Cola is a

carbonated Carbonation is the chemical reaction of carbon dioxide to give carbonates, bicarbonates, and carbonic acid. In chemistry, the term is sometimes used in place of carboxylation, which refers to the formation of carboxylic acids. In inorganic ...

soft drink flavored with

vanilla Vanilla is a spice derived from orchids of the genus ''Vanilla (genus), Vanilla'', primarily obtained from pods of the Mexican species, flat-leaved vanilla (''Vanilla planifolia, V. planifolia''). Pollination is required to make the p ...

cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus '' Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, brea ...

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is nati ...

oils An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturat ...

and other flavorings. Cola became popular worldwide after the American pharmacist

John Stith Pemberton John Stith Pemberton (July 8, 1831 – August 16, 1888) was an American pharmacist and Confederate States Army veteran who is best known as the inventor of Coca-Cola. In May 1886, he developed an early version of a beverage that would later bec ...

invented

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atla ...

, a trademarked brand, in 1886, which was imitated by other manufacturers. Most colas contain

caffeine Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine class. It is mainly used recreationally as a cognitive enhancer, increasing alertness and attentional performance. Caffeine acts by blocking binding of adenosine t ...

originally from the

kola nut The term kola nut usually refers to the seeds of certain species of plant of the genus ''Cola'', placed formerly in the cocoa family Sterculiaceae and now usually subsumed in the mallow family Malvaceae (as subfamily Sterculioideae). These cola ...

, leading to the drink's name, though other sources have since been used. The Pemberton cola drink also contained a coca plant extract. His

non-alcoholic An alcohol-free or non-alcoholic drink, also known as a temperance drink, is a version of an alcoholic drink made without alcohol, or with the alcohol removed or reduced to almost zero. These may take the form of a non-alcoholic mixed drink (a "v ...

recipe A recipe is a set of instructions that describes how to prepare or make something, especially a dish of prepared food. A sub-recipe or subrecipe is a recipe for an ingredient that will be called for in the instructions for the main recipe. Hist ...

was inspired by the

coca wine Coca wine is an alcoholic beverage combining wine with cocaine. One popular brand was '' Vin Mariani'', developed in 1863 by French-Corsican chemist and entrepreneur Angelo Mariani. At the end of the 19th century, the fear of drug abuse made co ...

of pharmacist Angelo Mariani, created in 1863. Most modern colas have a dark

caramel color Caramel color or caramel coloring is a water-soluble food coloring. It is made by heat treatment of carbohydrates (sugars), in general in the presence of acids, alkalis, or salts, in a process called caramelization. It is more fully oxidized than ...

, and are sweetened with sugar and/or

high-fructose corn syrup High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), also known as glucose–fructose, isoglucose and glucose–fructose syrup, is a sweetener made from corn starch. As in the production of conventional corn syrup, the starch is broken down into glucose by en ...

. They come in numerous different

brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create a ...

s. with Coca-Cola and

Pepsi Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961. History Pepsi was ...

being among the most popular. These two companies have been competing since the 1890s, a rivalry that has intensified since the 1980s.

Flavorings

The primary modern flavorings in a cola drink are

(from

orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower * Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum ...

lime Lime commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Botany ...

, and

lemon The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culin ...

peels),

, and an acidic flavorant. Manufacturers of cola drinks add trace flavorings to create distinctive tastes for each brand. Trace flavorings may include a wide variety of ingredients, such as spices like

nutmeg Nutmeg is the seed or ground spice of several species of the genus '' Myristica''. '' Myristica fragrans'' (fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg) is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fruit: nutmeg, from its seed, ...

coriander Coriander (;

. Acidity is often provided by

phosphoric acid Phosphoric acid (orthophosphoric acid, monophosphoric acid or phosphoric(V) acid) is a colorless, odorless phosphorus-containing solid, and inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is commonly encountered as an 85% aqueous solutio ...

