The Origins of POG Juice in Hawaiʻi: History & Legacy

The Origins of POG Juice: Hawaiʻi’s Beloved Drink and Its Surprising Legacy

Few drinks are as closely tied to Hawaiʻi as POG juice. With its tropical blend of passionfruit, orange, and guava, POG has become a symbol of island life, a staple of childhood memories, and even the inspiration behind one of the biggest toy crazes of the 1990s: pogs.

But how did this unique juice blend come to be, who invented it, and how did it rise from a local product to a global cultural icon? Here’s the story of POG juice, from its humble beginnings to its place in Hawaiian Airlines’ beverage service.

Who Invented POG Juice?

The origins of POG juice date back to 1971 on the island of Maui. The drink was created by Mary Soon, a food product consultant working for Haleakala Dairy.

Soon was tasked with developing new fruit drink blends. By combining passionfruit, orange, and guava juices, she created a sweet yet tangy beverage that captured the essence of Hawaiʻi’s tropical flavors.

The name POG is an acronym for its three key ingredients:

• P for Passionfruit
• O for Orange
• G for Guava

Haleakala Dairy first marketed the drink in cartons, similar to milk packaging, and it quickly became a hit with local families. The blend was fruity, refreshing, and distinctly Hawaiian.

How POG Became Popular in Hawaiʻi

In the 1970s and 1980s, POG juice became a household staple across the islands. Its popularity grew thanks to its affordability, wide distribution, and association with childhood nostalgia.

• School Lunches: POG often appeared in school cafeterias, becoming part of many kids’ daily routines.
• Local Stores: Sold in supermarkets and corner stores across the islands, POG was accessible to almost everyone.
• Breakfast Tables: The sweet-tart flavor made it a favorite morning drink for families.

What set POG apart was its local identity. Unlike imported sodas or juices, POG was born in Hawaiʻi, using tropical fruits tied to the islands’ agricultural history. Passionfruit (lilikoi), guava, and oranges were all cultivated in abundance across Hawaiʻi, making the blend a natural reflection of the land.

The Surprising Connection Between POG Juice and the Pogs Game

In the 1990s, a new fad swept through schools around the world: the milkcap game known as pogs. Kids collected colorful cardboard discs, stacked them up, and slammed them with heavier “slammers” to flip and win them.

But where did pogs get their name? The answer lies in POG juice.

From Juice Caps to Playground Craze

• In the 1920s–1950s, children in Hawaiʻi played games using milk bottle caps, flipping them in contests of skill.
• Decades later, in the early 1990s, a teacher in Maui revived the game as a way to entertain students. She used caps from Haleakala Dairy’s POG juice cartons, which featured colorful branding and were the perfect size for play.
• Kids began calling the game “pogs,” directly referencing the juice brand.

As the craze spread to the U.S. mainland and beyond, the name stuck—even though most kids outside Hawaiʻi had never tasted the drink.

By the mid-1990s, pogs had become a global phenomenon, spawning official branded pogs, slammers, and tournaments. The juice that started it all became part of pop culture history.

Hawaiian Airlines and the Legacy of Serving POG

For many travelers, the first time they try POG juice isn’t at a supermarket or a breakfast table—it’s at 30,000 feet on a Hawaiian Airlines flight.

Hawaiian Airlines began serving POG juice in the 1990s, making it a signature beverage offering. Passengers were delighted by the tropical drink, which became an unofficial “welcome to Hawaiʻi” moment for visitors.

The tradition continues today, with Hawaiian Airlines still offering complimentary POG juice on many of its flights. For returning residents, it’s a taste of home. For first-time visitors, it’s an introduction to the islands’ flavors and culture.

Why POG Endures as a Hawaiian Icon

POG juice’s staying power is remarkable, considering it began as a simple product experiment at a Maui dairy. Several factors explain why it endures:

1. Nostalgia: Generations of children in Hawaiʻi grew up drinking POG, linking it forever to their sense of home and identity.
2. Cultural Branding: Its acronym and flavor profile are uniquely tied to Hawaiʻi.
3. Tourism Connection: Hawaiian Airlines and hotels often offer POG as a welcome drink, embedding it into the visitor experience.
4. Pogs Legacy: The juice’s indirect role in sparking a global toy craze gave it recognition far beyond Hawaiʻi.

Supporting Local Juice Makers

While Haleakala Dairy no longer produces POG, the juice lives on through various brands sold in Hawaiʻi supermarkets today. To truly experience POG as locals do:

• Look for Local Labels: Many smaller juice companies and dairies continue to make their own versions of POG.
• Try Variations: Some blends include extra tropical fruits like pineapple or mango for a modern twist.
• Buy Local: Supporting Hawaiʻi-made juices helps sustain the state’s agricultural industry and small businesses.

Fun Facts About POG Juice and Pogs

• Lilikoi Love: Passionfruit, known in Hawaiian as lilikoi, is one of the most beloved fruits in the islands and gives POG its tangy punch.
• Carton Collectibles: Early POG juice cartons and caps are now sought-after collectibles for both juice fans and pogs enthusiasts.
• Classroom Origins: The teacher credited with reviving the pogs game in the 1990s was Blossom Galbiso, who used it as a fun learning tool in her Maui classroom.
• Airline Tradition: Hawaiian Airlines’ serving of POG has become so iconic that many passengers post about it as a highlight of their flight.
• Final Thoughts

The story of POG juice is more than just the tale of a drink—it’s the story of how a simple fruit blend became a cultural touchstone in Hawaiʻi and beyond. Invented in 1971 by Mary Soon on Maui, POG captured the islands’ tropical flavors and quickly became a household staple. Its colorful caps inspired the 1990s pogs craze, turning a local beverage into a global pop culture phenomenon.

Today, whether you sip it from a supermarket carton or enjoy it on a Hawaiian Airlines flight, POG remains a reminder of Hawaiʻi’s unique spirit. It embodies nostalgia for locals, excitement for visitors, and a sweet, tangy taste of the islands’ identity.

POG juice isn’t just a drink—it’s a symbol of Hawaiʻi’s ability to blend tradition, innovation, and aloha into something the world will never forget.