Ad Feedback
When American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton reached his eureka moment on May 8, 1886, his formula for what would become Coca-Cola sparked a global soft drink revolution that still reverberates today.
In fact, it’s now possible to “buy the world a Coke,” as the 1970s jingle goes, in nearly every country — apart from Cuba, North Korea and, since 2022, Russia — but even these places have developed local substitutes to satisfy their citizens’ cola cravings.
Those same cravings have also inspired many entrepreneurs, enthusiasts and even governments around the world to create regional alternatives that incorporate native ingredients and novel formulas for a new cola experience from the roots up.
Often, the successful ones end up owned or part-owned by The Coca-Cola Company — such as Thums Up cola in India and Inca Kola in Peru — but here are eight indie colas around the world that fizz and froth like a classic cola but pour something very different.
