Cola
Encyclopedia
Cola is a carbonated beverage
that was typically flavored by the kola nut
as well as vanilla and other flavorings, however, some colas are now flavored artificially. It became popular worldwide after druggist John Pemberton
invented Coca-Cola
in 1886. His non-alcoholic version of the recipe was inspired by the Coca Wine of pharmacist
Angelo Mariani, created in 1863; it still contained cocaine
. Coca-Cola is a major international brand, and is associated with the United States. It usually contains caramel color, caffeine
and sweeteners such as sugar or high fructose corn syrup
.
, vanilla
, and an acidic flavorant. Manufacturers of cola drinks add trace ingredients to create distinctively different tastes for each brand. Trace flavorings may include nutmeg
and a wide variety of ingredients, but the base flavorings that most people identify with a cola taste remain vanilla and cinnamon. Acidity is often provided by phosphoric acid
, sometimes accompanied by citric or other isolated acids. Many cola drink recipes are maintained as corporate trade secrets, notably Coca-Cola
.
A variety of different sweeteners may be added to cola, with the common sweetener often being dependent on local agricultural policy. High-fructose corn syrup is predominantly used in the United States and Canada
due to the lower cost of government subsidized corn. In Europe
, however, HFCS is subject to production quotas designed to encourage the production of sugar; sugar is thus typically used to sweeten sodas. In addition, stevia
or an artificial sweetener may be used; "sugar-free" or "diet" colas typically contain artificial sweeteners only.
Some consumers prefer the taste of soda manufactured with sugar. As a result of this, there is demand in the United States for imported Mexican Coca-Cola
. Kosher for Passover
Coca-Cola sold in the U.S. around the Jewish holiday also uses sucrose rather than HFCS and is also highly sought after by people who prefer the original taste. In addition, PepsiCo
occasionally markets a version of its Pepsi and Mountain Dew
sodas that are sweetened with sugar instead of HFCS. These are marketed under the name Throwback and became permanent products on the lineup.
used in colas was thought to be a possible cause.
.
s. It successfully defended the exclusive use of its name and its diminutive form "Coke" by suggesting the alternative of "cola drink" as a generic name for similar types of carbonated soft drinks. The word cola as part of the Coca-Cola trademark may have originated from the kola nut
s that were originally used as the source of caffeine.
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
that was typically flavored by the kola nut
Kola nut
Kola Nut is the nut of the kola tree, a genus of trees native to the tropical rainforests of Africa, classified in the family Malvaceae, subfamily Sterculioideae . It is related to the South American genus Theobroma, or cocoa...
as well as vanilla and other flavorings, however, some colas are now flavored artificially. It became popular worldwide after druggist John Pemberton
John Pemberton
John Stith Pemberton was a Confederate veteran and an American druggist, and is best known for being the inventor of Coca-Cola.-Early life:...
invented Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
in 1886. His non-alcoholic version of the recipe was inspired by the Coca Wine of pharmacist
Pharmacist
Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
Angelo Mariani, created in 1863; it still contained cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
. Coca-Cola is a major international brand, and is associated with the United States. It usually contains caramel color, caffeine
Caffeine
Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that acts as a stimulant drug. Caffeine is found in varying quantities in the seeds, leaves, and fruit of some plants, where it acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills certain insects feeding on the plants...
and sweeteners such as sugar or high fructose corn syrup
High fructose corn syrup
High-fructose corn syrup — also called glucose-fructose syrup in the UK, glucose/fructose in Canada, and high-fructose maize syrup in other countries — comprises any of a group of corn syrups that has undergone enzymatic processing to convert some of its glucose into fructose to produce...
.
Flavorings
Despite the name, the primary flavoring ingredients in a cola drink are sugar, citrus oils (from oranges, limes, or lemon fruit peel), cinnamonCinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods...
, vanilla
Vanilla
Vanilla is a flavoring derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla, primarily from the Mexican species, Flat-leaved Vanilla . The word vanilla derives from the Spanish word "", little pod...
