PartnerSlate

9 Great Soda Manufacturers & Private Label Companies in the U.S. [2023]

Matt Suggs

If you’ve been looking for a soda manufacturers or private label company for your brand, then you’re familiar with the long phone calls and extensive research it takes to find the right partner. With so many manufacturers offering different services and capabilities, it can be difficult to choose. But rest assured the best manufacturer for your business is out there—you just have to find it!

To serve as a jumping-off point, we’ve curated a list of some top soda manufacturers and private label companies in the U.S. to help you explore your options. 

How is soda manufactured?

Soda and soft drink manufacturers can make a wide variety of bubbly beverages using ingredients like water, carbon dioxide, sugar, acid, juices, and extra flavoring. Here are the steps soda manufacturers would typically take to create your soda: 

1. Clarification

In this first step the goal is to remove any unwanted materials from the water. Flocs are added to the water, acting as magnets for the suspended particles. Once the flocs have absorbed the particles, the water can be separated from the flocs, leaving it clear. The water is then put through a filtration and disinfection process.

The water will go through several filters of different materials and pore sizes. A small amount of chlorine is also added to eliminate bacteria and parasites. After a few hours, the water is then dechlorinated with an activated carbon filter.

2. Ingredient Mixing

Dissolved sugar and flavor concentrates are mixed in batch tanks in precise amounts. This combination can be heated via a pasteurization process to eliminate any bacteria and increase shelf life. This is then carefully mixed with the clarified water using specialized equipment to manage the proportions and prevent aeration. 

3. Carbonation

After all the ingredients have been processed and combined, manufacturers add carbonation to the mixture. The amount of carbonation pressure varies depending on what type of soda or soft drink is being made. 

Sometimes carbonation is added to the water at the beginning of the soda manufacturing process.

4. Filling & Packaging

The finished product is added to cans or bottles and then immediately sealed. Labels are added next; however, cans can have branding and product information printed on them before filling. 

The bottled and canned sodas are packed into cartons or packaging. Finally, they’re sent to warehouses for storage or distributors for sale. 

Top Soda Manufacturers & Private Label Companies

Before we get into the list, we want to make it clear that there are innumerable incredible soda manufacturers throughout the United States. This article just touches on some great companies that could be the right fit for your brand. 

But…why guess if it’s the right fit? Wouldn’t you start working immediately with a co-manufacturer with all the right capabilities for your brand? 

With PartnerSlate, you can create a detailed project and post it anonymously to the marketplace where qualified manufacturers with the right capabilities can come and show interest in your project. PartnerSlate will get you connected directly and cut the search process down from months to days. 

Skip the long days of cold calls and endless research and connect with the perfect manufacturer with help from PartnerSlate. Or if you want to continue the research first, keep reading! 

1. California Custom Beverage LLC

california custom beverage logo

California Custom Beverage, established by the founder of Reed’s Inc, offers co-packing services and produces drinks for the private-label market. With over four decades of experience, CCB offers expert guidance from design to distribution and has production capabilities on both the East and West coasts. 

Services:

  • Co-packing
  • Private label manufacturing
  • Contract manufacturing
  • Ingredient sourcing 
  • Product development
  • Beverage formulation
  • Pressure sensitive labeling
  • Product design
  • Bi-coastal bottling
  • European old-style swing-lid bottles
  • ​​Exclusive glass sourced from China
  • Traditional twist or pry-off

Product Types:

  • Still water
  • Carbonated
  • Beer and cider

Speciality Product Capabilities: Not listed

Location: 13000 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA, 90061

Learn more 

2. Castle Co-Packers

Castle co-packers logo

Castle Co-Packers is an independent bottling plant founded in 2004. They focus on working with specialized brands and are a kosher and organic-certified plant. They make sauces and non-carbonated and carbonated drinks and offer tea brewing, repacking, and sleeve labeling services, and have an expert logistics service that oversees a 500,000-square-foot warehouse.

Services:

  • Co-packing
  • Private label manufacturing
  • Contract manufacturing
  • Ingredient sourcing
  • Tea brewing
  • Repacking 
  • Hot fill for plastic and glass bottles
  • Sleeve labeling for plastic and glass bottles
  • Cut and stack

Product Types:

  • Non-carbonated and carbonated beverages
  • Dressings, salsas, marinades

Speciality Product Capabilities: 

  • Kosher
  • Gluten-free
  • Organic

Location: 11 Lloyd Avenue, Latrobe, PA, 15650

Learn more 

3. Circle Beverage

Circle logo

Circle Beverage takes a customer-centric approach to assist clients through the startup, launch, and scale-up of their business operations. They have a SQF Food Safety and Quality Certification, USDA Organic Certification, FDA Registration, and are a certified distilled spirits plant.