, sometimes accompanied by citric or other isolated acids. Coca-Cola's recipe is maintained as a corporate

trade secret Trade secrets are a type of intellectual property that includes formulas, practices, processes, designs, instruments, patterns, or compilations of information that have inherent economic value because they are not generally known or readily a ...

. A variety of different sweeteners may be used in cola, often influenced by local agricultural policy.

High-fructose corn syrup High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), also known as glucose–fructose, isoglucose and glucose–fructose syrup, is a sweetener made from corn starch. As in the production of conventional corn syrup, the starch is broken down into glucose by en ...

(HFCS) is predominantly used in the United States and Canada due to the lower cost of government-subsidized

corn Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn ( North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. ...

. In Europe, however, HFCS is subject to production quotas designed to encourage the production of sugar; sugar is thus preferentially used to sweeten sodas. In addition,

stevia Stevia () is a natural sweetener and sugar substitute derived from the leaves of the plant species '' Stevia rebaudiana'', native to Paraguay and Brazil. The active compounds are steviol glycosides (mainly stevioside and rebaudioside), wh ...

or an

artificial sweetener A sugar substitute is a food additive that provides a sweetness like that of sugar while containing significantly less food energy than sugar-based sweeteners, making it a zero-calorie () or low-calorie sweetener. Artificial sweeteners may ...

may be used; "sugar-free" or "diet" colas typically contain artificial sweeteners only. In Japan, there is a burgeoning craft cola industry, with small-scale local production methods and highly unique cola recipes using locally-sourced fruits, herbs and spices.

Clear cola

In the 1940s, Coca-Cola produced

White Coke White Coke ( rus, Бесцветная кока-кола, r=Bestsvetnaya koka-kola, "colorless Coca-Cola") was a clear variant of Coca-Cola produced in the 1940s at the request of Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov. Like other clear ...

at the request of

Marshal of the Soviet Union Marshal of the Soviet Union (russian: Маршал Советского Союза, Marshal sovetskogo soyuza, ) was the highest military rank of the Soviet Union. The rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union was created in 1935 and abolished in 19 ...

Georgy Zhukov Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov ( rus, Георгий Константинович Жуков, p=ɡʲɪˈorɡʲɪj kənstɐnʲˈtʲinəvʲɪtɕ ˈʐukəf, a=Ru-Георгий_Константинович_Жуков.ogg; 1 December 1896 – ...

. Clear colas were again produced during the

Clear Craze The clear craze was a marketing fad from the late 1980s to early 2000s, often equating transparency with purity. Inspired by Ivory's "99 and 44/100 percent pure" campaign for bath soap, and by low-calorie or "light" beverages, sodas were redesig ...

of the early 1990s. Brands included

Crystal Pepsi Crystal Pepsi is a clear cola soft drink made by PepsiCo. It was initially released in the United States and Canada from 1992 to 1994. Online grassroots revival efforts prompted brief re-releases throughout the mid-2010s. It was briefly sold in ...

Tab Clear Tab Clear was a variation of Tab. It is Coca-Cola's contribution to the short-lived "clear cola" movement during the early 1990s. It was introduced in the United States on December 14, 1992,

, and 7 Up Ice Cola. Crystal Pepsi has been repeatedly reintroduced in the 2010s. In Denmark, a popular clear cola was made by the

Cooperative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-contro ...

FDB in 1976. It was especially known for being the "Hippie Cola" because of the focus of the harmful effects the

color additive Food coloring, or color additive, is any dye, pigment, or substance that imparts color when it is added to food or drink. They come in many forms consisting of Liquid, liquids, powder (substance), powders, gels, and paste (food), pastes. Food c ...

could have on children and the boycott of multinational brands. It was inspired by a campaign on harmful additives in Denmark by the Environmental-Organisation NOAH, an independent Danish division of

Friends of the Earth Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) is an international network of environmental organizations in 73 countries. The organization was founded in 1969 in San Francisco by David Brower, Donald Aitken and Gary Soucie after Brower's split wi ...

. This was followed up with a variety of sodas without artificial coloring. Today many organic colas are available in Denmark, but, for nostalgic reasons, clear cola has still maintained its popularity to a certain degree. In June 2018, Coca-Cola introduced Coca-Cola Clear in Japan.

