During Soviet times there were a lot of red brands made to mimic stuff created in the West, some such as the toilet paper are not missed, cars like the Yugo are fondly remembered, while some have gone but been resurrected due to nostalgia. We introduce Vita Cola.
Originally launched in 1958 to take on the capitalist pigs at Coca-Cola, it slowly grew to be loved for its unique flavour, one some argue was much less sweet and mass-produced than Coke. Alas, it was initially at least to go the way of the Trabant, before being resurrected in 1994. Since then it has made a storming comeback and is now unsurprisingly the top-selling Cola brand – in the East anyway.
So, what is the Vita Cola story? Well, strap in and get ready for some Ostalgie!
Table of Contents
The Vita Cola Story
Germany was not all that much fun circa 1950, with most of the country flattened and there being not all that much joy. Said lack of joy was further exacerbated if you lived in the communist-controlled East, where you could not even get a Coca-Cola, or the newly minted and Nazi-invented Fanta. To solve the problem of people leaving the German Democratic Republic on some #ColaQuest, the government decided to invent a People’s Coke. Namely Vita Cola.
This happened in 1958 when it was produced by VEB Chemische Fabrik Miltitz, a state-owned chemical factory near Leipzig in East Germany – and it flourished big time, becoming the drink of choice in a nation that are really into soft drinks a lot. And it did so well in part because it was good. I will deal with modern taste later, but generally it was seen as more natural and less sweet than its bourgeois alternative. This was all well and good until the wall came down and took Vita Cola with it.
This was until 1994 when Ostalgie, a cute term for missing parts of Communist Germany, led to Thüringer Waldquell Mineralbrunnen GmbH, a drinks company based in Schmalkalden, Thuringia (gotta love German names), giving it a reboot. And since that time it has grown to be the 5th biggest seller in Germany overall, but number 1 in many parts of what was the DDR. This may not sound all that impressive, but you have to realise Germans are mad about and drink a lot of Coke. This is to such a degree that they have their own separate soft drink made by mixing Coke and Fanta – namely Spezi.
Oh, and Vita Cola is not to be confused with Club Cola, which was also made in East Germany as a red direct competitor to Coke, but has not fared so well.
How Does Vita Cola Taste?
Firstly, Vita Cola looks great and frankly GDR retro, which immediately gives its presentation points. Taste-wise it is described as less sweet and more citrus-like. I would go further to say it is almost veering towards being a sarsaparilla. This now leaves the only important, yet unanswered question: can you mix it with liquor?
Well, the good news is that yes, you can, with it being fine with vodka, rum, or of course as a chaser to some super strong East German schnapps. So, if you do find yourself heading from Berlin down to Leipzig, Chemnitz or the like as you head down what was the former internal border of the two Germanies, then grab a Vita Cola for a pure Ostalgie experience.
Overall #ColaQuest score 8/10 – but #CommunistColaQuest? 10/10 baby.
Click to see our East Germany Tours – Vita Cola Optional
