At the beginning of the 1970s, Lassonde was on a roll! And new ideas were germinating in some people’s minds.

Following the lead of manufacturers in western Canada, Lassonde decided to produce juices and fruit drinks in small metal containers. Having started out canning vegetables, the Company was acquainted with the process! So in 1972, Rougemont apple juice and fruit drinks began to be sold in Quebec in individual 10-ounce cans.

This innovation spurred a small revolution in the food industry. The cans could soon be found in grocery stores, convenience stores, school cafeterias, workplace canteens and lunchboxes. They were convenient and easy to open with a flick of the finger. Consumers liked the flavours: apple juice and fruit punch, as well as apple, orange and grape drinks. It was nothing short of a big hit!

There was a lot of discussion about the generic name for this type of product in French. At the time the word “breuvage,” based on the English word “beverage,” was used, but it was incorrect. In French “breuvage” means a concoction with medicinal or intoxicating properties. But the right word, “boisson,” meaning “any liquid that is drunk,” tends to connote alcoholic drinks for many people. It was only a few years later that the Canadian government officially decided on the correct terminology and Lassonde became one of the first companies to sell “boissons aux fruits” (fruit drinks).

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