Health effects

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

used in colas was thought to be a possible cause. One 2005 study indicated soda and sweetened drinks are the main source of calories in the American diet and that of those who drink more sweetened drinks, obesity rates were higher. Most nutritionists advise that Coca-Cola and other soft drinks can be harmful if consumed excessively, particularly to young children whose soft drink consumption competes with, rather than complements, a balanced diet. Studies have shown that regular soft drink users have a lower intake of

calcium Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar t ...

magnesium Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 of the periodic ...

vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits and vegetables, also sold as a dietary supplement and as a topical 'serum' ingredient to treat melasma (dark pigment spots) a ...

riboflavin Riboflavin, also known as vitamin B2, is a vitamin found in food and sold as a dietary supplement. It is essential to the formation of two major coenzymes, flavin mononucleotide and flavin adenine dinucleotide. These coenzymes are involved in e ...

, and

vitamin A Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin and an essential nutrient for humans. It is a group of organic compounds that includes retinol, retinal (also known as retinaldehyde), retinoic acid, and several provitamin A carotenoids (most notably ...

. The drink has also aroused criticism for its use of

, which can cause

physical dependence Physical dependence is a physical condition caused by chronic use of a tolerance-forming drug, in which abrupt or gradual drug withdrawal causes unpleasant physical symptoms. Physical dependence can develop from low-dose therapeutic use of certain ...

(

caffeine dependence Caffeine dependence is the condition of having a substance dependence on caffeine, a commonplace central nervous system stimulant drug which occurs naturally in coffee, tea, yerba mate, cocoa, and other plants. Caffeine is also one of the most co ...

), and can reduce sleep quality. A link has been shown between long-term regular cola intake and osteoporosis in older women (but not men). This was thought to be due to the presence of phosphoric acid, and the risk for women was found to be greater for sugared and caffeinated colas than diet and decaffeinated variants, with a higher intake of cola correlating with lower bone density. Many soft drinks in North America are sweetened mostly or entirely with

, rather than sugar. Some nutritionists caution against consumption of

corn syrup Corn syrup is a food syrup which is made from the starch of corn (called maize in many countries) and contains varying amounts of sugars: glucose, maltose and higher oligosaccharides, depending on the grade. Corn syrup is used in foods to soften ...

because it may aggravate

obesity Obesity is a medical condition, sometimes considered a disease, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it may negatively affect health. People are classified as obese when their body mass index (BMI)—a person's ...

and

type-2 diabetes Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, is a form of diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. Common symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urination, ...

more than cane sugar.

Regional brands

Asia

*Air Koryo Cocoa Honeydew, a 'Coca Cola-style product' manufactured by the national airline in North Korea * Amrat Cola, popular in Pakistan * Big /Real/Royal Cola, popular in Indonesia, Thailand, Nigeria and throughout South America *Bovonto, popular in

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the States and union territories of India, Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and T ...

Campa Cola Campa Cola is a soft drink brand in India. It was a market leader in the Indian soft drink market in the 1970s and 1980s in most regions of India until the advent of the foreign players Pepsi and Coca-Cola after the liberalisation policy of the ...

, India's most popular brand prior to the reintroduction of Coca-Cola and Pepsi to the Indian market in 1991 *Mojo by Akij Group, popular in Bangladesh *

Est Cola Est (stylized as est; th, เอส) Cola is a cola soft drink from Thailand, manufactured by Sermsuk Public Company Limited. It was launched on 2 November 2012. It was created following the termination of the company's contract with PepsiCo, f ...

, a local brand in Thailand *

Future Cola Future Cola is a cola-flavoured carbonated beverage manufactured by Hangzhou Wahaha Group of China, where its market share is 12-15%, making it the third-largest manufacturer of soft drinks in China behind Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola. It is d ...