, and an acidic flavorant. Manufacturers of cola drinks add trace ingredients to create distinctively different tastes for each brand. Trace flavorings may include nutmeg
Nutmeg
The nutmeg tree is any of several species of trees in genus Myristica. The most important commercial species is Myristica fragrans, an evergreen tree indigenous to the Banda Islands in the Moluccas of Indonesia...
and a wide variety of ingredients, but the base flavorings that most people identify with a cola taste remain vanilla and cinnamon. Acidity is often provided by phosphoric acid
Phosphoric acid
Phosphoric acid, also known as orthophosphoric acid or phosphoric acid, is a mineral acid having the chemical formula H3PO4. Orthophosphoric acid molecules can combine with themselves to form a variety of compounds which are also referred to as phosphoric acids, but in a more general way...
, sometimes accompanied by citric or other isolated acids. Many cola drink recipes are maintained as corporate trade secrets, notably Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola formula
The Coca-Cola formula is The Coca-Cola Company's secret recipe for Coca-Cola. As a publicity, marketing, and intellectual property protection strategy started by Robert W...
.
A variety of different sweeteners may be added to cola, with the common sweetener often being dependent on local agricultural policy. High-fructose corn syrup is predominantly used in the United States and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
due to the lower cost of government subsidized corn. In Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, however, HFCS is subject to production quotas designed to encourage the production of sugar; sugar is thus typically used to sweeten sodas. In addition, stevia
Stevia
Stevia is a genus of about 240 species of herbs and shrubs in the sunflower family , native to subtropical and tropical regions from western North America to South America. The species Stevia rebaudiana, commonly known as sweetleaf, sweet leaf, sugarleaf, or simply stevia, is widely grown for its...
or an artificial sweetener may be used; "sugar-free" or "diet" colas typically contain artificial sweeteners only.
Some consumers prefer the taste of soda manufactured with sugar. As a result of this, there is demand in the United States for imported Mexican Coca-Cola
Mexican Coke
Mexican Coke is Coca-Cola that is made and bottled in Mexico in a thick glass bottle. Although intended for consumption in Mexico, Mexican Coke has become very popular in the United States because of a flavor that Mexican Coke fans call "a lot more natural tasting." This "more natural" taste can...
. Kosher for Passover
Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
Coca-Cola sold in the U.S. around the Jewish holiday also uses sucrose rather than HFCS and is also highly sought after by people who prefer the original taste. In addition, PepsiCo
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
occasionally markets a version of its Pepsi and Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew is a citrus-flavored carbonated soft drink brand produced and owned by PepsiCo. The original formula was invented in the 1940s by Tennessee beverage bottlers Barney and Ally Hartman and was first marketed in Marion, VA, Knoxville and Johnson City, Tennessee. A revised formula was...
sodas that are sweetened with sugar instead of HFCS. These are marketed under the name Throwback and became permanent products on the lineup.
Health
A 2007 study found that consumption of colas, both those with natural sweetening and those with artificial sweetening, was associated with increased risk of chronic kidney disease. The phosphoric acidPhosphoric acid
Phosphoric acid, also known as orthophosphoric acid or phosphoric acid, is a mineral acid having the chemical formula H3PO4. Orthophosphoric acid molecules can combine with themselves to form a variety of compounds which are also referred to as phosphoric acids, but in a more general way...
used in colas was thought to be a possible cause.
Brands
The cola brands with the greatest global volumes are Coca-Cola and PepsiPepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
.
Asia
- Mecca Cola, is sold in the Middle EastMiddle EastThe Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, parts of Europe and North Africa. - RC Cola was popular in the PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. RC was introduced to IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in 1995 with the slogan "RC: Just like in America!" It is now available in Bangladesh. - Campa ColaCampa ColaCampa Cola is a soft drink brand in India. It was a market leader in most regions of India for a period spanning several years until the advent of the foreign players Pepsi and Coca-Cola after the liberalisation policy of the P. V. Narasimha Rao Government in 1991.Campa Cola was a drink created by...
was India's most popular brand prior to the introduction of Pepsi and Coca-Cola to the Indian market in 1991. - Zam Zam ColaZam Zam ColaZam Zam Cola is a cola-flavoured soft drink produced in Iran by Zamzam Soft Drink Mfg. Co.It is particularly popular in Iran and parts of the Arab World, having gained a cult status there as a Muslim alternative to "Western" products such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi...
, popular in Iran and parts of the Arab world. - Parsi ColaParsi ColaParsi Cola is a cola-flavoured soft drink produced in Iran. It is popular in parts of the Middle East, where people both enjoy soft drinks and appreciate alternatives to U.S. brands such as Pepsi and Coca-Cola for political reasons. In Iran it is the main competitor to Zam Zam Cola....
