Pucko facts for kids

Pucko's standard logo in 2021.

Pucko is a popular Swedish chocolate milk drink. It is made from milk, sugar, and chocolate. Today, a company called Cocio in Denmark makes Pucko.

The Story of Pucko

How Pucko Began

Two glass bottles of Pucko, one smaller and one larger, in 2011.

Pucko was first made in 1953 by a company called Mjölkcentralen. This company later became Arla Foods. The drink was officially launched in 1954. It got its name from a chocolate ice cream called "Choklad-puck." The word "Puck" was used in many of Mjölkcentralen's products, even a type of cheese.

Early Popularity and Design Changes

Pucko quickly became a hit! At a big product show in 1955, almost 20,000 bottles were sold in just 16 days. By the mid-1960s, sales had grown ten times bigger.

The first Pucko bottle looked a bit like the Coca-Cola bottle. But this design was soon changed. The next bottle design was used for a long time, until the year 2000. Then, it was updated slightly to the bottle shape you see today.

Changes in Production

Over the years, Pucko's production moved around. In 1975, another company called Semper started making it. Semper was a part of Arla at that time. In 1987, the factory moved to a new town called Laholm. The original factory in Järlåsa then closed.

Arla sold Semper in 2003, but they kept the rights to Pucko. So, Pucko continued to be made at the Semper factory in Laholm.

Moving to Denmark

On July 1, 2005, Pucko's production moved to Cocio in Esbjerg, Denmark. This move to a company in another country made some people in Sweden upset. Especially Swedish hot dog sellers, who loved Pucko! About 12 people lost their jobs in Laholm because of this change.

In 2008, Arla bought the rest of Cocio. This meant Cocio became fully owned by Arla. So, Arla took full control of making Pucko again. Around that time, during a period of economic difficulty, sales of chocolate milk drinks like Pucko went down.

For a while after the move to Cocio, Pucko bottles also had the Cocio brand name on them. But by 2021, Pucko was branded on its own again, without the Cocio name.

What is Pucko Like?

Different Sizes and Flavors

Pucko is a cold chocolate drink. You can usually find it in small 20 cl glass bottles with a screw top. There are also slightly bigger bottles available. Today, Pucko is also sold in cartons, 1 L bottles, and 25 cl aluminum cans.

You can even find Pucko in different versions! There's a diet version, a dark chocolate version, and some with added flavors.

How Pucko is Made

Pucko is made from regular pasteurized milk. The milk is heated to 75°C (167°F). Then, sugar, cocoa, and a special caramel flavoring are added. This caramel flavoring is what gives Pucko its unique, mild taste. The mixture is then processed and cooled down. After that, it's ready to be bottled!

Pucko and Hot Dogs

Pucko served with a "hel special" hot dog.

You can buy Pucko in most Swedish shops that sell cold drinks. But it's especially famous for being sold at hot dog stands! It's a common idea that Swedes often order a hot dog with a Pucko. Even though it's a popular image, we don't know exactly how many people actually choose this combination.

In the city of Gothenburg, some people use a special slang word for Pucko when ordering at a hot dog stand. They call it "Stockholmare." This is because Pucko is often enjoyed with a local Gothenburg dish called "halv special" or "hel special." These dishes are hot dogs served in a bun with mashed potatoes on top. "Halv special" means "half special" (one hot dog), and "hel special" means "whole special" (two hot dogs).

Pucko has become so well-known that some people call it a "national beverage" or a "cult drink." It's even seen as a symbol for Sweden!

Nutrition Facts