Circle Beverage is a good option for brands producing craft, health-focused, canned beverages in large quantities. The company also has several products available for wholesale. 

Services:

  • Contract manufacturing
  • Private label manufacturing
  • Cold and aseptic filling
  • Tunnel pasteurization
  • Liquid blending
  • Batching
  • Processing
  • Can sleeving
  • Flavor extraction
  • Product development
  • Refrigerated, frozen, and dry storage
  • Steeping

Product Types:

  • Still water
  • Carbonated and non-carbonated
  • Sparkling collagen water 
  • Spirits
  • Tea and kombucha
  • CBD-infused products
  • Fruit juice 
  • Extracts and powders

Speciality Product Capabilities: 

  • Kosher
  • Gluten-free

Location: 1050 E. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46202

Learn more 

4. CSD Copackers

csd copackers logo

CSD Copackers specializes in developing carbonated beverages in a variety of packaging types. They are experts in manufacturing, flavor development, ingredient sourcing, and all things packaging. They can also accommodate trial runs, small batch sizes, proprietary packaging, and other challenging production requirements. 

From flavor development and ingredient sourcing to brand identification and packaging design, CSD helps existing and emerging soda brands produce quality products. 

Services:

  • Co-packing
  • Contract manufacturing
  • Private label manufacturing
  • Ingredient sourcing
  • Product development
  • Tunnel pasteurization
  • Packaging: glass and aluminum bottles
  • Package design
  • Flavor development 
  • Product formulation
  • Inventory management
  • Pressure sensitive labeling
  • Cold sterilization 
  • Handling and storing dry sweeteners

Product Types:

  • Carbonated beverages
  • Bag-in-box syrups

Speciality Product Capabilities: 

  • Kosher
  • Organic

Location: 100 W Poplar Street, Scranton, PA, 18509

Learn more 

5. Nor-Cal Beverage Co.

Nor-Cal Beverage Co. logo

Nor-Cal Beverage Co. is a full-service, high-volume, contract manufacturer that co-packages iced teas and ades, energy drinks, organic beverages, and more. Serving some of the largest beverage industry leaders like Coca-Cola®, Nor-Cal offers services in packaging, pasteurization, labeling, distribution, and has two production facilities in California. 

Services:

  • Co-packing
  • Private label manufacturing
  • Contract manufacturing
  • Product development
  • Packaging: tray, pad, shrink wrap, RSC fill wrap, shrink wrap bundles, fiber multi-packs, cartons, Hi-cone, and Bliss Box
  • Repacking
  • Food Safety and quality management
  • Labeling: roll-fed, cut and stack, pressure sensitive labels, drop sleeve PET
  • Tunnel pasteurization
  • Cold fill
  • Hot fill

Product Types:

  • Still water
  • Non-carbonated and carbonated beverages
  • Iced teas and ades
  • Sparkling waters
  • Energy drinks
  • Chilled juices
  • Organic and all-natural beverages

Speciality Product Capabilities: 

  • Kosher
  • USDA Certified Organic

Location: 2150 Stone Blvd, West Sacramento, CA, 95691

Learn more 

6. Rocky Mountain Soda Co.

Rocky Mountain soda co logo

The Rocky Mountain Soda Company is a family-owned company producing custom soda flavors using four high-quality natural and organic ingredients: carbonated Colorado water, pure cane sugar, all-natural flavors, and non-GMO citric acid.

Each of their flavors is custom crafted in small batches and every bottle is packaged by hand the day it’s made. Based in Colorado, Rocky Mountain Soda Co.’s products are free of artificial flavors, artificial colors, added salts, and preservatives. 

Services:

  • Co-packing
  • Private label manufacturing
  • Ingredient sourcing 

Product Types:

  • Sodas with unique flavors including birch beer, elderberry, prickly pear, peaches & cream, and many more 

Speciality Product Capabilities: 

  • Kosher
  • Gluten-free 
  • Vegan 

Location: 4420 Glencoe St., Denver, CO, 80216

Learn more 

7. Sprecher Brewing Co. LLC

sprecher logo

Sprecher Brewing is a contract and private label manufacturer specializing in producing hand-crafted beer and sodas to the exact specifications of their clients. They have been in business for over 40 years and offer bottling, canning, and bulk packaging services. From product development to packaging, they offer virtually unlimited customization. 