, popular in Iran. - Red Bull ColaRed Bull ColaRed Bull Cola is a beverage from Red Bull GmbH, makers of the energy drink Red Bull. The cola, which contains natural flavoring and caffeine, was introduced in 2008 in several countries.- Ingredients :...
, popular in Thailand. - Topsia Cola, popular in Iran.
- Cola TurkaCola TurkaCola Turka is a cola brand from Turkish company Ülker that is also sold in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Denmark.The two television commercials feature American actor Chevy Chase playing a confused American who notices his friend, wearing a stereotypically American cowboy...
is a local brand in Turkey. - KIK cola, popular in Sri Lanka
Europe
- Afri-ColaAfri-ColaAfri-Cola is a cola soft drink produced in Germany. The trademark Afri-Cola was registered in 1931 by the company F. Blumhoffer Nachfolger GmbH. The same company also produced Bluna, an orange soft drink. Today the brand belongs to the Mineralbrunnen Überkingen-Teinach AG...
, a GermanGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
brand, had a higher caffeine content (about 250 mg/L) until the product was relaunched with a new formulation in 1999. It was relaunched a second time in April 2006 with the original formulation with the higher caffeine content. - Barr ColaBarr ColaBarr Cola, is a cola in Scotland, made from kola nuts.It is manufactured by the A.G. Barr plc company, makers of Irn-Bru. Barr Cola, like Irn-Bru, is most popular in Scotland...
made by A.G. BarrA.G. BarrA.G. Barr plc or commonly known as Barr's is a British soft drinks manufacturer, based in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is particularly notable for the manufacture of the popular Scottish drink, Irn-Bru. A.G. Barr is the largest manufacturer of soft drinks in the United Kingdom...
(the makers of the popular Irn Bru drink) in the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. - Breizh ColaBreizh ColaBreizh Cola, "the cola of Brittany", is bottled by Phare Ouest. It is one of many new types of alternate cola, or "altercola," competing with more established and widespread brands such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola...
is a local brand from BrittanyBrittanyBrittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
(FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) it offers different and unique flavors like a cloves aroma, bottled in an original ciderCiderCider or cyder is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% abv to 8.5% abv or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany and America, cider may be termed "apple wine"...
bottle. - Cola Cola — AlbaniaAlbaniaAlbania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
- CocktaCocktaCockta is a soft drink from Slovenia.Its main ingredient comes from the dog rose hip. The other ingredients come from 11 different herbs, lemon and orange. It contains neither caffeine nor orthophosphoric acid.-Origins:...
is a local brand from former Yugoslavia, originally produced by Slovenijavino company from Slovenia (then part of a Yugoslavia). A couple of years ago it was bought by Droga Kolinska, a Croatian company. It is still popular in former Yugoslav republics, especially in SloveniaSloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
and CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. It does not contain any caffeine. - Cuba ColaCuba ColaCuba Cola is a cola-flavoured soft drink produced in Sweden, bottled by Saturnus AB. It was introduced to the market in 1953 soon after cola drinks had become legal in Sweden, beating Coca-Cola by three months...
is the native cola of SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. - Irish Cola is a local brand in Ireland.
- In DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, the native Jolly ColaJolly ColaJolly Cola is an original Danish soft drink dating back to 1959. Jolly Cola is now produced by the Danish brewery ‘Vestfyen’, which also produces Jolly Light, the sports drink Jolly Time and Jolly Orange. Up until the 1980s, Jolly Cola had a market share of about 40% of the Danish cola market...
was more popular than Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola during the 1960s and 70s. - fritz-kola is a cola soft drink from HamburgHamburg-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Germany. It uses the highest possible concentration of caffeine for beverages allowed by German law (25 mg / 100ml) and is available in most of Germany, as well as parts of western and central Europe. - KofolaKofolaKofola is a carbonated soft drink produced in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It is the principal rival of Coca-Cola and Pepsi in these two markets.- History :...
is the third best selling soft-drink in CzechCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and SlovakSlovakiaThe Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, behind Coca-Cola and Pepsi. - Polo-CocktaPolo-CocktaPolo-Cockta is a Polish Coca-Cola-like drink introduced in the 1970s. Polo-Cockta was introduced as a substitute for the original Coca-Cola, which was unavailable in Polish shops due to limited import from the USA to the Eastern European countries.Polo-Cockta was discontinued during the 1980s, but...
