Beverages of Eras

[Prydania]

Tóki's Kóla, Sweet Taste of the North!
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Tóki's Kóla was founded by Tókiúrsk Adríel Hafnfjörð in 1905 in Hadden, Prydania. Originally marketed as "Tókiúrsk Kóla Wine," the drink's original recipe contained coca leaves and kola nuts. The drink was marketed to steel workers and ship builders in Hadden as a drink to provide energy during the work day and as a safe substitute for alcohol. This last bit cannot be overstated, as the industrial revolution lead to a push to limit alcohol consumption among the working class. It was in this environment that Tókiúrsk Kóla Wine thrived. The drink gained even more popularity in Hadden with the establishment of Midland Motors in 1916, and the expansion of the industrial working class within the city. The drink gained popularity throughout Prydania in the 1920s, and Hafnfjörð sold formula and company to Johan Stardal in 1926. Stardal's aggressive marketing campaign led the newly re-branded Tóki's Kóla being called "Prydania's second national drink" after Brennivín by 1932.

Tóki's suffered during the Fascist War due to rationing, resorting to bottling drinks in recycled glass bottles and temporarily switching ingredients to use fruit juices from fruit rinds. The Dominion's defeat turned out to be a blessing, however. Rationing was lifted and the new democratically elected government encouraged the free market with a number of economic incentives to rebound the economy in the post-war era. Tóki's Kóla would grow through the 50s, and explode to become a staple of Prydanian national identity thanks to the economic boom of the 1960s and 1970s. It was in 1958 that the mascot Tóki, a smiling man in a futuristic jump suit giving the thumbs up, was introduced.

Tóki's Kóla survived the return of fascism in 1984, in part due to the lack of wartime restrictions. Though the company's advertising, which had grown experimental and in line with the loosening of social morals in the 70s, was reverted to a more traditional message thanks to government censors. The Stardal family was all but wiped out in the Syndicalist coup of 2002. Syndicalist propaganda played up the brand's origins as a working man's drink and opted to continue its production. Though economic sanctions placed on the Syndicalist Republic meant its reach was a fraction of what it once was. In fact Tóki's international market share had been declining steadily since 1984 as more and more countries put up trade barriers in response to the previous fascist regime's government. Tóki's retained its distinctive blue cans, though Tóki the mascot featured a miner's helmet.

The assets to Tóki's were seized by the Royalist government following the collapse of the Syndicalist regime. The government auctioned the assets of the company off to Taurine Power, an energy drink company that had sprouted up in Prydania post-civil war.

Tóki's Kóla is slowly making its way back onto the international market, with it appearing as far away as Sorovia.

 

[Andrenne]

Rāne is a type of soda found in Skanda, and is typically put into a distinctive bottle known as an "usukui" (의すく위) bottle in Skanda. These bottles are made of glass and sealed with a marble, and have a thin neck. A plastic device (provided with the drink) is used to push the marble inwards. These distinctive bottles have made rāne a well known drink for the bottle alone and a symbol of modern Skandan culture. Of course, not all rāne is sold in these bottles and it may also be sold and commonly found in larger plastic bottles. The leading manufacturer and seller of rāne is the company Misazu; originally a mineral water company established in the mid-1800s, Misazu both introduced rāne to Skanda and shifted focus to rāne in 1886, with the original flavor being lemon. It was a huge hit among the people and has retained the usukui bottle since 1886 in it's standard design.

Oddly, in 1970, the "original" flavor became bubblegum with lemon becoming it's own separate lemonade flavor. The reasoning, according to Misazu, is that the bubblegum flavor (introduced in 1954) had become much more associated with rāne then the lemon flavor (not to say lemon was unpopular as that would be a lie). This can be partially attributed to Skandan soldiers in the Iterian War (1964-1967) who demanded rāne and other beverages on the frontlines. The original lemon flavor was reserved for the shelves of high-end supermarkets typically only shopped at by the communist party elites, while bubblegum was available to the masses. Misazu, then a subsidary of the government, sent crates of the bubblegum flavored rāne to the frontlines en masse as they simply had much more of it. Thus, for most Skandans and the soldiers, bubblegum became the standard flavor while lemonade/original, lime, and orange were much rarer and more expensive flavors.