, a local brand in China *KIK Cola, a local brand in

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

* Laoshan Cola, a local brand in China *

Mecca-Cola Mecca-Cola is a cola-flavoured carbonated beverage. The flagship product of the Mecca Cola World Company, it is marketed as an alternative to U.S. brands such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola to "pro-Muslim" consumers. The product's name contains the ...

, sold in the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...

, North Africa, as well as parts of Europe *MyCola, a local brand in Sri Lanka * Pakola, popular in Pakistan *Cola Next, a local brand in Pakistan * Parsi Cola, popular in Iran *

Red Bull Cola Red Bull Simply Cola (previously branded as Red Bull Cola) is a beverage from Red Bull GmbH, makers of the energy drink Red Bull. The cola, which contains natural flavouring and caffeine, was introduced in 2008 in several countries. Ingred ...

, popular in Thailand *Terelj Cola, sold in Mongolia. *

Thums Up Thums Up is an Indian multinational brand of cola in India. It was introduced in 1977 to offset the withdrawal of The Coca-Cola Company from India. The brand was later bought by Coca-Cola who re-launched it in order to fight against Pepsi to c ...

, popular in India *

Topsia Cola Topsia Cola ( fa, تاپسیا کولا) is a cola-flavoured soft drink produced in Iran by Damavand Mineral Water Co. Damavand Mineral Waters Company ( fa, شرکت آب‌های معدنی دماوند) is the leader and largest bottled min ...

, popular in Iran *Karwanchi Cola, popular in

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

* Zamzam Cola, popular in Iran and parts of the Arab world *

Zesto Cola Zesto may refer to: * Zesto Drive-In, a former chain of American drive-in restaurants * Zest-O Corporation, one of the largest beverage companies in the Philippines, and its flagship product: Zest-O juice drink *ZESTO, a type of savings account off ...

, popular in the Philippines

Europe

* Pop Cola, a

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, a ...

n brand with a

retro Pop art Retro style is imitative or consciously derivative of lifestyles, trends, or art forms from history, including in music, modes, fashions, or attitudes. In popular culture, the "nostalgia cycle" is typically for the two decades that begin 20–30 ...

design was launched in December 2019 and produced by Merlin's, a successful beverage Romanian company. Berry cola stand Reuilly

Pablo Cola Pablo is a Spanish form of the name Paul. People *Pablo Alborán, Spanish singer *Pablo Aimar, Argentine footballer * Pablo Armero, Colombian footballer *Pablo Bartholomew, Indian photojournalist * Pablo Brandán, Argentine footballer *Pablo Bren ...

, a Swedish brand with a

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

style was relaunched in with the idea of making a cola selection that have a local touch of Sweden. *

Afri-Cola Afri-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 Minera ...

, a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

brand, was relaunched in April 2006 with the original formulation with the higher caffeine content. *

Baikal Lake Baikal (, russian: Oзеро Байкал, Ozero Baykal ); mn, Байгал нуур, Baigal nuur) is a rift lake in Russia. It is situated in southern Siberia, between the federal subjects of Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Re ...

, a cola-like drink popular in Russia * Barr Cola made by A.G. Barr (the makers of the popular

Irn-Bru Irn-Bru ( "iron brew", ) is a Scottish carbonated soft drink, often described as "Scotland's other national drink" (after whisky). Introduced in 1901, the drink is produced in Westfield, Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, by A.G. Barr of Glasgo ...

drink) in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

* Breizh Cola is a local brand from

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period o ...

(

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

). * Brisa Cola is a local brand from

Madeira ) , anthem = ( en, "Anthem of the Autonomous Region of Madeira") , song_type = Regional anthem , image_map=EU-Portugal_with_Madeira_circled.svg , map_alt=Location of Madeira , map_caption=Location of Madeira , subdivision_type=Sovereign st ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, In recognized minority languages of Portugal: :* mwl, República Pertuesa is a country located on the Iberian Peninsula, in Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Macaronesian ...

and produced by

Empresa de Cervejas da Madeira The Madeira Brewery ( pt, Empresa de Cervejas da Madeira or E.C.M) is a brewery in Madeira. The main brand is ''Coral Lager''. The company is the biggest producer and drink distributor in the Autonomous Region of Madeira. It produces alcoholic and ...

