What happened to beefamato juice?

Beefamato juice was once a popular canned tomato juice drink made by the Libby’s company. First introduced in the 1960s, this tangy red beverage advertised itself as being “beefed up” with added beef stock for more robust flavor. By the late 1970s, however, beefamato juice had virtually disappeared from store shelves. So what happened to this formerly ubiquitous tomato drink? Let’s take a look at the rise and fall of beefamato juice.

The Origins of Beefamato Juice

Beefamato juice was the brainchild of the Libby’s fruit and vegetable company, which had made its name selling canned tomato juice. Seeking an innovative new product in the juice market, Libby’s decided to add beef stock to its tomato juice to create a more savory and protein-enhanced beverage. Libby’s launched beefamato juice nationally in 1966 with a significant marketing campaign touting its “beefed up” flavor. An initial 8 oz can sold for about 29 cents retail.

The timing of beefamato juice aligned with rising health consciousness in America. The beef stock provided protein and nutrients, while the tomato base offered vitamins and lycopene. Libby’s labeled it a “delicious new V-8 wonder drink” alluding to the juice’s eight vegetable nutrients. Advertisements also boasted that beefamato contained no preservatives, artificial flavors or colors. This natural appeal attracted many health-minded shoppers.

Within its first years, beefamato juice gained widespread distribution across grocery stores, supermarkets, vending machines and school cafeterias. Annual sales quickly rose into the millions of dollars. Buoyed by its initial success, Libby’s began experimenting with spin-off products like beefamato cocktail mix for alcoholic drinks.

Cultural Context of the 1960s and 70s

To understand beefamato’s popularity, it helps to consider the cultural backdrop of America in the 1960s and 70s. This era saw surging interest in physical fitness and nutrition. People pursued active lifestyles and became more concerned about diet. Protein emerged as an essential nutrient for active bodies. Beefamato tapped into this protein craze with its high protein beef stock.

The rise of vegetarianism and health foods also popularized vegetable juices as virtuous low-calorie drinks. Tomato juice cocktails like the Bloody Mary saw a revival. Beefamato added a meaty twist to this vegetable juice culture. Its combo of beef and veggie ingredients provided “the best of both worlds” appeal.

Lastly, convenience foods and TV dinners represented modern eating in the 1960s/70s. Canned and instant foods, like beefamato juice, fit seamlessly into the busy suburban lifestyle. Beefamato’s canned format and long shelf life made it an easy addition to kitchens.

Beefamato’s Appeal and Demographics

As beefamato sales took off in the late 1960s, a few commercial taglines captured its core appeal:

• “Looks weak, tastes strong”
• “The tomato juice with the beef broth blitz”
• “Beefamato – the new wonderful wino drink”

These taglines touted the juice as an invigorating combo of tomato and beef in one can. Beefamato offered a light vegetable drink supercharged with protein. Initially, beefamato mainly targeted active men and boys who wanted high protein drinks. A 1968 print ad featured football players drinking beefamato with the tagline “Makes strong bodies stronger.” Another ad showed a construction worker declaring beefamato to be “Real Man’s Juice.”

By early 1970s, Libby’s redesigned the packaging with calorie labels and began marketing beefamato equally to women and girls. The drink now aimed to provide nutritious energy for active families. Ads from this era depict mothers, teens and elderly people enthusiastically drinking beefamato. The brand had grown from a high protein “manly” beverage into an every-person drink.

Nutrition Content of Beefamato

So what exactly was in this beloved tomato-beef cocktail? An 8 oz can of original beefamato contained:

Ingredient	Amount
Tomato Juice	6 fl oz
Beef Broth	2 fl oz
Calories	50
Protein	5 g
Carbs	10 g
Sugar	8 g

So in a single 8 oz serving, beefamato packed in a hefty 5 grams of protein – nearly 10% of recommended daily intake. The tomato juice provided vitamin C and lycopene, while the beef broth added flavorful sodium and minerals like iron. With only 50 calories and 10g carbs, it made for a nutrient-dense, low-calorie beverage. This combination of protein, vitamins and great taste proved extremely attractive to mainstream consumers in the late 60s and early 70s.

Peak Popularity in the Early 1970s

Beefamato juice reached the height of its popularity between 1968 to 1972. It gained a devoted consumer following across America. By 1971, Libby’s sold over 25 million cans annually and beefamato became their top selling product. The brand’s success was greatly aided by catchy print and TV ad campaigns celebrating its flavor. One TV jingle declared:

Beefamato hits the spot
Beefamato can’t be beat
When you’re looking for great tomato taste
Don’t settle for less, demand Beefamato!

In these peak years, beefamato juice became a staple in school cafeteria menus, vending machines, and grocery stores across the country. Libby’s continued innovating, introducing new versions like Beefamato Hot and Spicy. Beefamato transcended its fad status to become a mainstream category leader in juice. Its success spurred other companies to produce competing tomato-broth blends.

The Decline of Beefamato in the Late 1970s

While beefamato juice ruled the roost in the early 70s, its fortunes took a major downturn later in the decade. Between 1975 to 1980, beefamato quietly faded from store shelves and American diets. Several factors contributed to its decline:

• Sugar backlash – Rising concerns about added sugars turned consumers away from sweetened sodas and juices. Beefamato contained up to 8g of added sugar per can.
• New beverage options – The 1980s saw an explosion of new low/zero calorie drink options, from diet sodas to bottled waters. Shoppers had more choices.
• Less red meat – Red meat fell out of favor as studies linked it to health risks. The beef broth in beefamato became less appealing.
• Food technology advances – New chemical flavoring techniques enabled more authentic tasting vegetable juices. Shoppers no longer needed “beefed up” tomato juice.

By 1980, beefamato sales had plummeted over 60% from their early 70s peak. It simply failed to fit the dietary preferences of newer generations. Libby’s quietly discontinued the Beefamato brand in 1981 as part of larger corporate restructuring.

Nostalgic Revival in the 2000s

For two decades after its discontinuation, beefamato juice remained a forgotten relic of the 60s and 70s. But internet nostalgia brought renewed interest in the 2000s. Vinatge recipes and commercials were shared online as people remembered this unique tomato-beef drink. Small batch beefamato blends reappeared at some specialty food stores.

In 2011, responding to public interest, Libby’s re-released Beefamato in a limited edition “throwback” can. It sold via online retailers like Amazon. However, this revival was short-lived as the novelty soon wore off. Beefamato had become a vintage curiosity rather than viable product. Still, for many who came of age in its 60s/70s heyday, beefamato conjures fond memories of a more simple era of food and drink. It remains a unique culinary footnote of its time.

Conclusion

Beefamato juice has a fascinating history, from its smash success in the 60s/70s to sudden downfall thereafter. This zesty canned drink created an entirely new flavor profile fusing tomato and beef. For active mainstream consumers of its era, nothing hit the spot quite like beefamato. While shifting tastes doomed beefamato in the long run, it endures as an icon of mid 20th century food culture. So for those who recall beefamato’s tangy tomato-beef kick, a little nostalgia and wonder will always remain – what exactly happened to this lost favorite? Beefamato leaves behind an intriguing legacy as one of history’s most memorable defunct beverages.