The Story Behind Patriots WR DeMario Douglas' Custom Soda

Before the New England Patriots took the field against the Houston Texans in the AFC divisional round, wide receiver DeMario Douglas walked up to the stadium holding a glass bottle.

Inside of it? Strawberry cream soda, specifically made for Douglas. On it was a cartoonish version of the third-year wideout. The always-bubbly Patriots player now has his own personal bubbles.

It only make sense for the player nicknamed "Pop" to have his own custom soda, right?

"Julian, myself, and our team wanted to play around with his name with things such as popcorn and soda pop," Danté Patterson, a partner at Brunswick Management, told Patriots on SI. "There were brands we reached out to but Dennis, one of our close associates, thought it be cool to connect us with Avery’s Soda in New Britain, Connecticut."

So how did this come to fruition? Brunswick Management, who helps Patriots players like Douglas, Anfernee Jennings and Terrell Jennings market themselves off the field, got into contact with the Connecticut-famous Avery's Soda. From there, the science behind making the drink began.

Pop Gets His Pop

Patrick Moore, the owner of Avery's Soda, said that they have around 50 different flavors. When it came to the taste testing to determine what flavor would work, they just combined two flavors they already had. It took a bit to work on the measurements, but they eventually nailed down the flavor.

One of the bottles of soda made for New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas at a Gillette Stadium tailgate. | Contributed by Brunswick Management

"We asked Pop what his favorite flavor of soda was," Moore told Patriots on SI, mentioning that they used strawberry and orange cream to create the new strawberry cream soda.

The fact that Avery's Soda was a New England brand was part of the reason why Douglas and his wanted to introduce this rollout. Wanting to work with a brand that felt authentic to Douglas was important to the collaboration.

"We worked directly with Avery’s owner, Pat Moore, and our creative team to design a product that honors that legacy," Julian Aiken, founder of Brunswick Management, told Patriots on SI. "The launch coincided with WEEI and Pop’s playoff run, rolling out across Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island to capture the wider New England fanbase."

Douglas Continues To Make Waves In New England Communities

Moore has been the owner of the local company for just under a year, and wanted to keep the legacy of a century-old business alive. Part of that is working with the community -- football players included.

Right now, the soda is sold on the Avery's website, as well as Stew Leonard's in Newington, Connecticut. The hope is that it finds its way to other vendors in the New England region during these playoffs.

Another reason why this collaboration was so special to those involved was about how the proceeds will go to those in need.

"A portion of every sale goes directly to underserved youth in the New England area," Aiken continued. "Pop’s been giving back to the community a ton, as everyone has seen, and we thought a unique way to build this out."

It will go towards the Covenant Schools in Bridgeport and Hartford. These schools are part of the NativityMiguel Coalition, an intiative that is close to Moore's heart.

"I volunteer at the schools," Moore said. "Both are great opportunities for students from underserved communities to break the cycle of poverty."

Behind the scenes of producing Patriots WR DeMario Douglas’ custom soda 🥤 pic.twitter.com/kSZow7EJ8i
— Ethan Hurwitz (@HurwitzSports) January 20, 2026

This isn't the first time Douglas has been seen in the New England area, helping the community he's called home for three years. Back in November, he took part in a state-wide turkey drive with various Boys and Girls Club locations ahead of Thanksgiving.

"Pop was raised by a village. We’ve been welcomed into his family and entrusted with helping manage his career and brand," Aiken said. "Pop truly cares about others nearly more than he does himself. He’s got a million dollar smile, he’s always smiling, and truly finds no better joy in helping others. He’s got a huge heart. Also, when it comes to his brand, he’s really creative. He’s a visionary, we’re here to execute and bring that vision to life."

And everyone at Avery's Soda was proud to see Douglas walk off the bus holding up his new soda, and to see it posted on the Patriots' social media pages. Moore was even happier to see that he scored the first touchdown of the game -- though he won't attribute those six points to the fizz.

"That's just his God given ability," Moore laughed.

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