Don Vultaggio: AriZona Beverage Company – The Snap Decision That Outsmarted Snapple

By Guy Raz | Wondery Sep 1, 2025 | 3:10 AM

What does it take to turn a Brooklyn beer salesman into the king of iced tea?

In the early 1990s, the iced tea market was dominated by Lipton, Nestea, and Snapple. But Don Vultaggio saw an opening. A single moment—watching Snapple cases fly off a truck in winter—sparked an idea that would change his life: why not sell tea in a tallboy can?

AriZona exploded—outselling Snapple and becoming a multi-billion-dollar brand.

Behind the success was struggle: Don fought to keep the company private. and faced a painful 10-year legal battle with his former friend and co-founder.

In this episode, Don reveals:

How he stayed independent in an industry dominated by giants.
Why Snapple stumbled after being acquired—and how AriZona avoided the same fate.
Why he wants AriZona to remain a multi-generational family business.
Why packaging can be more powerful than advertising.
How AriZona holds onto its 99c price tag

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This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Iman Maani.

Our engineers were Maggie Luthar and Gilly Moon.