, a PolishPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
brand. - Red Bull ColaRed Bull ColaRed Bull Cola is a beverage from Red Bull GmbH, makers of the energy drink Red Bull. The cola, which contains natural flavoring and caffeine, was introduced in 2008 in several countries.- Ingredients :...
has been available throughout Europe since 2008. - Ubuntu ColaUbuntu ColaUbuntu Cola is a soft drink certified by The Fairtrade Foundation. Made with Fairtrade sugar from Malawi and Zambia, Ubuntu Cola is the first UK cola to be Fairtrade certified...
is a fairtrade cola from the United Kingdom available in parts of Western EuropeWestern EuropeWestern Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
. - Virgin ColaVirgin ColaVirgin Cola is a carbonated cola soft drink produced by Silver Spring and part of the Virgin Group. It was launched in 1994.- History :Virgin Cola was set up during the early 1990s in conjunction with Cott, a Canadian company that specialises in bottling own-label drinks...
was popular in the South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and Western Europe in the 1990s but has waned in availability. - Vita-ColaVita-ColaVita Cola is a cola beverage produced in Germany. It started out in the German Democratic Republic. Introduced in 1957, it was advertised as Brauselimonade mit Frucht- und Kräutergeschmack , using a formula that is still kept secret...
is a German cola brand with a distinct citrus flavor; nowadays it is mostly sold in eastern Germany. - Kletta Gos Cola — IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
- Corsica ColaCorsica ColaCorsica Cola is a regional cola distributed by the corsican brewery Pietra but produced in Cholet in western France.Corsica Cola benefited from an unexpected kick start during its launch in May 2003: a heat wave. The stock was exhausted in two months. On the 31 December 2003 in Corsica alone, the...
is a regional cola distributed by the Corsican brewery Pietra. - RC Cola — now sold in the United Kingdom.
North America
- Royal CrownR.C. ColaRC Cola is a soft drink developed in 1905 by Claude A. Hatcher, a pharmacist in Columbus, Georgia, United States.- History :...
(RC Cola) is widely available in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. - Big Cola (Big Cola) made by Peruvian transnational AjegroupAjegroupAJEGROUP is a Peruvian company dedicated to the manufacture, distribution and sale of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. The company was started by the Añaños Family in Ayacucho, Peru and now is headquartered in Mexico. It is known for its flagship products Kola Real and Big Cola...
and is sold in the northern parts of Mexico. - CottCottThe Cott Corporation is a leading supplier of private label carbonated soft drinks distributing to Canada, the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Europe. In addition to producing many private-label beverages for retailers, Cott also has a large and growing portfolio of its own brands...
produces many house brand beverages as well as its own line of products, most notably its Black Cherry cola. - tuKolaTuKolatuKola is a cola brand produced and marketed by Cerveceria Bucanero in Cuba. It is also sold in Italy....
and Tropicola are brands from CubaCubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
(also sold widely in Italy) - FentimansFentimans- History :Thomas Fentiman, an iron worker from West Yorkshire, acquired a recipe for botanically brewed ginger beer in 1905 when a fellow tradesman approached Fentiman for a loan but never repaid it. The firm became a door-to-door ginger beer sales company. During the mid-1960s the company ran...
Curiosity Cola, originating from the United Kingdom in 1905, is now sold across Europe and North America. - Jones SodaJones SodaJones Soda Co. is a beverage company based in Pioneer Square, Seattle, Washington. It bottles and distributes soft drinks, non-carbonated beverages, energy drinks, and candy. Jones Soda is a carbonated soft drink that has many unusual flavors that are not offered by other soft drink makers.Founded...
also makes a cola, using cane sugar. - Jolt ColaJolt ColaJolt Cola was a carbonated soft drink produced by Wet Planet Beverages. It was created in 1985 by C. J. Rapp as a highly caffeinated cola. It is targeted towards students and young professionals, stressing its use as a stimulant in a similar manner as energy drinks...
is sold by Wet Planet BeveragesWet Planet BeveragesWet Planet Beverages, of Pittsford, New York is the company which produces Jolt Cola, Napa Valley Soda, Thornwood Estates, Autumn frost, and DNA . They are also a distributor for Martinelli's Sparkling Cider....
