V8 Vegetable Juice, sometimes just called V8, is a trademarked name for a number of beverage products sold worldwide that are made from eight vegetables, or a mixture of vegetables and fruits. Since 1948, the brand has been owned by the Campbell Soup Company.
The original V8 vegetable juice was tomato-based and got its name from the fact that it contained juice from eight different vegetables.
Video V8 (beverage)
V8 vegetable juice
The original V8 is made mainly from water and tomato concentrate, and reconstituted vegetable juice blend: water and concentrate of eight vegetables, specifically: beets, celery, carrots, lettuce, parsley, watercress, spinach, and tomato. Tomato juice makes up around 87% of the total drink. Campbell's has produced several varieties of the drink, such as Original, Spicy Hot, Lemon, Picante, Low-Sodium, and Organic.
Three spin-offs of the V8 brand; "V8 Energy," "V8 Splash" and "V8 VoFusion;", are blends of fruit and vegetable (specifically carrot) juices. V8 Splash is a juice cocktail partially sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup and sucralose; diet versions of V8 Splash omit the high-fructose corn syrup. V8 Energy also classifies as a cocktail and is partially sweetened with sucralose. VoFusion is made from 100% juice.
History
V8 Vegetable Juice was developed by W.G. Peacock (1896-1948), the founder of the New England Products Company, which manufactured individual vegetable juices under the brand name Vege-min. Having had only mediocre sales success, in 1933 Peacock began blending the Vege-min juices into one product and selling this new concoction as "Vege-min 8". A grocer in Evanston, Illinois, recommended that he shorten the name to simply "V-8". In 1948, the Campbell Soup Company acquired the brand from the Charles Loudon Packing Company in Terre Haute, Indiana, and has maintained continuous production of the beverage through the present day.
Derivative beverages
A few cocktail drinks use V8, most famously the "bloody eight" or "eight ball", which is a Bloody Mary with V8 instead of tomato juice.
Maps V8 (beverage)
V8 fruit & vegetable juice
In the UK and Australia, Campbell's also makes V8 100% Fruit & Vegetable Juice, combining vegetable juice with fruit juices for one serving of vegetables and one serving of fruits. This is available elsewhere as V8 V-Fusion. They are also sold in "light" versions containing 50% juice (1/2 serving of vegetables and 1/2 serving of fruits) with added flavors to reduce calorie content. V8 V-Fusion + Tea was recently introduced. It contains a 1/2 serving of vegetables and a 1/2 serving of fruits.
Some varieties are composed of:
- Strawberry Banana: Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Carrots, Beets, White Grapes, Oranges, Apples, Strawberries, Bananas and Banana Puree.
- Pomegranate Blueberry: Sweet Potatoes, Purple Carrots, Tomatoes, Carrots, Apples, White Grapes.
- Tropical Orange: Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Yellow Tomatoes, Squash, White Grapes, Oranges, Pineapples.
- Peach Mango: Sweet Potatoes, Yellow Tomatoes, Squash, White Grapes, Oranges, Peaches, Mangoes.
- Acai Mixed Berry: Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Apples, White Grapes, Acai Berries, Blueberries, Limes.
- Cranberry Blackberry: Sweet Potatoes, Purple Carrots, Carrots, Apples, White Grapes, Cranberry, Blackberry, Lemon Juice.
- Goji Raspberry: Sweet Potatoes, Purple Carrots, Carrots, Apples, White Grapes, Cherries, Strawberries, Blackberry, Oranges, Goji, Red Raspberry, Lemon Juice.
The Australian flavour variants are Tropical, Melon Burst, Citrus Splash, Apple, Carrot & Ginger, and Apple Plum Fusion.
V8 energy drinks
V8 also manufactures a line of juice-based energy drinks, sold in individual aluminum cans. Each includes 80 mg of caffeine (from green tea) per serving and is fortified with B vitamins. V8 Energy drinks are typically lower in sugar per fluid ounce compared to its juices, with the drinks partially sweetened with sucralose.
- V8 V-Fusion Energy: A non-carbonated beverage of 50% juice, typically sold in 237 millilitres (8.0 US fl oz) cans. Flavors include black cherry, peach-mango, and pomegranate-blueberry.
- V8 Energy Sparkling: A carbonated beverage of 34% juice, typically sold in 355 millilitres (12.0 US fl oz) cans. Currently produced flavors include Orange Pineapple and White Grape Raspberry.
Nutrition
Example nutrition information for V8 Vegetable Juice:
Slogans
- "Wow, It Sure Doesn't Taste like Tomato Juice!" (1960s)
- "Drink V8 & Keep Your Diet Straight!" (1990s-present)
- "Drink Smarter with V8." (2000-present)
- "Drink It. Feel It." (2003-2004)
- "Should've Had a V8." (1980s, 2009-present) ("Could've Had a V8." used in tandem)
See also
- List of juices
References
External links
- V8 Beverages site (US)
- V8 Beverages site (UK)
- V8 Campbell's site (Australia)
- Detailed nutritional data at NutritionData.com for the low-sodium version
Source of the article : Wikipedia