The origins of Kofola date from the late nineteen-fifties when the top politicians in the then Czechoslovakia demanded that a non-alcoholic beverage be developed and produced as an alternative to the unavailable western brands of Coca-Cola or Pepsi.
Kofola was first launched on the market in 1960 and during the nineteen-seventies became a kind of counterpart to the “Capitalist” Coca-Cola. After the fall of the Communist rule in 1989 Kofola had to compete with foreign rival brands and resist the flood of Coca-Cola and Pepsi, which dominated the market for some time. The situation began to change in the late nineteen-nineties. In 1998 the Kofola brand re-entered the Czech market to become one of the best selling Cola drinks in the Czech Republic.
The secret of this achievement is concealed in the unique flavour of the KOFO syrup, which is the basis of the drink. It is a blend of herbal and fruit extracts with a content of caffeine; the blend consists of 14 substances of natural character, which give the drink its distinctive refreshing taste and characteristic aroma. Unlike the classical Cola-family beverages, Kofola has almost one-third less sugar and only half as much caffeine. Kofola does not contain phosphoric acid. It is gently carbonated, can be drunk in large quantities and is perfect for quenching thirst. It tastes best when served chilled.
Besides the basic Kofola drink there are two more variants: the lemon flavoured Kofola citrus and diet Kofola, which does not contain any sugar.