Communist scientists built a Cold War cola to beat Coke. It’s still a hit — along with these 7 other global rivals

Toba Toba is made on a tiny Japanese island. (Toba Toba Cola/Keithland Inc. via CNN Newsource)

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.

Kofola, Czechia

“Love is in Kofola’s DNA” declares this Czech take on cola. What’s actually in this formula is a secret recipe of 14 herbal and fruit extracts, plus caffeine, created during the Cold War in then Czechoslovakia. It was the result of a state assignment, issued to the United Pharmaceutical Works, to create a purely Czechoslovak drink tasty enough to compete with cola drinks from the capitalist West.

The result, Kofola, looks every bit like a Coke in appearance but tastes more herbal in flavour. Among the 14 ingredients in the proprietary Kofo syrup that make it so are raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, cinnamon, licorice, caramel, apple, cherry and orange peel. On top of that, it has 30 per cent less sugar than a Coke and no phosphoric acid.

It’s an acquired taste for some, but as the Kofola slogan says: “If you love it, then there’s nothing to work out.”

Cockta, Slovenia

Another chapter in the cola Cold War, Cockta landed on its formula in 1952, thanks to Emerik Zelinka, professor of chemistry at the University of Ljubljana in then Yugoslavia. Within a year, it was filling bottles and refreshing Yugoslavs as the new national drink. Like many Cold War colas, it almost fell with communism but eventually recovered and found success under capitalism — and quite a bit of it. Today, Cockta is distributed in 18 countries, including the United States.

New fans are won over by the tart, citrus, floral flavour that comes from its secret, caffeine-free combination of 11 herbs and spices, including pomegranate, lemon and orange. But the primary tasting note comes care of the dog rose berry, aka “rosehip.” Cockta also mixes remarkably well with Slovenian red Refošk wine to create a bambus, the local name for a red wine and cola mix.

Ojaja Cola, Nigeria

This Nigerian cola, launched with great fanfare in February 2026, comes with spiritual and royal roots. In fact, it’s the brainchild of His Imperial Majesty Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, the 51st Ooni of Ife and spiritual leader of the Yoruba people. The African homeland is written into the drink’s DNA, with 100 per cent indigenous ingredients, including everything from actual kola nuts that provide natural caffeine to a spicy ginger kick.

The mission goes further, as the Ooni of Ife noted on his Instagram page at the launch. “This milestone transcends the realm of beverages,” he wrote. “Every aspect of the Ojaja brand reflects an unwavering commitment to national pride and industrial advancement.”

Cunnington Cola, Argentina

This Argentinian brand may have taken the longest journey of any world cola. After travelling through 19th-century India, William Cunnington, an English lord, developed a formula of fizzy tonic water, which Argentinian Juan Vicente Sangiácomo got the rights to produce in the 1920s.

Later decades saw new owners take the reins and introduce new soft drinks, leading to the launch of Cunnington Cola in 2008. The taste is described as less sweet and fizzy than a Coke, with hints of tonic for some. Perhaps more importantly for many Argentinians, it mixes well with Fernet to make the unofficial national drink of Argentina, the “Fernandito.”

Toba Toba Cola, Japan

Tiny Kikaijima Island, 240 miles south of mainland Japan, is an unlikely home for an elite cola. But Toba Toba Cola has grown in reputation and pedigree, earning shout-outs in “Elle Japan” and “National Geographic France.” That’s because they have created a cola concoction unlike any other, marrying the kola nut with the island’s native shiiku citrus fruit, raw brown sugar, and a blend of 14 spices — some of which are hand-ground — to create a versatile cola-coloured syrup.

Mix it with carbonated water to make a cola, but it works equally well blended into tea, milk, wine, beer and whiskey. A few sips may also capture the spirit of the name, which comes from the Kikaijima dialect and means “excited,” “uplifted,” or “joyful.”

Brio Chinotto, Canada

This Toronto institution began in 1959 when Italian immigrants sought to salve their homesickness for the Chinotto, a soda launched in 1930s Italy based on a citrus fruit of the same name. Importing the extract, they created a version with a cola colour and bittersweet Campari-like flavour that polarizes the public into lovers and haters.

The former far outnumber the latter, which led to significant success over the following decades, and the Brio Chinotto is now available in every province. Today, it’s as Toronto as the peameal bacon sandwich, even joining forces with Shake Shack this summer to create the Brio Chinotto milkshake.

Bobby Cola, Australia

Conceived as a bridge between a drink that tastes good and is good for you, this Australian cola jumps on the health bandwagon by adding prebiotics, reducing sugar and calories — 8 grams and 44 calories per can — and removing preservatives, caffeine and artificial flavours (although Erythritol enhances sweetness). This formula gives it a lighter, less syrupy flavour.

Certainly, Bobby’s success has been sweet for founder Kristian Johannsen, who launched the soda in 2021 with a US$60,000 investment and tightly crossed fingers. Today, it’s stocked in 3,500 retailers across Australia and New Zealand and as of 2025 was seeing monthly revenue growth of 430 per cent.

Salaam Cola, U.K. / Turkiye

This cola mixes political and social activism into its formula, with a focus on the Middle East. Launched in 2023 by British entrepreneur, Aykiz Shah, who brewed the first batches in her kitchen, the halal-certified cola has seen explosive growth.

Within 16 months, it was for sale in 18 countries, with the company having set up production facilities in Turkiye. Three years later, it’s sold across 34 countries. Ten percent of its profits are pledged to aid projects in partnership with Muslims in Need, a U.K.-registered charity. As Shah states, “Salaam Cola was created not only to provide aid but to rebuild lives.” As for the flavour, it was described by food website “Eater” as being like “eating a sweet pinecone,” which echoes Salaam’s own description of “earthy herbs and warm spices, finishing with a sharp, zesty citrus twist.”

By Mike Dunphy, CNN