, of Rochester, New York. Originally, the slogan was "All the sugar and twice the caffeine." It dropped the slogan when it switched from cane sugar to high fructose corn syrupHigh fructose corn syrupHigh-fructose corn syrup — also called glucose-fructose syrup in the UK, glucose/fructose in Canada, and high-fructose maize syrup in other countries — comprises any of a group of corn syrups that has undergone enzymatic processing to convert some of its glucose into fructose to produce...
. - Johnnie Ryan is a regional cola bottled in Niagara Falls, New York. Established in 1935, it makes it with 100% cane sugar and also sells 22 other flavors.
- Polar BeveragesPolar BeveragesPolar Beverages is a fourth-generation, family-owned business that traces its roots back to 1882 and is based in Worcester, Massachusetts. The company is currently run by Ralph Crowley, Jr., the great-grandson of founder Dennis M. Crowley...
of Worcester, Ma produces its own brand of cola under the Polar name - Red Bull ColaRed Bull ColaRed Bull Cola is a beverage from Red Bull GmbH, makers of the energy drink Red Bull. The cola, which contains natural flavoring and caffeine, was introduced in 2008 in several countries.- Ingredients :...
has been available in the United States since 2008 - FaygoFaygoFaygo or Faygo Pop is a soft drink brand headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. It is distributed in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Central Southern regions of the United States...
Cola is a soft drinkSoft drinkA soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
distributed in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Central Southern regions of the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. FaygoFaygoFaygo or Faygo Pop is a soft drink brand headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. It is distributed in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Central Southern regions of the United States...
Cola can be found throughout CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Cola being one of more than fifty flavors.
South America
- Big Cola: a cola produced by Peruvian company AjegroupAjegroupAJEGROUP is a Peruvian company dedicated to the manufacture, distribution and sale of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. The company was started by the Añaños Family in Ayacucho, Peru and now is headquartered in Mexico. It is known for its flagship products Kola Real and Big Cola...
which operates in 14 countries including South America. - Coca-ColaCoca-ColaCoca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
: produced in Peru by Corporación José R. Lindley S.A.Corporación José R. Lindley S.A.Corporación José R. Lindley S.A. is a 100-year-old Peruvian company, listed on the Lima Stock Exchange as CORLINI1, involved in the manufacturing, distribution and marketing of nonalcoholic beverages and the official bottler and distributor of all Coca-Cola products in Peru...
and distributed in the same channels as Inca KolaInca KolaInca Kola is a soft drink created in Peru in 1935 by British immigrant José Robinson Lindleyhttp://www.urosario.edu.co/urosario_files/12/12e72337-b358-45ac-9228-bb9ba34ffa2c.pdf...
. - Kola RealKola RealKola Real is a Peruvian soft drink. Kola Real is one of the most popular brands of Ajegroup, a leader in the Latin American beverage market. Started in Peru on June 23, 1988 in the middle of a coup d'état, the company has grown and expanded not only in Peru, but also in Cuba, Ecuador, Dominican...
: a cola created in Peru to compete with Coca-Cola produced by Peruvian company AjegroupAjegroupAJEGROUP is a Peruvian company dedicated to the manufacture, distribution and sale of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. The company was started by the Añaños Family in Ayacucho, Peru and now is headquartered in Mexico. It is known for its flagship products Kola Real and Big Cola...
. - Inca KolaInca KolaInca Kola is a soft drink created in Peru in 1935 by British immigrant José Robinson Lindleyhttp://www.urosario.edu.co/urosario_files/12/12e72337-b358-45ac-9228-bb9ba34ffa2c.pdf...
: not a cola. (In Peru and much of Spanish-speaking South America, "Kola" with a "K" is the generic term used for any flavor of carbonated soft drink, not only colas.) The Peruvian soft drink brand is marketed in many countries by the Coca Cola groupThe Coca-Cola CompanyThe Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation and manufacturer, retailer and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups. The company is best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola, invented in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in Columbus, Georgia...