Starting in 1977, two years after the death of dictator Jirou Yoshi'hiwe and de-isolation of Skanda, Misazu began to produce more flavors. The first of these new flavors were pineapple and coconut followed by numerous others in the years to come. These days the most popular of these flavors are original, lemonade, orange, pineapple, coconut, lychee, strawberry, mango, kiwi, and grape, however there are more than 100 flavors of rāne with new ones coming out yearly or bi-yearly. Misazu remains the King of Rāne, but is certainly not the only company to produce it, and it has even gained fame and admiration abroad in places like Demescia and Lawston, among others.

Misazu Rāne, Original Flavor
"Something Different, Something Good" - Motto of Misazu Rāne​

 

[ACR of Deerfenland]

Yakov Cola is a colorless, lemon, and lime-flavored soft drink created by The Asyan Soda Corporation. It is traditionally placed in several types of storage spaces, most commonly cans and plastic bottles. Typically, the bottles will a clear color and the cans will be black with the logo. Typically, each serving of Yakov Cola is 192 calories. Typical prices for these drinks will vary, but they are usually affordable by all classes and enjoyed by everyone in the Federal Republic of Asya. Yakov Cola gets its name from the city in which it was founded, Yakovonia, and carries the shortened name of Yakov. The soda is the newest in the Asyan Soda Corporation after its first sale in 2013. From there, Yakov Cola continues to be one of the most popular sodas in the Federal Republic of Asya.

The Asyan Soda Corporation was founded in 1881, upon its colonization period. The first sodas released from the Asyan Soda Corporation were Strawberry Lagoon, Orange Wonder, and Original Cola. These continued to be very popular from 1881 onto the next brand of sodas released. These included 8-Down, Mint Blaze, and Asya Mist. Asya Mist is known as the distant cousin of Yakov Cola with a similar lemon-lime taste, but with more sugar and calories added to it. Diet sodas of each were released in 1950 and the first branch of Original Zero was released in 2001. Plans for a drink with less soda, fewer calories, but with a similar taste of 8-Down and Asya Mist came into effect in 2004, but the formula for the Yakov Cola was not created, nor acted upon until 2007.

The first sale of Yakov Cola was in July of 2013 in the city of Yakovonia. Storelux recorded the first sales, and upon a week of selling, Storelux had to restock the soda. Shortly after, stores such as Apex, Ace, 99C, Bubbly, Highmart, Yevich, Yaku, Salnikov, and Gunin started picking up the sales of Yakov Cola. As of now, it keeps its original lemon-lime flavor, but now it also has flavors such as vanilla, cranberry, and strawberry as well as a Yakov Zero. All of these are sold in restaurants, stores, and along the major Asyan Airline Carriers and it is being advertised to other major global airlines to this day.

 

[Highton]

Zitrona is a popular Hightonian soda which is citrus flavored. The generic flavor (known simply as Zitrona) is a mix of orange and lemon. Zitrona also provides simple lemon, orange, and lemon-lime flavors.

 

[Vivanco]

VIVAN-COLA, THE "DUKE" OF THE SHELVES​

In 1904, in the small town of Villaendro, there was a huge health problem. Some form of pox (called the O-Four Pox) had plagued the country for some weeks, and it soon had reached the village. There, a scientist by the name of Hermenegildo Dosdedosdefrente, with the help of the resources they could find, helped to develop some form of beverage that would, if not heal such pox, to aliviate the pain that it provoked upon those who suffered it. This first beverage was called "Kol-A", mainly because of the main ingredient that was used to get the needed chemical reaction, Cabagge (Kol in Vivanquian).

While the beverage did not have the intended effect as a medical instrument for the pox, it did gain some popularity due to the gas within it, for those who had stomach aches or so. And so, this begun to be produced.

Soon enough, the name of Vivan-Cola would come up years after, with the son of Hermenegildo, Eufrasio Dosdedosdefrente, founding a company in this name with the goal of distributing this beverage in a national-wide view, in 1942.

And ever since, this drink has evolved from its quirky cabagge flavour, to many others, such as lime, orange, and even cherry! But still, the Cabagge one is the one most sold in the internal market of the country.

In the external market, it has some important weight, mostly in the country of Lawston, where the company is said to do the most exports to.

 

[North Timistania]

"Few companies in Eras can claim to so completely embody capitalism's worst excesses as Kosh"
-Excerpt from Iterian Financial Brief

In the grandest traditions of irony Kosh actually began its life as a well-respected automobile manufacturer known for its quality products and excellent treatment of staff. Founded in 1890 by the Kosh noble family the Kosh cartel grew rich in the automobile boom of 1895-1922, their patented dark red vehicles being a favourite amongst Astragon's middle-class workers. However, the cartel's fortunes changed for the worst when the nations stock market crashed in 1925. where larger cartels were saved either by government assistance or amalgamation, the mid-sized Kosh cartel fell into debt and faced bankruptcy as its factories became too expensive to run and its industrial caste workers too expensive to pay. The automobile company held on largely by life support and nostalgia until the mid-1950's when the companies ageing founder Jomo Na Kosh died of a stroke.

