A sparkling new era for time-tested Polar

WORCESTER — Ralph Crowley doesn’t have any idea what a unicorn kiss is, but he’s hoping it tastes something like success.

As the chief executive of Polar Beverages, the 134-year-old bottling company in Worcester, he’s spent the past decade watching as consumer tastes have shifted from syrupy sodas to lighter, calorie-free carbonated drinks. Americans’ newfound obsession with seltzer has led to unprecedented growth for Polar, five generations after it was founded by the Crowley family.

It’s also led to something stranger: cachet. When Polar unveils new flavors several times a year, its devotees swarm grocery stores and post pictures of themselves cradling armfuls of bottles using the hashtag #blessed.