Services:

  • Contract manufacturing
  • Private label manufacturing
  • Bulk packaging
  • Bottling 
  • Canning 
  • Packing
  • Flash pasteurization
  • Cold fill

Product Types:

  • Carbonated drinks
  • Beer and cider
  • Mixers
  • Sparkling water
  • Hard seltzers and hard cider
  • Soda extract
  • Kegs
  • Root beer
  • Craft sodas

Speciality Product Capabilities: Not listed

Location: 701 West Glendale Ave, Glendale, WI 53209

Learn more

8. Southeast Bottling & Beverage

Southeast Bottling & Beverage logo

Southeast Bottling & Beverage provides state-of-the-art bottling services, ready-to-drink manufacturing, and co-packing services for every stage of production. They hold several certifications, including USDA, HEPA, and FDA, and have a 150,000-square-foot facility equipped with the latest in beverage manufacturing and co-packing technology. Their services range from formula development to flash pasteurization pressure-sensitive labeling. 

Services:

  • Co-packing
  • Private label manufacturing
  • Contract manufacturing
  • RTD manufacturing
  • Freezer and refrigerator storage
  • Ingredient sourcing
  • Ozonation
  • Flash pasteurization
  • Cold fill
  • Hot fill 
  • Cool tunneling
  • Formula development
  • Film and carton packaging
  • Shrink sleeve 
  • Pressure sensitive labeling

Product Types:

  • Still water
  • Non-carbonated and carbonated beverages 
  • Flavored waters
  • Sports drinks
  • Functional beverages
  • Teas
  • Fruit juices
  • Liquid supplements

Speciality Product Capabilities: 

  • Kosher
  • USDA Certified Organic

Location: 15340 Citrus Country Drive, Dade City, FL, 33523

Learn more 

9. Wildpack Beverage Inc.

wildpack logo

Wildpack Beverage Inc. was founded in 2017 and produces canned beverages for middle-market brands. They work to help beverage companies grow and expand their production by offering services in sleeving, packaging, batching, and canning. They handle all ingredient sourcing, offer a range of cans and packaging materials, and provide logistics and inventory management services for clients. 

Services:

  • Co-packing
  • Private label manufacturing
  • Contract manufacturing
  • Shrink sleeving
  • Ingredient sourcing
  • Small batch agitated mixing
  • Flexible liquid temperature control
  • Product development
  • Alcohol storage
  • Inventory management
  • Logistics management
  • Flexible production run sizes
  • Customer service support
  • Brite cans
  • Can ends
  • Printed cans
  • PakTech carriers
  • Case trays
  • Aluminum cans

Product Types:

  • Still water
  • Non-carbonated and carbonated drinks
  • Wine, beer, spirits, and cider
  • Seltzer
  • Cold brew
  • Kombucha
  • RTDs

Speciality Product Capabilities: 

  • USDA Certified Organic
  • Kosher

Location: 1301 Edison Hwy, Suite A2, Baltimore, MD 21213

Learn more 

Soda Manufacturers for Small-Batch Products

soda can top

What is a Low MOQ Product? 

Products with a low minimum order quantity (MOQ) are food or beverage items produced on a smaller scale. A low MOQ is usually necessary for businesses and startups before they have the capital to increase their production volume. 

How to Find a Soda Manufacturer for Low-Volume Products 

It can be difficult for small businesses to find the right co-manufacturer for the low MOQ products since some co-mans have higher MOQ requirements. 

Skip the headaches of matching with the wrong co-packer by working with PartnerSlate. We make it simple to connect with the best soda manufacturers in the country–including options with lower MOQs.

PartnerSlate offers a convenient concierge service so brands can get their products to market faster without exorbitant consulting fees. Plus, there’s no cost for the matching service if your project does not move forward after the initial introduction.

Best Soda Manufacturers to Work With as a Startup

Here are some soda manufacturers that are great for startups looking to produce less than 25,000 units: 

  • California Custom Beverage
  • WildPack Beverage 
  • CSD Co-packers

Find the Best Soda Manufacturer or Private Labeler for your Brand

While this list provided some great soda manufacturer options, the best soda manufacturer for your business will depend on a myriad of factors: do you need a low MOQ? A specific flavor profile? A kosher manufacturer? 

PartnerSlate is the perfect solution for finding the right manufacturer for your beverage business. Sign up for free, add details about your business, and create a project describing the product and production needs. 

The platform will link you with three suitable manufacturers and handle the introduction and onboarding process so your ideas from product to launch quickly, efficiently, and with a lot less stress.