Faydan Kosh, Jomo's eldest son, claimed leadership of the failing business and soon decided to institute the changes that would forever soil the companies name and reputation. Faydan discontinued car manufacturing and laid off the industrial caste staff. Taking advantage of the growing numbers of menial caste created by debt and criminality Faydan shifted Kosh towards the manufacture of cheap consumable products that he believed would put Kosh back on the financial map. Ageing car plants were clumsily repurposed to serve as assembly lines and Kosh soon began to produce everything from powdered milk to soft drinks, largely without any real understanding of how to properly do so.

Kosh's products were cheap and mass-produced and of absolutely shocking quality, only the truly desperate would buy such substandard items. Kosh soon found itself relegated to selling its products to the poorest sections of Astragon. Interestingly the main consumers of Kosh products were the menial workers that staffed Faydan's factories, their salaries being too meagre to afford anything else. Kosh got a break in 1968 when the Astragonese prison system sought to cut costs and chose Kosh products as its new supplier but the company largely failed to break into wider markets, even the lowest industrial caste worker could afford better.

In an attempt to diversify their product line the cartel introduced Koshcola to the market in 1971. Cheaply made in aluminium cans the depressing dark red spray paint was the same that had once adorned Kosh automobiles, the drink inside was even more miserable. Koshcola has been described as possessing a sticky and saccharine taste which evolves quickly into a bitter aftertaste of lead, the product soon found a market amongst menial slum dwellers who wanted a sugar fix. The Kosh brand largely now caters to societies most desperate, the menials and prison populations of the exalted empire subsisting on its pitiful produce. Koshcola like its alcoholic cousin, Kosh Light, has recently become the source of an unusual form of attention.

Iraelian teenagers with access to blogs and disposable income began recording videos connected to the so-called "Kosh challenge" in which they would drink Kosh products and record their reactions. The Kosh challenge injected a new stream of revenue (however unflattering) into Kosh's accounts and the company soon began branching into social media with slogans such as "are you strong enough to survive the Kosh challenge"

Kosh has been banned in over 40 countries including Saintonage, Iraelia, Predice and Prydania.​

 

[Antonius Kaizuniviel]

Hindenhausen Trocken (soft drink)

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Hindenhausen Trocken (Mercanti translation: “Hindenhausen dry”) is a brand of soft drinks owned by Hindenhausen Getränke AG. Although known for its dry ginger ale, the company does make other soft drinks under the brand.

The word “trocken” (“dry”) in the brand's name refers to not being sweet, as in a dry wine. When it was first made, it was far less sweet than other ginger ales then available; as a result, it was labelled it “dry”.

It was originally made by the chemist and apothecary Jakob Overath in 1887 when he opened the Hindenhausen Ginger Ale Factory, a carbonated water plant in the town of the same name. Six years later, in 1893, he began developing flavour extracts to add to the water. That year, he introduced “Hindenhausen Dry Ginger Ale” (Aleman: Hindenhausen Trockenes Ingwer Ale), or Hindenhausen Dry (“Hindenhausen Trocken”) for short. Initially, it was meant to be a treatment for stomachaches, but then it gained popularity when it started to be used as a mixer for alcoholic beverages in the 1910s in areas where alcohol was prohibited. By the 1930s, the company expanded into the international stage, but its expansion was at a slower rate due largely to the Fascist War. By war’s end, the company introduced other products as the company expanded, and the brand became more widely known.


Today, Hindenhausen Trocken is sold in the international market, and comes in other soft drinks other than ginger ale including, but not limited to, lemon-lime, strawberry, grape, and orange flavour drinks.

 

[Kyle]

OOC: Well it's time to WB the soda I had mentioned in some of my previous RP posts like that in Une croix à porter.

Vin Mariane is one of the oldest ‘soda pop’ drinks in the world. Invented in 1817 by the vintner Jules-Martin Casaubon, he named it after his wife, Mariane.

