Authentic Cajun soda company makes its new home in Oregon

 
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A Cajun Life, client of Bill Caffee, gets a spotlight in the Oregonian!

When I recently went in search of a legendary Cajun soda pop company, I didn’t have to travel far. Who would have guessed Swamp Pop, the pride of Lafayette, Louisiana, would have their world headquarters in Clackamas, Oregon?

I was tipped off to Swamp Pop by a New Orleans friend who described the Swamp Pop ginger ale as “definitely worth tracking down.” That was the best tip I’ve received in years.

Swamp Pop was started in 2013 by cousins John Petersen and Collin Cormier. They launched six flavors showcasing Louisiana’s natural ingredients, from filé powder to Ponchatoula strawberries. The company is named in honor of Swamp Pop, the music genre that blends French-language country, Cajun and Creole music with New Orleans-style rhythm and blues.

In December 2019, Petersen and Cormier sold Swamp Pop to Chris Fontenot, who grew up 40 miles away from them in Eunice, Louisiana. Fontenot moved his family to Oregon in 2010 when he was promoted to a new job by The Hershey Company. Neither Fontenot nor his wife had ever stepped foot in Oregon. “Fortunately, we loved Oregon at first sight. We’re never moving again,” Fontenot said.

As Fontenot managed Hershey’s relationships with several large West Coast companies, he brought a little Cajun food culture to his new home state. It started with Fontenot and his wife sharing ingredients and recipes with friends. The enthusiastic encouragement they received spurred them on.

In 2012 Fontenot opened A Cajun Life food cart in Damascus. It was a success. In 2013 Fontenot moved the cart to Portland and proceeded to open a series of brick and mortar restaurants in the Portland metro area. Petersen and Cormier’s Swamp Pop sodas were a best-seller in Fontenot’s Cajun food establishments.

In 2015 Hershey’s presented Fontenot with the option of accepting an early exit package from the company. He accepted the offer to focus on his long-term plan of creating a company to sell his Cajun rubs, seasonings and mixes. In 2017 Fontenot closed his food cart and restaurants and went “all in” with the new company.

Fontenot, however, had created a Swamp Pop following he couldn’t shake.

“Even after my restaurants closed, people were asking me all the time where they could buy them,” Fontenot said.

When Fontenot noticed Swamp Pop’s social media presence waning in early 2019, he emailed Petersen and Cormier. “I said if they ever decided to sell their company, I was interested. They called me back in 30 minutes,” Fontenot said.

Petersen and Cormier were looking to get out of soda pop to concentrate on their Lafayette restaurants.

“I was fortunate to reach out to them at just the right time,” Fontenot said. A few months later, Fontenot added Swamp Pop to his A Cajun Life product line.

My official introduction to Swamp Pop took place at a garage sale at Fontenot’s home in Clackamas. I purchased the entire Swamp Pop line from his enterprising young son’s “pop-up” pop store.

The Swamp Pop flavors are Jean Lafitte Ginger Ale, Ponchatoula Pop Rouge, Noble Cane Cola, Praline Cream Soda, Satsuma Fizz (orange) and Filé Root Beer. They are all caffeine-free and made with 100% Louisiana pure cane sugar and 100% natural colors and flavors. Beginning this month, all Swamp Pops are also preservative-free.

The Swamp Pops are impressive. They aren’t too sweet, and the lighter carbonation is right in my wheelhouse. The pirate ginger ale, with its unique combination of cucumber and ginger spice, was my favorite. Every sip made me feel like a true son of Acadiana.

Swamp Pops can also be used to make a wide variety of killer poptails.

“We Cajuns tend to spike everything,” Fontenot said. My personal favorite is the Pimmger, which Cormier says should be sipped while listening to a recording of Cookie and the Cupcakes’ Swamp Pop classic, “Belinda.” This combination is guaranteed to tame both heat and humidity.

The Pimmger

(recipe by Brady’s Wine House in New Orleans)

Ingredients:

12 ounces Swamp Pop Jean Lafitte Ginger Ale

2 ounces Pimms

3 sliced strawberries

3-4 ribbons of cucumber

4 slices of fresh ginger

Directions:

Mix all ingredients, including the chopped fruit, in a glass.

Garnish with a spear of cucumber, a whole strawberry and a slice of ginger.

Add copious amounts of ice.

Swamp Pop is available for purchase from the company’s website. The $24 mixed case is a great way to try all the flavors. The sodas are also available at Mac Market in McMinnville and Cracker Barrel restaurants across the country.

Swamp Pop, drinkswamppop.com or 971-231-4792.

 
Samantha Gee