Palm Beach or Palm Beach Malt Cooler is a non-alcoholic malt drink brand produced by Zelaya Foods of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
History[]
In August 1987, Zelaya Foods, a well-known producer of malta brands, introduced Palm Beach as a non-alcoholic alternative to malternative and wine cooler beverages. Palm Beach came in strong, sweet fruit flavors that obscured the taste of its malt base, and the brand's marketing distanced itself from the "party animal" image of its alcoholic competitors by positioning it as an "all occasion" beverage. It was named after the city of Palm Beach, Florida.
The beverage fared well in popularity and sales, primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Southern United States, for the first few years it was on the market. Exports to the Middle East and North Africa and Latin America began in 1995, in the former market, it was positioned as a competitor to Barbican.
In 2002, Zelaya sought to expand Palm Beach's North American customer base and ended up settling on a "bold and colorful, yet simple" approach that proved to be more appealing to potential consumers.
In 2011, a legal challenge over the brand's marketing was thrown out of court, with a judge declaring that Palm Beach was "not processed to make it alcoholic, and contains no alcoholic content whatsoever."
Marketing and sponsorships[]
In the mid-1990s, Palm Beach was widely marketed with animated television commercials featuring characters designed by comic artist and writer Monica J. Burroughs.
In the 2000s, Palm Beach was marketed through celebrity endorsements from rock bands such as Next Exit, Lindley & Lindley, Screaming Yellow Players and The Missionaries.
Flavors[]
- Lemon
- Mango & Passion Fruit
- Pineapple
- Raspberry
- Strawberry