Inca Kola

Inca Kola is a Peruvian soft drink. It has a sweet taste and a golden-yellow color. The main ingredient is the lemon verbena plant (Aloysia citrodora), although its formula is kept in absolute industrial reserve.

History

Inca Kola was first sold on July 28, 1935. It was invented by Joseph Robinson Lindley, an immigrant of British origin, on the central coast of Peru, Ica.

Inca Kola Logo in the 1960s.

This drink usually accompanies the vast majority of Peruvian gastronomy dishes, such as those specifically of Asian origin, consumed locally and known as chifa cuisine.

In Peru, it is produced in both glass and plastic bottles. Likewise, it is sold in disposable cans where its brand stands out, adorned with Inca motifs. This drink is also manufactured and bottled both in Chile and in the United States.

Inca Kola is one of the two soft drinks in the world that, in its country of origin, far outsell Coca-Cola, which arrived on the Peruvian market in 1936; the other drink is the Scottish Irn- Bru.

This broad dominance in the Peruvian market caused, in 1999, The Coca-Cola Company to acquire, for 300 million dollars, 40% of the shares of Inca Kola. As part of the purchase agreement, the Lindley Corporation obtained the right to bottle Coca-Cola and related brands (Fanta, Sprite, etc.) in Peru. The US transnational obtained, on the other hand, ownership of the brand for its production and marketing outside the country while the Lindley Corporation owned it in Peru.

At the time of the transaction, Inca Kola had five production plants for this drink in the United States, a few in Latin America and one in Thailand. The brand was registered in all countries of the world. For its part, the Coca-Cola company promised to increase its production abroad, especially with a view to the Asian market as it is compatible with its gastronomy and not with dark-colored sodas.

For now, the drink is imported into Europe and is found in several specialized Peruvian food outlets. However, replicas of this drink aimed at the Latin American public are also produced in Spain.

However, Inca Kola continues to be the soft drink with the highest number of sales in the Peruvian market, as a result of the current advertising campaign that highlights national symbols and values. It is common among Peruvians to associate the drink with the wide variety of Peruvian gastronomy, reaching a level of indispensable ingredient of many gastronomic menus.

On October 20, 2014, the brand launched its chicha morada flavored line extension: "La Moradita". This was discontinued 5 months later due to low sales.

On September 2, 2021, a new variant called "Power" was released, flavored with camu camu.

Nutritional Information

It is important to note that Inka Kola is a sugary soft drink and therefore contains a significant amount of sugar and calories. No healthy diet should include sodas that are so high in sugar. A can of Inka Kola contains 37.27 grams of sugar. The official website shows a visually diminished serving size "per glass" instead of the units of bottles or cans that are the ones that people usually consume, so this information must be seriously considered in feeding regimens.

The Coca-Cola Company

In 1999 The Coca-Cola Company bought, for 300 million dollars, 40% of Inca Kola.

Nutritional Information

It is important to note that Inka Kola is a sugary soft drink and therefore contains a significant amount of sugar and calories. No healthy diet should include sodas that are so high in sugar. A can of Inka Kola contains 37.27 grams of sugar. The official website shows a visually diminished serving size "per glass" instead of the units of bottles or cans that are the ones that people usually consume, that is why this information must be seriously considered in the diets.

Variants

In addition to Inca Kola there are other variants:

Name	Image	Market entry	Market exit	Information
Inca Kola Light		2005	2012	Formerly known as Inca Kola Diet, in the 90's. It was replaced by the Inca Kola Zero.
Inca Kola Zero/No Sugar		2012	current	It's the Inca Kola version without calories. Since 2018 it is Inca Kola Without Sugar, keeping the same taste.
"La Moradita" by Inca Kola		2014	2015	With a taste of purple chicha. Inca Kola withdrew the product after receiving numerous reviews.
Inca Kola Power		2021	2022	Inca Kola flavor to Camu Camu with Maca.

Slogans

Advertising for Inca Kola of the 1960s.

• 1935: Inca Kola
• 1936-1950: There's only one and it doesn't look like any
• 1950-1965: Satisface
• 1965-1980: National flavor of Lucas
• 1980-1985: The taste of joy
• 1985-1989: National flavor
• 1989-1995: It's ours.
• 1995-1999: the drink of Peru
• 1995-1998: With everything
• 1996-1999: Make good
• 1996-2000: National flavor
• 2000-2001: The taste of ours
• 2001-2003: There's only one and Peru knows why
• 2003-2005: The taste of Peru
• 2005: Uncover the taste of Peru
• 2005-2006: Held Peru
• 2006: What a good idea!
• 2007: The flavor of creativity
• 2007-2016: With creativity everything is possible
• 2015: Come on.
• 2016-2021: The flavor that makes us unique
• 2021-2022: The table is served, all come in
• 2022-present: Let's make a Peru that we like

In literature

Chaufa rice accompanied by an Inca Kola (Huaraz, Peru).

Inca Kola has been a brand that has appeared in literary works or together with literary characters, many times as a note of local color. The English journalist Matthew Parris has titled a book of his as Inca-kola: A Traveller's Tale of Peru. Also, this drink has been linked to Borges; Esteban Peicovich in his book El palabrista, tells that Borges, to mitigate the rigors of the ascent to Machu Picchu on one of his visits to this Inca esplanade, was drinking "an unlikely &# 34;Inca Cola" (sic)» inside the train that took him from Cuzco to the ruins.