Inca Kola
12 oz. can 3.25 g sugar / oz. |
History In 1910 British emmigrant Joseph (José) Robinson Lindley established a small soda bottling plant in Lima. The company began as a small-scale operation, selling homemade fruit and cola flavored sodas bottled with machinery that could only produce one bottle per minute. Starting in 1928, Lindley began experimenting with a new flavor made from herba luisa, or lemon verbena. In 1935, just in time for the 400th anniversary of the city of Lima, Lindley began selling this drink as Inca Kola. Aggressive advertising in the 1940s with a patriotic theme propelled the soda to become the national beverage of Peru. Coca-Cola began bottling in Peru in 1936 but has never gained a large market share here compared to other Latin American countries. During the 1990s Coca-Cola attempted numerous campaigns to unseat Inca Kola's popularity. Although these failed, they also created losses for Lindley Corporation which resulted in Coca-Cola purchasing a 50% share of the bottler in 1999, and an agreement to produce and market Inca Kola worldwide outside Peru. Patriotic Peruvians were disappointed to learn that their national drink was no longer fully Peruvian, opening a market for new local sodas appealing to patriotism such as Peru Cola, Inti Cola and Kola Real. Here's a two-minute review of the timeline of Inca Kola: Review Oooh! This one is green! Really its a yellow green, its surprising. Mmm, a strong flavor, almost a bit lemony & sweet. Very sweet, with slight sizzle. The cream vanilla is there in the smell but not in the taste. This is almost like a Sprite, despite it being a champagne soda. Like a Sprite with bite. The creaminess is faint and on the top of my tongue, mostly this is more spicy than other cola champagne.
Ingredients Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup and/or sucrose, citric acid, sodium benzoate (to protect taste), caffeine, artificial and natural flavors. Made by Corporación José R. Lindley S.A. |