. * Cadet-Cola, an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

brand * Cola Turka is a local brand in Turkey *

Cockta Cockta () is a soft drink from Croatia. Its main ingredient comes from dog rose hip; the other ingredients come from 11 different herbs, lemon and orange. Its original variant contains neither caffeine nor orthophosphoric acid. Origins The origin ...

is a local brand from former

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label= Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavij ...

, which does not contain any

. * Corsica Cola is a regional cola distributed by the Corsican brewery Pietra. *

Cuba Cola Cuba Cola is a cola-flavoured soft drink produced in Sweden, bottled by Saturnus AB. It was introduced to the market in the summer of 1953 soon after cola drinks had become legal in Sweden, beating Coca-Cola by three months in Sweden. The rec ...

is a brand from Sweden. * Dobry Cola, a

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

brand which replaced Coca-Cola after the departure of global companies from Russia in 2022, produced in the same factories as the original products. *

Evoca Cola Evoca Cola is a cola-flavoured carbonated soft drink. It is produced by Evoca Drinks, a London-based soft drinks company, and is sold in the United Kingdom, The Channel Islands, Europe and the Far East. History Evoca Drinks was established in Ma ...

is a cola made with mineral water made by Evoca Drinks. *

Fentimans Curiosity Cola Fentimans Curiosity Cola is a botanically brewed carbonated cola soft drink, a product of British brewery Fentimans. The brewing process used gives the drink an alcohol content of up to 0.5%, but this small amount still allows it to be sold as ...

, is an upmarket botanically brewed cola produced by

Fentimans Fentimans is a botanical brewery based in Hexham, Northumberland, England. History Thomas Fentiman, an iron puddler from Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, acquired a recipe for botanically brewed ginger beer in 1905 when a fellow tradesman approa ...

, from the UK. *

Freeway Cola A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms i ...

, a cola soft drink from Germany, produced as a private label for

Lidl Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG (; ) is a German international discount retailer chain that operates over 11,000 stores across Europe and the United States. Headquartered in Neckarsulm, Baden-Württemberg, the company belongs to the Schwarz Group, w ...

. *

Fritz-Kola Fritz-kola (stylized as fritz-kola) is a soft drink made in north Germany and shipped to many nations in the European Union. It has a relatively high caffeine content and is sold in glass bottles with labels which were originally black and white, ...

, a cola soft drink from

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...

, Germany, uses the highest possible concentration of caffeine for beverages allowed by German law. * Golf Cola is a local cola brand from Serbia produced by

Knjaz Miloš Knjaz Miloš ( sr-Cyrl, Књаз Милош, ) is a Serbian carbonated mineral water producer and distributor based in Aranđelovac, Serbia. In addition to its centerpiece Knjaz Miloš carbonated mineral water, the company also produces natural m ...

. *Grans Cola is a local brand from

Sandefjord Sandefjord () is a city and the most populous municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The municipality of Sandefjord was established on 1 January 1838. The municipality of Sandar was merged into Sandefjord on 1 January 1969. On 1 ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

, by Grans Bryggeri. Sold exclusively at

REMA 1000 REMA 1000 (Bokmål: Rema tusen) is a multinational no-frills soft-discount grocery chain owned entirely by the Reitan Group (Reitangruppen). REMA is a short for ' (Reitan Food), referring to Odd Reitan (founder of the company). ''1000'' refer ...

in Norway. * Green Cola is a brand from

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wit ...

that is available also in Germany, Spain, Cyprus, the Baltic states, Romania, the Middle East, Slovenia etc. * Hay Cola is a local brand from Armenia, which began production in 1996. * Hofmuhl Cola is a local brand from Bavaria, made by a regional brewery. *

Jolly Cola Jolly Cola is an original Danish soft drink dating back to 1959. Jolly is owned by the limited company 'Dansk Coladrik A/S' (Danish Coladrink Ltd). Jolly Cola is now produced by Brewery Vestfyen, which also produces Jolly Light, Jolly Time (a ...

