The Monarch Beverage

Company Overview

The Monarch Beverage Company was founded in Atlanta in 1965 by Frank Armstrong, an advertising executive who had spent years working with an international soft drink company. Armstrong's experience opened his eyes to an untapped market of smaller, regional soft drink brands, each of which had a distinct personality and a loyal following. He envisioned a beverage company that would capitalize on this market - and The Monarch Beverage Company was born. The company's first soft drink offering was Kickapoo Joy Juice®, a citrus-flavored soda inspired by the tonic of the same name in Al Capp's comic strip "Li'l Abner," which appeared in newspapers from 1934 to 1977. The next year, Monarch acquired Moxie®, a cola with a loyal New England customer base, from German beverage giant Eckes. Introduced in Maine in 1884, Moxie was the first soft drink in the United States, and still boasts an army of devotees who celebrate the drink at an annual "Moxie Festival" in Lisbon, Maine. Moxie's rich histor