. It is the number one selling soft drink in Peru outselling Coca-Cola nationwide. This bright yellow bubblegum-flavored carbonated beverage is especially popular in Peru, once the heartland of the Inca Empire, but Inca Kola also sells well in surrounding countries. In 2000, Coca-Cola bought 49 percent of Corporación José R. Lindley S.A.Corporación José R. Lindley S.A.Corporación José R. Lindley S.A. is a 100-year-old Peruvian company, listed on the Lima Stock Exchange as CORLINI1, involved in the manufacturing, distribution and marketing of nonalcoholic beverages and the official bottler and distributor of all Coca-Cola products in Peru...
, the creator and producer of Inca Kola, securing the worldwide distribution rights to Inca Kola as part of the agreement. - Pepsi Cola is produced by AmBevAmBevAmbev formally Companhia de Bebidas das Américas is a subsidiary of global brewing company Anheuser-Busch InBev and is the biggest brewery in South America and the fifth in the world...
(a Brazilian company owned by Anheuser-Busch InBevAnheuser-Busch InBevAnheuser-Busch InBev N.V. is a Belgian-Brazilian publicly-traded company, based in Leuven, Belgium. It is the largest global brewer with nearly 25% global market share and one of the world's top five consumer products companies by EBITA....
), the largest bottler of Pepsi Cola outside the United States. In Peru, Pepsi is bottled and distributed by Pepsico Inc Sucursal Del Peru - Perú ColaPerú ColaPerú Cola is a Peruvian range of soft drinks. Perú Cola is a brand of the Embotelladora Don Jorge S.A.C. company, a former bottler of Coca-Cola and later Inca Kola products. Perú Cola was introduced in Peru in 2002 after the take-over of Inca Kola by the Coca-Cola Company...
: created by Peruvian bottler Embotelladora Don Jorge S.A.C.Embotelladora Don Jorge S.A.C.Embotelladora Don Jorge S.A.C. is a corporation involved in the manufacturing, distribution and marketing of nonalcoholic and alcoholic beverages based in Lima, Peru. Its headquarters are located in the San Miguel District, Lima.-History:...
to compete with Coca-Cola and Kola Real. - RC Cola: produced and marketed by Colombian bottler Embotelladora Latinoamericana S.A. (ELSA)
- Schin Cola is a variety of cola produced in Brazil by Primo SchincariolPrimo SchincariolPrimo Schincariol is a South American brewery and beverage maker based in Brazil. In 2004, Schincariol became the largest Brazilian fully owned brewery, gaining this title after AmBev merged with the Belgian Interbrew, becoming InBev. Currenty, AB-Inbev is a Brazilian-Belgian owned company...
. - ShipShipSince the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
: produced and marketed by Colombian bottler Embotelladora Latinoamericana S.A. (ELSA)
Oceania
- Kiwi Cola is a cola produced under the WAI-KAWA brand in New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and contains a Kawakawa leafKawakawa (tree)Kawakawa, Macropiper excelsum, is a small tree of which the subspecies M. excelsum subsp. excelsum is endemic to New Zealand; the subspecies M. excelsum subsp...
infusion.
Etymology
The word cola may have been introduced into mainstream culture by the major producer Coca-Cola, as it saw its trademark slipping into common use, like other genericized trademarkGenericized trademark
A genericized trademark is a trademark or brand name that has become the colloquial or generic description for, or synonymous with, a general class of product or service, rather than as an indicator of source or affiliation as intended by the trademark's holder...
s. It successfully defended the exclusive use of its name and its diminutive form "Coke" by suggesting the alternative of "cola drink" as a generic name for similar types of carbonated soft drinks. The word cola as part of the Coca-Cola trademark may have originated from the kola nut
Kola nut
Kola Nut is the nut of the kola tree, a genus of trees native to the tropical rainforests of Africa, classified in the family Malvaceae, subfamily Sterculioideae . It is related to the South American genus Theobroma, or cocoa...
s that were originally used as the source of caffeine.
External links
- Cola and Mentos mints trick
- OpenCola recipe (originally published by Cory DoctorowCory DoctorowCory Efram Doctorow is a Canadian-British blogger, journalist, and science fiction author who serves as co-editor of the blog Boing Boing. He is an activist in favour of liberalising copyright laws and a proponent of the Creative Commons organization, using some of their licences for his books...
) - Straight Dope article about caffeine levels on soft drinks