Apollinaris
Product brand
UnclaimedApollinaris is a German naturally sparkling mineral-water brand originating in Bad Neuenahr and historically associated with premium dining and hospitality.
Last updated August 24, 2026
Overview
Apollinaris is a historic German mineral-water brand whose source is in Bad Neuenahr, in the Ahr Valley of Rhineland-Palatinate. The spring was discovered in 1852 in a vineyard belonging to Georg Kreuzberg, who developed the source and began commercialising the water. The name refers to Saint Apollinaris of Ravenna, a patron saint associated with wine, rather than directly to the Roman god Apollo. Water was drawn from a rocky source and sold as a naturally sparkling mineral water, benefiting from the nineteenth-century expansion of bottling, rail transport, hospitality and international trade. The brand developed a particularly strong presence in Britain and on the European continent. In the early 1870s, Ernest Hart of the British Medical Journal recommended the water to publisher George Smith. Smith's business associate Edward Steinkopff subsequently established an English company to market Apollinaris in Britain. With Steinkopff as chairman and Julius Prince as managing director, the business built a substantial export operation and positioned the product as an upscale table water for hotels, restaurants and private dining. The slogan “The Queen of Table Waters” and a red-triangle device became British trademarks in 1895 and helped give the brand a distinctive international identity. By the early twentieth century Apollinaris had become one of the best-known mineral waters in the world. In 1913, the company reportedly produced about 40 million bottles, with approximately 90 percent exported. Its visibility was reinforced by references in novels, plays, journalism, music and film, as well as by its association with mixed drinks such as whisky and mineral water. The brand was also sold in small bottles in Britain and Ireland under the informal “Baby ’Polly” name. Apollinaris was used in prominent hospitality settings and was reportedly favoured by Otto von Bismarck, although such associations formed part of the brand's broader cultural reputation rather than a formal endorsement programme. Ownership and operating arrangements changed during the twentieth century. From the mid-1930s through 1945, the German Apollinaris business was controlled by Amt III, a food-industry division within the SS economic administration, and its water was bottled at a plant associated with the Allgemeine SS. This wartime history is an important part of the brand's corporate record. After later changes in ownership, Apollinaris became part of Cadbury Schweppes and was acquired by Coca-Cola in 2006. The source and brand are now within the Coca-Cola system. Apollinaris remains identified primarily with sparkling mineral water and with foodservice, hotel and gastronomy channels, although product availability and formats vary by market.
History
Apollinaris began with the accidental discovery of a mineral-water spring in 1852 at Georg Kreuzberg's vineyard in Bad Neuenahr, Germany. Kreuzberg developed the source and named the water Apollinaris after Saint Apollinaris of Ravenna. The spring was accessed through a rocky source at approximately 50 feet below ground, and the naturally carbonated water became the foundation of a commercial bottling business. The brand's decisive expansion came through Britain. In 1872 Ernest Hart, editor of the British Medical Journal, recommended Apollinaris to George Smith, a partner in the publishing house Smith, Elder & Co. Smith's associate Edward Steinkopff then helped establish an English subsidiary in 1873 or 1874. The Apollinaris Company Ltd. operated from London, with Steinkopff as chairman and Julius Prince as managing director. Improved distribution and the growth of the hotel and restaurant trade enabled the company to market Apollinaris as an international premium table water rather than merely a regional German spring product. The British business adopted a red-triangle mark and the slogan “The Queen of Table Waters” as trademarks in 1895. These elements supported a polished hospitality image, while the product's natural effervescence made it suitable for drinking alone or mixing with wine and spirits. In 1897 Steinkopff and his partners sold the business to hotelier Frederick Gordon. By 1913, reported annual output had reached 40 million bottles, around 90 percent of which were exported. Apollinaris became a familiar name in Britain, continental Europe and other international markets, and its appearance in literature, theatre, music and film reflected its status in upper- and middle-class dining culture. The company also had a complicated wartime history. From the mid-1930s until the end of the Second World War, the German Apollinaris operation was controlled by Amt III, part of the SS economic administration's food-industry structure. Apollinaris, together with other mineral-water brands, was bottled at the Rheinahr Glasfabrik plant between Sinzig and Niederbreisig, which was associated with the Allgemeine SS. This period links the brand's industrial history to Nazi Germany's state-controlled and SS-linked economic system and should not be omitted from accounts of the company. After the war, Apollinaris continued as an established mineral-water name, retaining its association with sparkling water and hospitality. It also participated in promotional activities beyond conventional advertising, including commercial beach games organised with the Torck factories on the Belgian coast during the 1950s and 1960s. The brand later passed through additional corporate structures and became part of Cadbury Schweppes. In 2006 Coca-Cola acquired the source and brand from Cadbury Schweppes. Apollinaris is now part of the Coca-Cola portfolio and is primarily associated with German foodservice, hotel and gastronomy channels. Current formats, distribution and market availability are subject to local portfolio decisions.
