Which sports drink brand did PepsiCo acquire in 2001?

PepsiCo acquired the sports drink brand Gatorade in 2001.

Gatorade was created in 1965 by researchers at the University of Florida to help the school’s football players replace fluids and electrolytes lost during exercise. The drink was named after the Florida Gators, the university’s athletic teams. Its early success led to commercial distribution beyond the university.

Quaker Oats acquired Stokely-Van Camp, Gatorade’s owner, in 1983. PepsiCo then acquired Quaker Oats in 2001, bringing Gatorade into its beverage portfolio. The transaction made Gatorade part of the same multinational company that owns Pepsi and many other food and drink brands.

Gatorade is frequently compared with Coca-Cola-owned Powerade, but the two brands belong to different corporate groups. Gatorade has remained one of PepsiCo’s best-known sports beverage brands and is marketed in multiple flavors and product lines.