Orca Beverage was born out of the passion and dedication of its founder, Mike Bourgeois, in the 1980s. While studying the emerging 'New Age Beverage Category' at the Albers School of Business at Seattle University, Mike saw an opportunity to create a new and exciting extension of the larger Carbonated Soft Drink category. This category included products that were alternatives to the mainstream brands, sparking a revolution in the industry.

Early brands such as Original New York Seltzer, Clearly Canadian, and others gained market share as consumers began to gravitate toward these products' interesting flavor profiles and perceived health benefits. Many contained larger percentages of real fruit juices and extracts than other sodas on the market.

Mike’s first brand, Orca Sparkling, was a water-and-juice blend that contained over 50 percent juice sourced from Northwest juice processors. The high juice content posed a significant production challenge. At that time, bottlers were accustomed to simple formulations that combined water, artificial flavors, and corn syrup. Orca Beverage’s new product, however, required multiple 55-gallon drums of fruit juice that were full of pulp and other fruit juice solids, pushing the boundaries of traditional soda production.

During the first bottling run, the production department at the local Pepsi bottler encountered a challenge. The entire line came to a halt when juice particulates clogged the bottling machinery, with bits of fruit pulp adhering to everything from filters to filling valves. This issue was resolved through the addition of special filtration to minimize the pulp content prior to bottling, allowing subsequent runs to proceed smoothly.In the early days, the company learned the craft of artisan soda manufacturing through trial and error. Word began to spread. Offsite production continued to present challenges, ultimately resulting in the company's excommunication from three local bottlers due to the complexity of its juice formulations.

Looking for an alternative, the company acquired a Pepsi-Cola Bottling line that had been declared a total insurance loss due to flood damage. The tattered line was shipped to Orca Beverage’s warehouse in Redmond, Washington, where the company spent two years rebuilding it from the ground up. Once finished, the local co-packers politely asked us not to return and helped with additional parts and expertise to get the line fine-tuned and running.

As the company continued to grow, Mike wore many hats, one of which was being the company's delivery driver. But what a sweet ride a 1967 Morris keeping with the vintage theme and catching the eyes of many. Nowadays, the truck remains on display as a reminder of Orca’s beginnings.

Orca Beverage continues to seize opportunities to expand its operations. From its early strategic partnerships with other beverage companies, a move that allowed it to produce iconic, old-time brands like Dad’s Root Beer, Shirley Temple, and Moxie in glass bottles. These alliances marked a significant milestone in Orca Beverage's journey of growth and diversification and still do.

Mike remains on the cutting edge of the soda and drinks industry. Its portfolio includes over 100 retro and specialty glass-bottled sodas and continues to grow. All are manufactured at their facility in Mukilteo, Washington.

For additional information and general wholesale inquiries by email, please select “Contact Orca Beverage” from our menu.