed in 1995 and introduced in 1996 with six flavors — Orange, Cherry, Lemon-Lime, Strawberry-Lime, Raspberry, and Grape — in 12-ounce glass bottles. By 2000, over 85% of the company's revenue came from Jones, so the company renamed itself Jones Soda and moved its headquarters from Vancouver to Seattle.

The signature was the labels: customer-submitted black-and-white photographs on every bottle — the website's database holds over a million submitted pictures — plus fortunes printed under the caps. Then came the stunt flavors. November 2003's Turkey & Gravy Soda sold out in a matter of hours, with bottles — full and empty — fetching over $10 apiece on eBay; the holiday packs became an annual tradition, with flavors like Green Bean Casserole, Mashed Potatoes with Butter, Brussels sprout, Smoked Salmon Pâté, and even Antacid.

In March 2004, a distribution deal put Jones in over 3,900 Starbucks locations. In November 2006 the company announced it would replace high-fructose corn syrup with cane sugar. The mid-2000s were the brand's cultural peak — the weird indie soda in the cooler, the alternative kids' alternative to the big brands. Leaner years followed, but the photo labels persist.