March 29, 2015
Norka Sparkling Beverages is back on the shelves after an Akron entrepreneur happened across an old soda bottle.
AKRON, Ohio — The craft soda industry is growing in popularity. The sodas are manufactured in smaller batches with more natural ingredients.
But for one company, it’s also about city pride and one man’s dream to bring back a forgotten favorite.
Alongside soda giants, your find some local flavor at the West Point Market.
Norka Sparkling Beverages is back on the shelves after an Akron entrepreneur happened across an old soda bottle just a year ago.
“Never had a I heard about Akron having it’s own soft drink. I started doing some research and found that the brand had been dormant for 53 years,” said Michael Considine, the founder and president of Norka Food and Beverage.
Considine, who worked in the beverage industry, found even more at the Akron History Museum at Lock 3.
“They had some vintage products and packaging, bottle caps, things we could look at, to get a feel for what the old company produced,” said Considine.
The old company made soda from 1924 to 1962. And if you haven’t noticed it yet, Norka is Akron spelled backwards.
The new Norka has four signature flavors — Cherry-Strawberry, Orange, Ginger Ale and Root Beer — with more flavors in the works.
“We are looking to launch other flavors including grape, cream soda and lemon-lime,” said Considine.
The West Point Market was the first to sell the re-launched brand. The store has a strong relationship with Norka, evident from a 1940’s photograph.
“We knew the brand through our archives for years, but we also know Mike. He is a local entrepreneur, knows what he’s doing, and we had confidence in his success” said Rick Vemon, the CEO of the West Point Market.
“We hope to bring Norka back and have it stay back so it’s been exciting,” said Considine.
The soda and the success just “tastes better.”
Currently Norka is bottled in Pennsylvania, but Considine would like to move production to Akron.
To find out where you can find Norka Soda, visit norkabeverage.com