Milwaukee-Made Calypso Now Available at 3,000 More Stores

Calypso, the flavored lemonade brand made in Milwaukee, recently added 3,000 new outlets including Walmart, H-E-B, Publix, Sheetz and Kroger to its distribution network.

King Juice, 851 W. Grange Ave., started making the bottled lemonade in 1999 on Milwaukee’s south side.

The brand has since grown to include over a dozen flavors of lemonade, limeade and “teamonade” and is distributed domestically and internationally in approximately 20 countries.

“We are so excited to announce the continued expansion of Calypso’s distribution with several leading retailers in the U.S.,” said David Klavsons, CEO of Calypso. “This new distribution will create availability of our Calypso brand to more consumers at a perfect time of the year as we enter the summer months so everyone can enjoy a taste of the islands.”

Calypso’s products have seen increased interest in previous years, reporting a 50% sales increase during the first half of 2021 following 62% growth in 2020 and 33% in 2019, according to a 2021 press release.

The brand now holds the number two market share position, behind Minute Maid, in the shelf-stable lemonade category.

The private equity firm Mason Wells acquired King Juice in 2017. Last year, the brand entered a distribution agreement with Big Geyser, the largest independent non-alcoholic beverage distributor in the New York area.

The partnership expanded Calypso’s distribution network to include the New York metropolitan and Long Island markets constituting access to 26,000 outlets.

Calypso beverages, retailing for a national average of $1.79 per bottle in 2021, are also sold at Albertson’s/Safeway, Southeastern Grocers, Food Lion, Wawa and QuikTrip.