Apollinaris spring water

In 1852, Georg Kreuzberg, a vintner from Ahrweiler in Germany, bought a vineyard at an auction for 15 thaler but found the vines would not grow there.

On investigation, he found the soil had an exceptionally high concentration of carbonate. Literally wanting to get to the bottom of things, he dug down fifty feet and discovered an underground spring of naturally carbonated mineral water. In 1853, he started selling spring water in earthenware bottles.

The water from the Apollinaris Spring (named after St. Apollinaris by Kreuzberg) was shortly thereafter termed the “Queen of Table Waters’, when a London ship owner arranged exclusive exports rights from Kreuzberg.

In 1873 the Apollinaris Company Ltd was set up in Westminster London, and the brand became internationally well known.

The Apollinaris water sold largely not only in England, but in America, Europe, India and in the British colonies.

By 1900, over 27 million bottles of Apollinaris were sold, of which over 25 million were exported.

In 1991, Apollinaris and drinks firm Schweppes of Germany merged but then in 2002 the whole company was bought out by the British company Cadbury Schweppes. In 2006 Coca-Cola bought Apollinaris spring water from Cadbury-Schweppes.
Apollinaris spring water