Walk into any grocery store and you’ll see it. That little "57" is tucked away on the neck of the glass bottle or centered on the plastic squeeze packs. Honestly, it's one of those things we just accept, like the fact that the sky is blue or that your shoelaces always come untied at the worst possible moment. Most people assume there are 57 actual types of ketchup. Or maybe 57 ingredients?
Neither.
The truth is that the number was basically pulled out of thin air by a guy who knew how to sell pickles better than anyone else in history. H.J. Heinz didn't have 57 varieties when he coined the phrase, and he certainly wasn't counting. It was a marketing stunt that worked so well it outlived the man who invented it by over a century.
The Train Ride That Changed Ketchup
In 1896, Henry John Heinz was riding an elevated train in New York City. He was already a successful businessman—the "Pickle King" of Pittsburgh—but he was always looking for that next big hook. As the train rattled along, he spotted an advertisement for a shoe company. It bragged about having "21 styles" of shoes.
For some reason, that specific number stuck in his brain.
Heinz realized that a specific number gave a brand a sense of "completeness" and authority. If a shoe store had 21 styles, they weren't just selling shoes; they were experts in footwear. He wanted that same vibe for his condiments. He started counting up his own products in his head.
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Horseradish? Check.
Pickles? Obviously.
Apple butter, chili sauce, vinegar? Yep.
By the time he was done counting, he was already well past 60 different products. But "62 Varieties" didn't have a ring to it. "57," on the other hand, felt magical. Heinz later said that "5" was his lucky number and "7" was his wife Sarah’s favorite. He slapped them together and decided "57 Varieties" was the winner.
It was never about math. It was about psychological influence.
Why 57 Still Matters in 2026
You might think a hundred-year-old slogan would be retired by now. Most companies rebrand every five minutes to keep up with TikTok trends. But Heinz stuck to their guns. Today, the company produces way more than 57 items—we’re talking thousands of products globally.
The number has transitioned from a literal claim to a brand icon. It’s so embedded in our culture that it has its own slang. You’ve probably heard someone call a mixed-breed dog a "Heinz 57." It’s a polite way of saying the pup is a little bit of everything.
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The Secret "Tap" Spot
If you’re still using the glass bottles (the superior way to eat ketchup, let’s be real), that "57" serves a functional purpose. Have you ever been that person at the diner, frantically thumping the bottom of the bottle while everyone watches your fries get cold? You're doing it wrong.
The 57 embossed on the glass neck is the "sweet spot."
If you give the bottle a firm tap right on that number, it creates a vibration that helps the non-Newtonian fluid (that’s the fancy science term for ketchup) flow out at its regulated speed of .028 miles per hour. Heinz actually designed the bottle so that the number acts as a target for frustrated diners. It’s a bit of engineering hidden in plain sight.
What Was Actually in the Original 57?
Back in the early 1900s, the list looked a lot different than it does now. We think of Heinz as the ketchup company, but Henry Heinz actually started with horseradish. He hated how other companies sold horseradish in brown bottles to hide the "fillers" (like wood shavings—yikes) they used. Heinz sold his in clear glass to prove it was pure.
Some of the original varieties included:
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- India Relish: A spicy, sweet mix that was huge in the Victorian era.
- Peach Butter: Not something you see on many shelves today.
- Mincemeat: A holiday staple that has mostly fallen out of fashion.
- Celery Soup: Before tomato soup took over the world.
By the 1930s, the company actually tried to list out exactly 57 products to match the slogan because people were getting curious. They included things like peanut butter and olives just to hit the number. It was a bit of a stretch, but it kept the brand's story consistent.
The Marketing Genius of Henry Heinz
The guy was a bit of a wildcard. Long before "experiential marketing" was a buzzword, Heinz was doing it. At the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, his booth was stuck on the second floor where nobody wanted to go.
Did he give up? No.
He hired boys to scatter little gold-colored tickets all over the fairgrounds. If you brought a ticket to his booth, you got a free "pickle pin." It was a tiny green plastic pickle you could wear on your lapel. It was the first "viral" giveaway in American history. People went nuts for them. He ended up giving away over a million pins and turned his "bad" location into the most crowded spot at the fair.
That same energy is why "57 Varieties" is still on your table. He understood that people don't buy products; they buy stories. He sold the idea that Heinz was the brand of endless choice and absolute purity.
Putting the Legend to Use
Next time you're sitting at a restaurant and the ketchup won't budge, don't take it out on the base of the bottle. Look for the 57. It’s a tribute to a lucky number, a dead wife, and a shoe advertisement from the 19th century.
Actionable Insight:
The next time you’re struggling with a glass ketchup bottle, hold it at a 45-degree angle and tap the embossed "57" on the neck with the side of your hand. It works significantly better than hitting the bottom, which usually results in either nothing or a giant red explosion on your shirt. If you're interested in the history of other grocery staples, check out the archives of the Senator John Heinz History Center—they have the original bottles and marketing materials that prove how a simple number became a global empire.