Pakola facts for kids
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| Type | Cola |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Pakistan |
| Introduced | 14 August 1950 |
| Color | Green |
| Flavor | Ice-cream Soda |
| Variants | Pakola Fresh Lime Pakola Orange Pakola Raspberry Pakola Ice-cream Soda Pakola Lychee Pakola Pomegranate |
Pakola is a popular fizzy drink from Pakistan. Its name comes from Pakistan-Cola. It's known for its unique ice-cream soda flavor and green color.
Contents
The Story of Pakola
Pakola was created by seven brothers from the Teli family. They moved to Pakistan from India in 1947. The main idea came from Haji Ali Mohammad. He wanted to make a drink that truly showed the taste of Pakistan.
The drink first appeared on August 14, 1950. This was Pakistan's Independence Day. It was launched at a Pakistan Air Force base. The first Prime Minister, Liaquat Ali Khan, was there.
In the early 1960s, people started mixing Pakola with cold milk. They served it in jugs during 'iftars' in Ramadan. This made the drink even more popular.
Later, a company called Pakistan Beverages (PB) was started. It was in Karachi's S.I.T.E. industrial area. This became the main place where Pakola was made. In 1979, Pakistan Beverages also started making Pepsi.
This led to the creation of Mehran Bottlers. Haji Ali Mohammad's nephews, Zafir Habib and Arif Habib, managed it. They kept making Pakola and other drinks. These included Apple Sidra and Bubble Up.
In 2004, Mehran Bottlers and Pakistan Beverages began making drinks in cans. That same year, Zeeshan Z. Habib became the chief executive officer of Mehran Bottlers.
Different Kinds of Pakola
Pakola has introduced many different flavors over the years:
- Pakola Ice Cream Soda (1950)
- Pakola Orange (1985)
- Pakola Raspberry (1985)
- Pakola Lychee (1991)
- Pakola Fresh Lime (2006)
- Pakola Water (2015)
- Pakola Pomegranate (2016)
- Pakola Vimto
- Apple Sidra
- Forest (Club Soda)
What's in Pakola?
Pakola is made with several ingredients. These include carbonated water and sugar. It also has citric acid and artificial cream soda flavor. The green color comes from food colors FD&C Bleu No 1 (E 133) and FD&C Yellow No.5 (E 102). Sodium benzoate is also added.
A typical can of Pakola (250 ml) has 34 grams of sugar. It also contains 15 milligrams of sodium. It has no cholesterol, no fat, and no protein. Each can has about 130 calories.
How Pakola is Made
Today, Pakola is produced by Mehran Bottlers. They are the company that makes the drink.
Where Can You Find Pakola?
Pakola is now sold all over the world. You can find it in America, Africa, Australia, and Canada. It's also available in the Middle East, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. It is the only fizzy drink made in Pakistan that is sold globally.
Why No More Glass Bottles?
In 2013, a special tax was introduced in Pakistan. This tax was on the machinery used to make drinks. It made it harder for companies that produced less. Because of this tax, Pakola stopped making drinks in glass bottles.
After this tax system changed, Mehran Bottlers quickly started using PET plastic bottles. This helped them get back into the market.
