Inca Kola facts for kids
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| Type | Soft drink |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Corporación José R. Lindley S.A. |
| Country of origin | Peru |
| Introduced | 1935 |
| Related products | Coca-Cola, Kola Real |
Inca Kola is a popular soft drink from Peru. It's also known as "Golden Kola" in some countries. This unique soda was first made in 1935 by Joseph Robinson Lindley, who was an immigrant from Britain.
Inca Kola has a sweet, fruity taste. Many people say it tastes like bubblegum or cream soda. Its special flavor comes from an ingredient called lemon verbena.
Today, The Coca-Cola Company owns the Inca Kola brand almost everywhere in the world. But in Peru, the brand is owned by a company called Corporación Inca Kola Perú S.A. This company is a joint venture between Coca-Cola and the Lindley family, who first created the drink.
Inca Kola is a symbol of national pride in Peru. It's available in some parts of South America, North America, and Europe. Even though it's not super famous outside Peru, you can often find it in shops that sell Latin American foods. Inca Kola comes in bottles and cans, and its design often features images inspired by the ancient Inca civilization.
Contents
The Story of Inca Kola
How it All Began
The story of Inca Kola started in 1910 in Rímac, an old neighborhood in Lima, Peru. An English family named Lindley opened a small company that bottled drinks. In 1928, their company officially became Corporación José R. Lindley S.A. Joseph R. Lindley was the first manager of the company.
By the early 1930s, the company made ten different soda flavors. These included Orange Squash, Lemon Squash, and Champagne Kola.
The Birth of Inca Kola
In 1935, Lima celebrated its 400th birthday. To mark this special occasion, Lindley introduced a new drink: Inca Kola. Its unique flavor came from Lemon Verbena, a plant also known as Hierbaluisa. Joseph Lindley spent a lot of time trying different mixes. He experimented with various ingredients and how fizzy the drink was. Finally, he created the perfect blend using thirteen special plant flavors.
When Inca Kola was launched, its slogan was "There is only one Inca Kola and it's like no other."
Becoming a National Favorite
By the mid-1940s, Inca Kola was very popular in Lima. The company ran many advertisements that appealed to Peruvian pride. They showed Inca Kola as a traditional Peruvian drink. The ads used images and symbols from Peruvian culture and native traditions. This advertising worked very well, and more and more people bought the drink.
By 1970, Inca Kola was so popular that it made up 38% of the soda market in Peru. It became known as "Peru's Drink." In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a common slogan for the drink was "Made of National Flavor!" Later, it changed to "The taste of Peru."
New Products and Global Reach
On January 22, 2009, Inca Kola teamed up with D'Onofrio. D'Onofrio is a famous Peruvian ice cream brand owned by Nestlé. Together, they launched an Inca Kola flavored ice pop!
In the United States, Coca-Cola makes Inca Kola. You can find it in supermarkets in large bottles, cans, and single-serving bottles. There is also a diet version available.
How Inca Kola Competed
The Soda Wars
In 1995, Coca-Cola had 32% of the soda sales in Peru. But Inca Kola had slightly more, with 32.9%. Since then, Inca Kola's share grew even more. This happened because some fast-food restaurants started selling it.
For example, Bembos, a Peruvian fast-food chain, stopped selling Coca-Cola in 1995 and switched to Inca Kola. Also, McDonald's in Peru started serving Inca Kola in 1995 because customers really wanted it. At that time, it was the only McDonald's in the world where Coca-Cola allowed another soda brand to be sold.
A Big Partnership
In 1997, the Lindley company went through some changes. They took on a lot of debt and lost money. So, in 1999, they looked for help from outside. They turned to The Coca-Cola Company. Coca-Cola bought half of Inca Kola Perú and one-fifth of Corporación José R. Lindley S.A. The exact amount wasn't announced, but it was thought to be around $200 million.
After this deal, Johnny Lindley Taboada, the founder's grandson, became the chairman of the new joint company between Coke and Inca Kola. Coca-Cola became the only owner of the Inca Kola brand everywhere outside Peru. But inside Peru, they formed a special partnership. Today, Coca-Cola bottles Inca Kola in countries like Ecuador and the United States, especially in New York.
New Challengers
While Coca-Cola and Inca Kola were making their deal, many smaller companies started in Peru. They sold drinks that competed with both Coca-Cola (like Peru Cola and Kola Real) and Inca Kola (like Isaac Kola and Oro). These new companies argued that Inca Kola was no longer a Peruvian company because it had sold part of itself to a foreign company. They tried to convince people to buy their drinks instead.
In 2004, Corporación José R. Lindley S.A. began talks to buy Embotelladora Latinoamericana S.A. This company had been bottling Inca Kola since 1973. However, they had stopped in 2000 because the price of Inca Kola concentrate had gone up a lot after the merger with Coca-Cola. In early 2005, Corporación José R. Lindley S.A. bought two-thirds of Embotelladora Latinoamericana for $215 million. Now, Corporación José R. Lindley S.A. bottles Inca Kola and all Coca-Cola products using these facilities. Together, they have about 60% of the market share.
See also
In Spanish: Inca Kola para niños
- List of soft drinks by country
- Irn-Bru – a Scottish soft drink with a similar flavor
- Isaac Kola - a competing brand
- Oro - a competing brand
- Triple Kola - a competing brand
- Viva - a competing brand