, which had a 40% share of the cola drink market in

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establishe ...

from the mid-1960s to the late 1980s. * Karma Cola, fair trade cola from the UK. *

Kofola Kofola () is a carbonated soft drink produced by the eponymous Czech company, which is headquartered in Ostrava, Czech Republic. It is the principal rival of Coca-Cola and Pepsi in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The company is one of the leading ...

is the primary rival to Coca-Cola and Pepsi in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. Th ...

and

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the ...

, and does not contain phosphoric acid. *LOCKWOODS Cola, a UK cola brand introduced in the 1960s produced by Lockwoods Foods Limited at their canning factory site in Long Sutton, England, the drink is not on the market anymore, it was sold nationally and also

exported An export in international trade is a good produced in one country that is sold into another country or a service provided in one country for a national or resident of another country. The seller of such goods or the service provider is an ' ...

. * Maxi-Cola was sold by

Mac's Brewery McCashin's Brewery, also known as Mac's Brewery in the past, is a small brewery based in Nelson, New Zealand. It was founded in 1980/81 by one of the pioneers of craft brewing, Terry McCashin, who produced the well-known Mac's beer. Today it p ...

in England as a rival to Coke and Pepsi. Production ended in the early 90s. *

Planet Cola A planet is a large, rounded astronomical body that is neither a star nor its remnant. The best available theory of planet formation is the nebular hypothesis, which posits that an interstellar cloud collapses out of a nebula to create a young ...

, a brand sold at

Auchan Auchan () is a French multinational retail group headquartered in Croix, France. It was founded in 1961 by Gérard Mulliez and is owned by the Mulliez family, who has 95% stake in the company. With 354,851 employees, of which 261,000 have 5% ...

. *

Polo-Cockta Polo-Cockta (sometimes written as 'Polo Cockta' or 'Polo-Cocta') 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 ...

, a

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

brand. * Red Bull Simply Cola has been available throughout Europe since 2008. *

Ritchie Cola Ritchie may refer to: People Surname *Adele Ritchie (1874–1930), singer – comic opera, musical comedy and vaudeville *Albert Ritchie (1876–1936), governor of Maryland 1920 to 1935 *Alistair Ferguson Ritchie (1890–1954), crossword compiler ...

, a

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct language ...

brand first sold until the late 70s, relaunched in 2016 *

Sinalco Sinalco is a popular brand of non-alcoholic drinks first marketed in 1902, with sales in now more than 40 countries. Sinalco is the oldest soft drink brand in Europe. It is produced by Sinalco International, a company headquartered in Detmold, ...

cola is a German cola brand sold and produced in Europe * Siup! Cola, a

brand. * Sky Cola, a

Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

n brand since 2002 made by water-bottling company Sarajevski kiseljak * Sky Cola, a

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

n brand since 2002 made by water-bottling company Jamnica * Tøyen-Cola is a brand from

. *

Ubuntu Cola Ubuntu 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. It is available for sale in the United Kingdom, Hungary, Sweden, N ...

is a

fair trade Fair trade is an arrangement designed to help producers in developing countries achieve sustainable and equitable trade relationships. The fair trade movement combines the payment of higher prices to exporters with improved social and envir ...

cola from the United Kingdom available in parts of

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...

. *

Virgin Cola Virgin Cola was a carbonated cola soft drink, launched in 1994. History Virgin Cola was set up during the early 1990s in conjunction with Cott, an American-Canadian company that specialises in bottling own-label drinks. Cott was looking for ...

was popular in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...

and Western Europe in the 1990s but has waned in availability. * Vita-Cola is a German cola brand with a distinct citrus flavor; nowadays it is mostly sold in eastern Germany. *

XL Cola XL Cola was a cola-flavoured soft drink produced in Sweden. XL Cola was introduced by Falcon Brewery in 1985, including the slogan "Extra Large Taste",

was a Swedish cola brand introduced in 1985, but the drink is not at the market anymore. *

Mole Cola Mole (or Molé) may refer to: Animals * Mole (animal) or "true mole", mammals in the family Talpidae, found in Eurasia and North America * Golden moles, southern African mammals in the family Chrysochloridae, similar to but unrelated to Talpida ...

is an Italian cola sold in Italy it is also occasionally sold in France in stores called Noz only.