- 2006
Acquired by Coca-Cola
[1]Coca-Cola acquired Apollinaris from Cadbury Schweppes.
- 1945
End of Nazi-era control
[1]The period in which the German Apollinaris company was controlled by an SS economic-administration division ended with the Second World War.
- 1913
Large-scale international production
[1]Reported production reached 40 million bottles, with most output exported worldwide.
- 1897
Business sold to Frederick Gordon
[1]Steinkopff and his partners sold the business to hotelier Frederick Gordon.
- 1895
Red triangle and table-water slogan trademarked
[1]The red triangle and “The Queen of Table Waters” slogan were adopted as British trademarks.
- 1873
English subsidiary established
[1]Edward Steinkopff helped establish an English company to market Apollinaris in Britain, accelerating the brand's international expansion.
- 1852
Spring discovered and commercial development begins
[1]A naturally sparkling spring was discovered in Georg Kreuzberg's vineyard in Bad Neuenahr, and Kreuzberg began developing the water for commercial sale.
Products and positioning
Premium naturally sparkling mineral water for restaurants, hotels, gastronomy and other hospitality settings
Sparkling natural mineral water
Apollinaris Classic
Apollinaris Classic is the brand's principal sparkling mineral-water offering. It expresses the traditional Apollinaris proposition: naturally carbonated water from the Bad Neuenahr source, served as a premium accompaniment to meals and beverages. The product is particularly associated with restaurants, hotels, bars and professional foodservice rather than only household hydration. Pack sizes and current availability depend on the market.
Controversies
1935
SS economic control during Nazi Germany
From the mid-1930s through 1945, the German Apollinaris company was controlled by Amt III, an SS economic-administration division responsible for food-industry operations. Bottling was connected with the Rheinahr Glasfabrik plant, which was associated with the Allgemeine SS.
Marketing campaigns
- 1955Les Rois du Volant / De Koningen der Baan
Belgian coast
During the 1950s and 1960s, Apollinaris co-organised commercial beach games on the Belgian coast with the Torck factories of Deinze, linking the brand to public entertainment and event promotion.
Outcome. The activity extended Apollinaris promotion beyond table-water advertising into sponsored leisure events.
- 1895The Queen of Table Waters
United Kingdom · International export markets
Apollinaris formalised its premium hospitality positioning through the red-triangle trademark and the “Queen of Table Waters” slogan. The campaign language presented the water as an internationally recognised choice for dining rooms, hotels and restaurants.
Outcome. The slogan became one of the most enduring identifiers in the brand's historical advertising and helped distinguish Apollinaris from ordinary bottled water.
Brand decisions
2006
Coca-Cola acquires ApollinarisM&ABackground
Apollinaris had become part of the Cadbury Schweppes portfolio before Coca-Cola expanded its branded non-alcoholic beverage holdings through the acquisition.
Action taken
Coca-Cola acquired the Apollinaris source and brand from Cadbury Schweppes.
Aftermath
The brand entered the Coca-Cola system and continued to be associated with German mineral water and foodservice channels.
Recent events
- 2006
Coca-Cola acquires Apollinaris from Cadbury Schweppes[1]
M&A
Coca-Cola acquired the Apollinaris source and brand from Cadbury Schweppes, bringing the historic mineral-water label into the Coca-Cola system.
- 1913
Apollinaris production reaches major export scale[1]
Other
The company was reported to be producing about 40 million bottles annually, most of them for export markets.
- 1895
Apollinaris adopts the red triangle and “Queen of Table Waters” trademarks[1]
Campaign
The British business registered the red-triangle symbol and the slogan that became central to Apollinaris's premium table-water identity.
Sources1 sources
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