Utah A Trendsetter? In This One Area, Oh Yeah!

Utah is No. 1 in a lot of categories nationwide.

We're tops in growth, charitable contributions, childbirth rates, successful marriages, small business success and many others.

Those are facts. Utah is good at -- well, being good.

But as far as being a trendsetter, out there on the cutting edge, well Utah usually leaves that to New York or California.

But there is one area where the rest of the nation is just now picking up the trend that Utah started a few years ago.

We love our Dirty Sodas and Stanley Mugs.

Go to any Maverik or stop by one of the seemingly ubiquitous soda shops and you can find a "Dirty Soda" -- your favorite soft drink spiked with coconut, pineapple, raspberry, peach or myriad other flavors. Many folks like smoothing it out with cream or half-and-half, too.

Then, if you can have it all served up in a Stanley Mug -- a metallic mug that uses a sort of vacuum technology to maintain the beverage's desired temperature.

The Technology Behind The Mug

Technically, the model so popular in Utah is the Stanley 1913 Quencher, also known as the Stanley Cup.

The Quencher and other Stanley products use a unique steel welding process to "seal in" the temperature as long as a vacuum is maintained.

The History Behind The Stanley Cup 

William Stanley invented the steel vacuum-sealed bottle in 1913. Ever since, “his vacuum bottle evolved from concept to icon and has become an essential part of workdays, road trips and outdoor adventures,” the company said.

The company historically targeted everyday workers and those participating in outdoor activities like camping and hiking.

However, in the mid-1990s the company chose to "deprioritize" the Quencher, even telling consumers to "hurry and get one" before they stopped making them.

But the Quencher had a fan in the four women who started the website "The Buy Guide" -- three of whom are from Utah.

The Buy Guide owners saw the potential of the mugs and invested money -- from the website and from their own bank accounts -- in the Stanley Cups. They famously sold them all -- 5,000 to be exact -- in the first day. They ordered 5,000 more and sold those out in an hour.

The Stanley 1913 Quencher was a hit.

Sizes

The uber-popular Stanley Quencher comes in 30- and 40-oz. sizes, perfect for the soda-sipping set (especially in Utah, where coffee and alcohol are generally frowned upon).

Of course, coffee drinkers and the like can order smaller models to fit their needs.

The Stanley Cup Craze

Now, Stanley, which used to be known for camping and outdoor equipment, sells $750-million in products every year. In 1993, Stanley did $70-million in sales, meaning the Stanley Cup -- the Quencher -- has increased Stanley's bottom line by 1,000-percent.

Way to go Stanley. Way to go Utah.

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