North America

, often referred to simply as Coke, is produced and manufactured by

The Coca-Cola Company The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation founded in 1892, best known as the producer of Coca-Cola. The Coca-Cola Company also manufactures, sells, and markets other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrup ...

. It is one of the most popular cola brands in North America and worldwide, as well as being the original cola. *

, produced and manufactured by

PepsiCo PepsiCo, Inc. is an American multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation headquartered in Harrison, New York, in the hamlet of Purchase. PepsiCo's business encompasses all aspects of the food and beverage market. It oversees the man ...

, is also one of the most popular cola brands in North America and worldwide. Pepsi is the main competitor and rival of Coca-Cola. *

RC Cola RC Cola (short for Royal Crown Cola) is an American brand of cola invented by Claud A. Hatcher in 1905. Royal Crown Ginger Ale was the first product of the RC Cola line, and it referred to the original ingredient: ginger. More ingredients we ...

, short for Royal Crown Cola, is now produced by

Keurig Dr Pepper Keurig Dr Pepper Inc., formerly Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (1981–2014) and Keurig Green Mountain (2014–2018), is a publicly traded American beverage and coffeemaker conglomerate with headquarters in Burlington, Massachusetts. Formed in ...

Cott Primo Water Corporation (formerly Cott Corporation) is an American-Canadian water company offering multi-gallon bottled water, water dispensers, self-service refill water machines, and water filtration appliances. The company is headquartered in ...

produces many

house brand A private label, also called a private brand or private-label brand, is a brand owned by a company, offered by that company alongside and competing with brands from other businesses. A private-label brand is almost always offered exclusively by th ...

beverages as well as its own line of products, most notably its ''Black Cherry'' and ''Bubba'' cola. * The Double Cola Company, Double Cola *

Faygo Faygo Beverages, Inc., is a soft drink company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. The beverages produced by the company, branded as Faygo or Faygo Pop, are distributed in the Midwestern, Mid-Atlantic, and Central Southern regions of the Unite ...

Cola is distributed in the Eastern

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

and can be found in some regions of Canada. *

Curiosity Cola, originating from the United Kingdom in 1905, now sold across Europe and North America *

Jarritos Jarritos is a brand of soft drink in Mexico, founded in 1950 by Don Francisco "El Güero" Hill and now owned by Novamex, a large independent bottling conglomerate based in Guadalajara, Jalisco, property of the Hill & ac. Co. It is also dist ...

Cola is a brand of cola from Mexico, native to Mexico and widely distributed to Latino residents of the United States. *

Jolt Cola Jolt Cola is a carbonated soft drink produced by The Jolt Company, Inc. (later known as Wet Planet Beverages). The cola drink was created in 1985 by C. J. Rapp as a highly caffeinated beverage. It was targeted towards students and young prof ...

is sold by

Wet Planet Beverages Wet Planet Beverages, of Pittsford, New York, was 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. On September 28, 2009, The Jolt ...

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

, New York. *

Jones Soda Jones Soda Co. is a beverage company based in Seattle, Washington, United States. It bottles and distributes soft drinks, non-carbonated beverages, energy drinks, and candy. History The 1990s The company was founded by Peter Van Stolk in 19 ...

also makes a cola using cane sugar. ** Nuka-Cola, produced by Jones in collaboration with

Fallout series ''Fallout'' is a series of post-apocalyptic role-playing video games—and later action role-playing games—created by Interplay Entertainment. The series is set during the 21st, 22nd and 23rd centuries, and its atompunk retrofuturistic settin ...

developer Bethesda Softworks and

Target Stores Target Corporation (doing business as Target and stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American big box department store chain headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the seventh largest retailer in the United States, and a compon ...

