Cola is a carbonated

soft drink A soft drink (see § Terminology for other names) is a drink that usually contains water (often carbonated), a sweetener, and a natural and/or artificial flavoring. The sweetener may be a sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, a su ...

flavored with vanilla,

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, breakfa ...

, citrus oils and other flavorings. Cola became popular worldwide after the American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, a trademarked brand, in 1886, which was imitated by other manufacturers. Most colas contain caffeine 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 Coca is any of the four cultivated plants in the family Erythroxylaceae, native to western South America. Coca is known worldwide for its psychoactive alkaloid, cocaine. The plant is grown as a cash crop in the Argentine Northwest, Bolivia, Al ...

extract. His non-alcoholic

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. His ...

was inspired by the coca wine of pharmacist Angelo Mariani, created in 1863. Most modern colas have a dark caramel color, and are sweetened with

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...

and/or high-fructose corn syrup. They come in numerous different brands, with Coca-Cola and Pepsi 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 citrus oils (from orange, lime, and lemon peels),

, vanilla, and an

acid In computer science, ACID ( atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability) is a set of properties of database transactions intended to guarantee data validity despite errors, power failures, and other mishaps. In the context of databases, a sequ ...

ic 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 or

coriander Coriander (;

. Acidity is often provided by phosphoric acid, sometimes accompanied by citric or other isolated acids. Coca-Cola's recipe is maintained as a corporate trade secret. A variety of different sweeteners may be used in cola, often influenced by local agricultural policy. High-fructose corn syrup (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. Th ...

. 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), which h ...

or an artificial sweetener 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 Georgy Zhukov. Clear colas were again produced during the Clear Craze of the early 1990s. Brands included Crystal Pepsi,

Tab Clear Tab Clear was a variation of Tab (soft drink), Tab. It is The Coca-Cola Company, 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, 1992,7 Up Ice Cola. Crystal Pepsi has been repeatedly reintroduced in the 2010s. In Denmark, a popular clear cola was made by the Cooperative FDB in 1976. It was especially known for being the "Hippie Cola" because of the focus of the harmful effects the color additive 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 with ...

. 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 Coca-Cola Clear is a colorless variant of the soft drink Coca-Cola. Without the normal caramel ingredient, Coca-Cola Clear has none of the typical dark Coke color. The drink is lemon-flavored to compensate for the removed caramel. It was develope ...

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 phosphoric acid 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, magnesium, vitamin C,

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 ...

, and vitamin A. The drink has also aroused criticism for its use of caffeine, which can cause physical dependence (

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 bean, cocoa, and other plants. Caffeine is also one of ...

), and can reduce sleep quality. A link has been shown between long-term regular cola intake and

osteoporosis Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass, micro-architectural deterioration of bone tissue leading to bone fragility, and consequent increase in fracture risk. It is the most common reason for a broken bone ...

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 high-fructose corn syrup, rather than

. 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 softe ...

because it may aggravate obesity and type-2 diabetes 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 * Campa Cola, 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, ...

, a local brand in Thailand * Future Cola, 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 Laoshan Cola () is a brand of cola soft drink produced by Qingdao Beverages Group Co., Ltd. First introduced in 1953, it was the most popular of China's eight major cola brands until it was purchased by the Coca-Cola Company in the 1990s. In 1997 ...

, a local brand in China * Mecca-Cola, sold in the Middle East, 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. Ingredie ...

, popular in Thailand *Terelj Cola, sold in Mongolia. * Thums Up, popular in India * Topsia Cola, popular in Iran *Karwanchi Cola, popular in 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 offe ...

, popular in the Philippines

Europe

Pop Cola Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...

