The tangy, tropical taste of Pineapple Crush has been enjoyed by residents of Newfoundland and Labrador for about four decades. While Crush soda products are widely available throughout Canada, this unique flavour is only made on the Rock. The local popularity of the product is undeniable, but the reason behind their fancy for pineapple remains a mystery.

The first sip

Some form of pineapple soda was available in N.L. years before Crush came along. Production of the tropical treat started with Crown Beverages and different brands claimed the market over time until the 1980s when Pineapple Crush was introduced by Browning Harvey (the province’s producer of Pepsi products and other associated brands).

“It’s a very strong flavour and very popular with our customers,” said Gary Williams, manager of plant operations at Browning Harvey.

 

Exclusive find

Sadly, fans of the pineapple-flavoured soda will have a hard time finding it outside of N.L. where it’s exclusively produced and distributed in two-litre, 591 mL bottles and 355 mL cans. Williams said there have been a few occasions when Browning Harvey has produced small orders for other provinces, including a recent promotion for a Mary Brown’s restaurant in Ontario, but that has been a rare occurrence.

As with many exclusive products, some die-hard fans can get their fix of Pineapple Crush at specialty shops like Gummi Boutique in Alberta and Blighty’s in Ontario. However, Williams couldn’t confirm how these stores get their supply.

Taste of home

For many Newfoundlanders, a sip of Pineapple Crush reminds them of home. Leah from St. John’s says she missed her favourite pineapple soda while living abroad and she was excited to give her son his first taste of Pineapple Crush when she moved back home to Newfoundland. According to her comment in a location-based Facebook group, “he thought it was the best thing in the world” and he still loves it 12 years later.

Another big fan of the product is 56-year-old Ashley Rose. Ashley first tried Pineapple Crush when she was 10 years old while spending a summer with her aunt in Newfoundland. “It was so, so good. It’s all I drank for two months and my aunt sent a case home with me,” she said when asked about her initial thoughts. Now living in Newfoundland, the product is more accessible to her, but she sadly can’t have it anymore because of its sugar content. If a diet version of Pineapple Crush was available, Ashley says that she’d drink it every day.

Pineapple fancy

Today, even with the province’s release of a beverage sugar tax in 2022, Pineapple Crush remains a popular product for Browning Harvey. Without revealing specific sales numbers, Williams says that the product is among the top five best-selling flavours. He shared that pineapple is also one of the most popular flavours in the province for Bubly Sparkling Water. When asked about Newfoundlanders’ fascination with pineapple (given other island favourites like Scotsburn’s pineapple popsicles and Purity’s pineapple-flavoured syrup) Williams had no insight. So, it appears that part of the story remains a mystery.

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