Jones Soda Takes Turkey Soda Vegan for the Holidays

Jones Soda caters to a market with adventurous and exotic tastes, and that’s reflected in this year’s Thanksgiving promotion.

In the past Jones has offered a “drinkable Thanksgiving dinner” promotion pack, complete with sodas flavored as Turkey and Gravy, Sweet Potatoes, Dinner Roll and Peas. After skipping the promotion last year, this time around Jones has opted to go vegan, offering a new flavor, Tofurkey and Gravy—two great tastes you may not have expected in a carbonated beverage.

“We’ve done the turkey and Gravy flavor for a few years now, and we were approached this year by Turtle Island Food Inc., the people who make Tofurkey,” says Mike Spear, brand manager for Jones. “They thought it would be fun to do something new for the holidays. They’re a fun brand like we are, kind of quirky and irreverent, so we made up some samples and landed on this.”

Tofurkey is made from a special combination of organic tofu, wheat gluten, canola oil and a secret blend of herbs and spices. Spear admits that the drinkable version may not hold appeal for some people who can’t even countenance solid Tofurkey.

“We’re doing it for the fun of it and to build some buzz,” he says. “Our fans have come to expect those sorts of things from us.”

In past years Jones’ holiday dinner gift packs have included multiple side dishes, including one named Antacid in 2006. There are no sides this year, just three bottles of the main course. But the holiday six-pack does include a trio of flavors from the brand’s new zero-calorie Jones Zilch line, to help with the traditional post-holiday weight loss. The Tofurkey flavor is also sugar-free.

The pack, which rolled out last week and will be available only on the web site, will come packaged in a commemorative retro –style lunch box that will also include stickers and temporary tattoos. The package sells for $11.99.

And to round out the circle of life, 41 from each sale of a Tofurkey and Gravy gift pack will go to PAWS, an animal advocacy non-profit group that targets public education, legislative action and direct care.

“We’re already saving some turkeys with the Tofurkey and Gravy flavor, so we thought let’s go ahead and give a bit more to PAWS,” Spear says.

Jones Tofurkey and Gravy flavor is expected to be available through the Thanksgiving holiday season.