Ruffles Introduces Beer-Battered Onion Ring Flavored Potato Chips Offering Guys the Ultimate Party Snack

PLANO, Texas, Feb. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting today, Ruffles, one of the flagship brands from PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division, is bringing guys the awesome flavor and delicious crunch of one of their favorite snack foods — beer-battered onion rings — to a potato chip. With the introduction of Ruffles MAX Beer-Battered Onion Ring flavored potato chips, guys can now load up on all of that crunchy, onion-y-flavored goodness they'd find at a bar or tailgate party with a snack designed to fuel any gathering.

Tapping into a hot trend and just in time for the sports and party season, Ruffles MAX Beer-Battered Onion Ring flavored potato chips speak to the now-iconic American bar food. According to CNN's Eatocracy food blog, onion rings rank second only to their French-fried potato cousins in popularity. In other circles, the onion ring has gained more popularity than some of our favorite pop-culture icons, humorously showcased in social media memes across the web.

"Guys live for those moments when they're hanging out together at a bar, diner or tailgate party trading epic stories and munching on their favorite snacks," explained Tony Matta, vice president of marketing, Frito-Lay North America. "Onion rings are one of those staple guy-get-together foods. We wanted to incorporate that flavor for guys to share for any impromptu gathering — just grab a bag off the shelf and throw a party with your crew."

The Ruffles brand is going all out for guys as the calendar shifts from the quiet of winter to the party atmosphere of spring. College basketball is at its apex, Spring Break trips are underway, and the shenanigans of St. Patty's Day are upon us. Ruffles MAX Beer-Battered Onion Ring flavored potato chips offer a truly unapologetic snack experience that satisfies man hunger at just about any time.

Ruffles originally introduced onion-ring flavored potato chips in late 2011 in limited distribution, but Ruffles MAX Beer-Battered Onion Rings now fall under the brand's MAX line, which includes flavors inspired by real-foods guys love with the maximum taste guys want. The snack is available for a limited-time nationwide where Ruffles chips are sold.

Ruffles MAX Beer-Battered Onion Rings are offered in two sizes: a 2.5-oz. bag for a suggested retail price of $1.49; and an 8-oz. bag for a suggested retail price of $4.29.

About Ruffles Potato Chips
Ruffles Potato Chips is one of the many brands that make up Frito-Lay North America, the $13 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY.  Learn more about Ruffles at http://www.facebook.com/ruffles and Frito-Lay at the corporate website, http://www.fritolay.com, the Snack Chat blog, http://www.snacks.com/ and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fritolay.

About PepsiCo
PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $65 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola – make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world. PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages for local tastes; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment by conserving energy and water and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.                                           

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SOURCE Frito-Lay North America