Kola Shaler is a
cola 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 ...
manufactured in
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...
, invented by David Robleto Alemán in 1904.
Today, the drink is manufactured in
Managua
)
, settlement_type = Capital city
, motto =
, image_map =
, mapsize =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Nicara ...
by Kola Shaler Industrial SA. Kola Shaler has been described as one of the "pioneers" in the soft drink industry in Nicaragua due to its longevity and continued popularity.
History
Kola Shaler was launched in 1904 by David Robleto Alemán, in his native city of
León, Nicaragua
León () is the second largest city in Nicaragua, after Managua. Founded by the Spanish as Santiago de los Caballeros de León, it is the capital and largest city of León Department. , the municipality of León has an estimated population of 2 ...
.
Robleto Alemán devised the name "Shaler", intending it to resonate with the popular soft drinks of the era, most of which bore English or German monikers. He believed that brands with Spanish names couldn't compete with drinks with English or German names.
In 1925, Kola Shaler moved production to Managua, the country's capital. The original Managua factory withstood one earthquake, in 1931, before being ultimately destroyed in the
1972 Nicaraguan earthquake, which leveled an estimated 70% of the city.
Post the earthquake, Aurora Robleto de Cárdenas, the daughter of the factory's founder, Robleto Alemán, worked with her husband to salvage the undamaged machinery and established a new factory in the eastern region of Managua. As of 2022, the factory continues to be operational..
In July 2022, the Kola Shaler factory was recognized as a historic business by
Reyna Rueda
Reyna Rueda Alvarado (born ) is a Nicaraguan politician. A member of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), she has served as mayor of Managua since 2018.
Early life
Rueda studied business administration at the Central American Uni ...
, the Mayor of Managua.
Kola Shaler ingredients are imported from England. Since 2004, the drink's recipe remains the same till date.
Cultural impact
In 2004, the brand celebrated its 100-year anniversary. Popular Nicaraguan newspaper
La Prensa published a retrospective of the brand to commemorate the occasion, noting that during its production history, Kola Shaler had weathered "two earthquakes, an armed conflict, and the fierce competition of the transnational soft drink business."
Critics have attributed the brand's continued success to nostalgia and brand loyalty, especially among
expatriate populations in Florida and California.
It has been called "the other national drink of Nicaragua", after
Pinol and Pinolillo."
External links
Kola Shaler official website
References
Companies of Nicaragua
Cola brands
Nicaraguan brands
Soft drinks
Nicaraguan cuisine
{{nicaragua-stub