, a Romanian 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 Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

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, a German brand, was relaunched in April 2006 with the original formulation with the higher caffeine content. * Baikal, a cola-like drink popular in Russia *

Barr Cola Barr Cola is a cola made from kola nuts by the A.G. Barr company, makers of Irn-Bru. The drink was first released in 1875. It was once called Strike Cola and was popular in Britain's fish and chip shops and convenience stores. The drink is oft ...

made by A.G. Barr (the makers of the popular Irn-Bru drink) in the United Kingdom * Breizh Cola is a local brand from Brittany ( France). * 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 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 brand * Cola Turka is a local brand in Turkey * Cockta is a local brand from former Yugoslavia, which does not contain any caffeine or phosphoric acid. * 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 Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

. * Dobry Cola, a Russian 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 is a cola made with mineral water made by Evoca Drinks. * Fentimans Curiosity Cola, is an upmarket botanically brewed cola produced by Fentimans, 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. * Fritz-Kola, a cola soft drink from Hamburg, Germany, uses the highest possible concentration of caffeine for beverages allowed by German law. *

Golf Cola Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit Golf ball, balls into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standar ...

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, Norway, by Grans Bryggeri. Sold exclusively at REMA 1000 in Norway. * Green Cola is a brand from Greece that is available also in Germany, Spain, Cyprus, the Baltic states, Romania, the Middle East, Slovenia etc. *

Hay Cola Hay is Graminoid, grass, legumes, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut and dried to be stored for use as animal fodder, either for large grazing animals raised as livestock, such as cattle, horses, domestic goat, goats, and sheep, or ...

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 from the mid-1960s to the late 1980s. * Karma Cola, fair trade cola from the UK. * Kofola is the primary rival to Coca-Cola and Pepsi in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, 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 in England as a rival to Coke and Pepsi. Production ended in the early 90s. * Planet Cola, 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% s ...

. * Polo-Cockta, a Polish 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 brand first sold until the late 70s, relaunched in 2016 * Sinalco cola is a German cola brand sold and produced in Europe * Siup! Cola, a Polish 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 He ...

n brand since 2002 made by water-bottling company Sarajevski kiseljak * Sky Cola, a Croatian brand since 2002 made by water-bottling company Jamnica * Tøyen-Cola is a brand from Norway. * Ubuntu Cola 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 enviro ...

cola from the United Kingdom available in parts of Western Europe. * Virgin Cola was popular in South Africa 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 is an Italian cola sold in Italy it is also occasionally sold in France in stores called Noz only.

North America

* Coca-Cola, often referred to simply as Coke, is produced and manufactured by The Coca-Cola Company. It is one of the most popular cola brands in North America and worldwide, as well as being the original cola. * Pepsi, 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 manuf ...

, 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, short for Royal Crown Cola, is now produced by Keurig Dr Pepper * Cott produces many house brand beverages as well as its own line of products, most notably its ''Black Cherry'' and ''Bubba'' cola. * The Double Cola Company, Double Cola * Faygo Cola is distributed in the Eastern United States and can be found in some regions of Canada. * Fentimans Curiosity Cola, originating from the United Kingdom in 1905, now sold across Europe and North America * Jarritos Cola is a brand of cola from Mexico, native to Mexico and widely distributed to Latino residents of the United States. * Jolt Cola is sold by Wet Planet Beverages of

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

Bethesda Softworks Bethesda Softworks LLC is an American video game publisher based in Rockville, Maryland. The company was founded by Christopher Weaver in 1986 as a division of Media Technology Limited, and in 1999 became a subsidiary of ZeniMax Media. In its ...

and Target Stores from 2009-10, 2014-16 and 2020 to present. * Polar Beverages 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 and Tropicola are brands from Cuba (also sold widely in Italy). * Zevia Cola is a zero-calorie

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), which h ...

. * Bec Cola is produced in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, sold across Quebec and Ontario. 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 tree ...

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

Atlantic Canada Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (french: provinces de l'Atlantique), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising the provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec. The four provinces are New Brunswick, Newfoundlan ...

South America

* Inca Kola, 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 Inca ...

, 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, 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

References

External links

Cola and Mentos mints trick
(originally published by Cory Doctorow)
Straight Dope article about caffeine levels on soft drinks
{{Authority control 19th-century inventions American inventions Soft drinks Historical polysubstance drinks