Kofola facts for kids
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| Type | Soft drink |
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| Manufacturer | Kofola ČeskoSlovensko a.s. |
| Country of origin | Czechoslovakia |
| Introduced | 1960 |
| Colour | Caramel |
| Variants | Kofola Originál, Meruňka, Meloun, Malina, Ostružina, Angrešt, Guarana, Bez cukru, Višňová, Citrus |
| Related products | Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Polo Cocta |
Kofola is a popular fizzy drink from the Czech Republic. It's made by a company with the same name, based in Krnov. Kofola is the main competitor to famous drinks like Coca-Cola and Pepsi in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The company that makes Kofola is one of the biggest soft drink producers in Central and Eastern Europe.
Contents
History of Kofola
Kofola was first created in 1959 in Prague, which was then part of Czechoslovakia. Scientists were looking for a way to use extra caffeine left over from making coffee. They came up with a dark, sweet-and-sour syrup called Kofo. This syrup became the main ingredient for a new soft drink, which was named Kofola in 1960.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Kofola became super popular in Czechoslovakia. It was a strong rival to Western cola drinks like Coca-Cola and Pepsi. These foreign drinks were available after 1968, but they were expensive and seen as luxury items. Even today, Kofola is a favorite choice in restaurants. You can often get it fresh from a keg, poured right into a glass.
Since 1998, Kofola has been sold in different sized plastic bottles, like 0.5-litre and 2-litre bottles. In 2003, smaller 0.25-litre cans were introduced. Then, in 2004, 1-litre plastic bottles became available. Kofola is also still very popular when served from large 50-litre kegs in many bars and restaurants.
Kofola's Marketing and Logo
Since 2002, the company has run a very successful advertising campaign. It's aimed at young people and uses the catchy slogan, "If you love her, there is nothing to question" ("Když ji miluješ, není co řešit / Keď ju miluješ, nie je čo riešiť").
Before 2000, the Kofola logo looked like a coffee bean. Now, it looks more like a coffee flower.
In 2003, a special Christmas TV commercial for Kofola was made. It became one of the most famous and loved Czech TV ads. Every year, it is shown on Czech TV channels during the Christmas season.
The Kofola Company
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| Joint-stock company | |
| Headquarters |
Krnov
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Czech Republic
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Key people
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Daniel Buryš (Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO) |
| Revenue |  EUR 263.6 million (2015) |
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Operating income
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EUR 21.6 million (2015) |
After the communist government ended in 1989, Kofola faced a lot of competition. Many foreign brands came into the market. For a while, other companies even made similar-tasting "kofola" drinks because the name became a general term for that type of cola.
In 2000, a company called Santa nápoje, owned by the Samaras family, became the only official producer and distributor of Kofola in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Other companies making similar drinks had to change their product names.
The Santa nápoje company first made Kofola only at its main factory in Krnov. In 2002, they built a new factory in Rajecká Lesná, Slovakia, to meet the high demand there. In 2003, Santa nápoje changed its name to Kofola, a.s., and later to Kofola ČeskoSlovensko a.s.
Besides Kofola, the company also makes other soft drinks. These include the spring water Rajec, fresh fruit juices called UGO, Jupí syrups, and Jupík drinks for children. They also make RC Cola under a special agreement and, since 2008, the grape drink Vinea. These products are sold in countries like Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Croatia.
In 2008, Kofola joined with a Polish lemonade maker called Hoop. In 2009, the Polish company was renamed Kofola S.A.
In 2009, Kofola bought Pinelli and started making the energy drink Semtex. A new Kofola factory opened in Mnichovo Hradiště in 2010. In 2014, Kofola also bought a factory in Slovenia that makes mineral water called Radenska.
By the end of 2018, the Kofola Group was operating in many countries, including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, Croatia, Russia, Austria, and Hungary.
In November 2023, the company announced that it was buying a large part of Pivovary CZ Group. By buying this group of breweries, which make beers like Holba, Zubr, and Litovel, Kofola entered the beer market in the Czech Republic.
What's in Kofola?
The main ingredient in Kofola is a special syrup called Kofo. This syrup is made from 14 different herbal and fruit ingredients. These include extracts from apple, cherry, currant, and special herbal aromas. It also contains sugar and caramel.
Compared to Pepsi or Coca-Cola, Kofola has about 30% less sugar. It also has more caffeine (15 mg per 100ml, while Coca-Cola has about 9.6 mg per 100ml). Kofola does not contain phosphoric acid, which is found in some other cola drinks.
Kofola Products and Flavors
Kofola comes in many different flavors and sizes:
- Kofola Original – This is the classic flavor. You can find it in plastic bottles (0.5 L, 1 L, 1.5 L, 2 L), glass bottles (0.25 L, 0.33 L), cans (0.25 L), and even in large kegs for restaurants.
- Kofola Citrus – This flavor has a hint of lemon. It was first introduced in 2004 and is sold in plastic bottles.
- Kofola Bez Cukru – This is a sugar-free version, perfect if you want less sugar. It came out in 2008 and is available in plastic bottles.
- Kofola Višňová – This flavor is made with sour cherry. It was introduced in 2008 and comes in plastic bottles and cans.
- Kofola Vanilka – A vanilla-flavored Kofola, first sold in 2013 in plastic bottles.
- Kofola Guarana – This is an energy drink that combines Kofola with guarana flavor. It was introduced in 2013 and is available in plastic bottles and cans.
- Kofola Meruňka – An apricot-flavored Kofola, introduced in 2015 and sold in plastic bottles.
- Kofola Meloun – This flavor tastes like watermelon. It came out in 2016 and is available in plastic bottles.
- Kofola Černý Rybíz – A blackcurrant-flavored Kofola, introduced in 2017 in plastic bottles and cans.
- Kofola Malina – This flavor is made with raspberry. It was introduced in 2017 and is sold in plastic bottles.
- Kofola Ostružina – A blackberry-flavored Kofola, introduced in 2018 in plastic bottles.
- Kofola Ananas – This flavor tastes like pineapple. It was introduced in 2018 and is available in cans.
- Kofola Grep – A grapefruit-flavored Kofola, introduced in 2018 and available in cans.
- Kofola Angrešt – This flavor is made with gooseberry. It was introduced in 2019 and is sold in plastic bottles.
Kofola also releases special limited-edition flavors. For example, a Christmas edition with a hint of cinnamon was sold at the end of 2007. From 2011 to 2016, a drink called Kofola Extra Herbal was available, which included dandelion, gentian, and peppermint. Other limited flavors have included cherry, pomegranate, almond, gingerbread, chocolate, coconut, walnut, plum, pear, and mandarin. The 2019 Christmas edition had a taste of apple and a bit of cinnamon.
Kofola Cocktails
People sometimes mix Kofola into fun drinks!
- The most famous cocktail with Kofola is called Kofrum, Handlová Libre, Student lemonade, Rebel, or Chequia Libre. It's made by mixing Kofola with Czech Tuzemák (a local rum) and lemon juice.
- Another mix is Kofola with pilsner lager beer. This drink is sometimes called Kofola 'n' Beer or Diesel.
See also
In Spanish: Kofola para niños