from 2009-10, 2014-16 and 2020 to present. *

Polar Beverages Polar Beverages is a soft drink company based in Worcester, Massachusetts. It is a manufacturer and distributor of sparkling fruit beverages, seltzer, ginger ale, drink mixers, and spring water to customers in the United States. It is the large ...

of Worcester, MA produces its own brand of cola under the Polar name. * Red Bull Simply Cola was available in the United States from 2008 to 2011. *

Shasta Cola Shasta Beverages is an American soft drink manufacturer that markets a value-priced soft drink line with a wide variety of soda flavors, as well as a few drink mixers, under the brand name Shasta. The company name is derived from Mount Shasta i ...

, produced by Shasta *

TuKola tuKola () is a cola brand produced and marketed in Cuba by Los Portales S.A., a joint venture with Nestlé Group. Product lines tuKola was produced at Los Portales' facility in Guane, Pinar del Río Province Pinar del Río is one of the p ...

and Tropicola are brands from

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

(also sold widely in Italy). * Zevia Cola is a zero-calorie soft drink sweetened with

Stevia Stevia () is a natural sweetener and sugar substitute derived from the leaves of the plant species '' Stevia rebaudiana'', native to Paraguay and Brazil. The active compounds are steviol glycosides (mainly stevioside and rebaudioside), wh ...

. * Bec Cola is produced in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...

, Canada, sold across Quebec and

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

. It is sweetened with primarily

maple syrup Maple syrup is a syrup made from the sap of maple trees. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before winter; the starch is then converted to sugar that rises in the sap in late winter and early spring. Maple t ...

* Big 8 Cola is a brand of colas and other flavoured sodas that can be found in Atlantic Canada

South America

Inca Kola Inca Kola (also known as "the Golden Kola" in international advertising) is a soft drink that was created in Peru in 1935 by British immigrant Joseph Robinson Lindley. The soda has a sweet, fruity flavor that somewhat resembles its main ingredie ...

, created by Lindley bottler to compete with Coca-Cola. It is still the best selling cola in Perú . *

Big Cola Kola Real ("Royal Cola" or "Real Cola") is one of the most popular brands of Ajegroup,Ajegroup which operates in 14 countries in Latin America. *

Perú Cola Perú 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 Inc ...

, created by Peruvian bottler Embotelladora Don Jorge S.A.C. to compete with Coca-Cola and

Kola Real Kola Real ("Royal Cola" or "Real Cola") is one of the most popular brands of Ajegroup,Kola Román, a cola that was invented in the city of Cartagena, Colombia in 1865 by Don Carlos Román.

Oceania

* LA Ice Cola is an Australian cola owned by

Tru Blu Beverages Tru Blu Beverages is an Australian soft drink producer. 1 in 6 beverages purchased by Australian consumers through supermarkets is made by Tru Blu Beverages. Employing 400 people nationally, they are an important manufacturer in the Australian ...

, similar to Coca-Cola and Pepsi, its rivals. * Billson's produces a Heritage Cola, inspired by recipes dating back to the Temperance movement in Australia.

Defunct brands

Hansen's Monster Beverage Corporation is an American beverage company that manufactures energy drinks including Monster Energy, Relentless and Burn. The company was originally founded as Hansen's in 1935 in Southern California, originally selling jui ...

''Natural Soda'', Original Cola, made with

cane sugar Sucrose, a disaccharide, is a sugar composed of glucose and fructose subunits. It is produced naturally in plants and is the main constituent of white sugar. It has the molecular formula . For human consumption, sucrose is extracted and refined ...

References

External links

Cola and Mentos mints trick
(originally published by

Cory Doctorow Cory Efram Doctorow (; born July 17, 1971) is a Canadian-British blogger, journalist, and science fiction author who served as co-editor of the blog '' Boing Boing''. He is an activist in favour of liberalising copyright laws and a proponent o ...

)
Straight Dope article about caffeine levels on soft drinks
{{Authority control 19th-century inventions American inventions Soft drinks Historical polysubstance drinks