Kofola
Czech soft drink
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kofola (Czech pronunciation: [ˈkofola]) is a carbonated soft drink produced by the eponymous Czech company, which is headquartered in Krnov. It is the principal rival of Coca-Cola and Pepsi in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The company is one of the leading soft drink producers and distributors in Central and Eastern Europe.[1]
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| Type | Soft drink |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Kofola ČeskoSlovensko a.s. |
| Origin | Czechoslovakia (present day Czech Republic and Slovakia) |
| Introduced | 1960 |
| Colour | Caramel |
| Variants | Kofola Original Meruňka/Marhuľa (apricot) Meloun/Melón (watermelon) Malina (raspberry) Ostružina (blackberry) Angrešt/Egreš (gooseberry) Guarana Bez cukru (zero sugar) Višňa (cherry) Citrus Vanilka (vanilla) Ananas (pineapple) Černý rybíz/Čierna ríbezľa (blackcurrant) |
| Related products | |
| Website | kofola |
History
Kofola originated in the Czechoslovak Research Institute of Medicinal Plants in Prague in 1959, during research targeted at finding a possible use for surplus caffeine produced in the process of coffee roasting.[2] The resulting dark-coloured, sweet-and-sour syrup, kofo, became the main ingredient of a new soft drink introduced in 1960.[3] During the 1960s and 1970s, Kofola became popular in communist Czechoslovakia, successfully competing with Western cola drinks like Coca-Cola or Pepsi, which were generally available after 1968 (Pepsi in 1974) but were expensive. In the present day, Kofola is a popular option in restaurants, as it can be draught-poured from kegs. Since 1998, Kofola has been bottled (in addition to classic 0.33-litre glass bottles) in 0.5-litre and 2-litre plastic bottles. 0.25-litre cans were introduced in 2003, and 1-litre plastic-bottles in 2004.
Presentation
Company
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| Type | Joint-stock company |
|---|---|
| ISIN | CZ0009000121 |
| Headquarters | , Czech Republic |
| Revenue |  EUR 263.6 million[6] (2015) |
| EUR 21.6 million[6] (2015) | |
After the fall of the communist regime in 1989, Kofola had to compete with foreign brands that entered the new open market. In 2000, the brand was purchased by the Samaras family from Opava.[7]
In 2008, Kofola announced a merger with the Polish lemonade producer Hoop.[8] Later that year, the Polish private equity fund Enterprise Investors acquired 42.46% of Kofola-Hoop for approximately €140 million.[9]
In 2009, Kofola acquired Pinelli and has since produced the energy drink Semtex.[10] In 2014, Kofola purchased the Slovenian mineral water brand Radenska.[11]
In 2018, the company took a 100% stake in the Czech herbal tea producer Leros.[12]
In 2023, Kofola acquired a majority stake in Pivovary CZ Group, which produces beer under the brands Holba, Zubr, and Litovel.[13]
Ingredients
Kofo syrup, the main ingredient of Kofola, consists of 14 herbal and fruit ingredients (such as extracts from apple, cherry, currant, or herbal aroma), sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup (2014), and caramel.
Products
- Kofola Original
- Kofola Citrus – lemon-flavoured
- Kofola Bez Cukru – sugar-free alternative
- Kofola Višňová – sour cherry-flavoured
- Kofola Vanilka – vanilla-flavoured
- Kofola Guarana – energy drink containing guarana
- Kofola Meruňka – apricot-flavoured
- Kofola Meloun – watermelon-flavoured
- Kofola Černý Rybíz – blackcurrant-flavoured
- Kofola Malina – raspberry-flavoured
- Kofola Ostružina – blackberry-flavoured
- Kofola Ananas – pineapple-flavoured
- Kofola Grep – grapefruit-flavoured
- Kofola Angrešt – gooseberry-flavoured
Cocktails
- Čeko Libre (a Czech version of the Cuba libre cocktail) is a highball made of kofola and Tuzemák.[14]