The invention of Vin Mariane came out of necessity, during the “Great Santonian Food Glut” of 1816-1819. Casaubonwas a vineyard owner and producer of red champagne wine in La Croix-en-Beauce (Rhue). Because of Santonian agricultural overproduction, the prices of most agricultural goods were depressed. Farmers had to come up with creative ways to stockpile or sell their excess produce.

While the Santonian government bought up excess production, some, like Casaubon, also experimented with making new products. In 1816, Casaubon steeped local herbs (à la Chartreuse liquor) in his excess red champagne. The herbs included Santonian sage (Salvia santonica), cartôme (Mitragyna turbatorica), numbleaf (Torpetes campanensis), wild ‘Bavarian’ coffee (Caffea bavarica), and sunpotion (Coruscantia soli). These herbs were recommended by his brother Jérôme-Matthias, who worked as an apothecary in Vouthon (Rhue).

Casaubon noticed a good effect on him when he drank the resulting concoction in 1817, which would soon be reflected in the claims for Vin Mariane: restore health, strength, energy and vitality. His brother also experienced the same effect when he drank it as a tonic, and the two worked to market the product in the Vouthon area. Word-of-mouth soon spread about the amazing qualities of Vin Mariane, reaching regional cities such as Feurs, Beauséjour, and Senlis.

Vin Mariane reached national popularity when Antoine-Évariste Beauperrey, Bishop of Senlis, sent a few bottles to Pope-King Timothée I in 1819. The Pope-King reportedly became an adherent of Vin Mariane; its popularity soon exploded.

Casaubon and his brother did not solely benefit from the popularity of Vin Mariane. He handed over the recipe to his local winemaking cooperative, and soon the entire cooperative was making Vin Mariane for the thirsty nation. Initially marketed as medicine and tonic, another family-friendly version of Vin Mariane was released in 1885, which was suitable for children. The alcohol content was reduced, the herbs were pre-treated before addition (because the alcohol was the solvent that extracted the active ingredients in the herbs, so this step was needed), and the drink made much more sweeter with the addition of caramel and beet sugar. The first step, making the red champagne, was also eliminated, but the base of the Vin Mariane was still grape juice.

This version of Vin Mariane (‘nouveau Vin Mariane’) eclipsed the popularity of the old formula (‘ancien Vin Mariane’). The old formula became increasingly relegated to pharmacies, until in 1956, the CAVB (Coopérative agricole des vignerons du Beauce), which produces Vin Mariane, stopped the production of the old formula and concentrated on the new one. The CAVB instead focused on modernising the production appealing to the new generations, and producing other flavours to compete with other ‘soda’ producers. Until today, Santonian public opinion holds that “Vin Mariane” is a healthier soda, hence its continuing solid market share in Saintonge.

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OOC Notes: The inspiration is IRL Vin Mariani, which itself was the inspiration for Coca-Cola and all of those copycat sodas that are more popular today. Also, all of the plants are inventions, though some are analogues of RL plants.

 

[North Timistania]

Otto's Apfelspritz represents one of the great post-war success stories of Hessunland, founded in 1992 by apple farmer turned entrepreneur Elias Bauer, Otto's quickly became one of the premier brands to enter the newly liberalized markets. Elias was the son of successful growers, his father Otto owning a large orchard outside of Salzen, he grew to maturity largely shielded from the horrors that consumed the rest of the country during the Gotmark war. The bombings and occupations that characterized large urban centres never reached Salzen, it being a small and insignificant rural town, instead, the area remained largely intact. Bauer sought to take advantage of the new liberal economy of post-war Hessunland, he took out a loan with his parent's assent and opened a small factory on the outskirts of town.

Using real apples from the Bauer orchards and colourful green cans with cheerful white ink and a moustache based upon Otto Bauers own handlebar, the brand soon took off as a successful soft drink. Otto's was favoured over foreign drinks because of several factors, it was cheap, locally owned and easy to find in a nation where imports were rare. During the early years of the Republic where rebuilding was a daily struggle, Otto's came to symbolize a cheerful distraction from the hardscrabble post-war life. As the nation rebuilt and life became easier, Otto's became an object of nostalgia and a household name.

Elias opened several more factories across Hessunland in the late '90s and eventually entered into a franchise merger with the largest beverage corporation in the country, Saar.co. The merger allowed Otto's to reach a much larger audience as Saar.co began to sell the product beyond Hessunland, the signature green and white cans becoming a hit in many convenience stores and supermarkets. Otto's is known for its crisp and very full-bodied fruit flavour, very few artificial sugars being used in the canning process, the beverages overall taste is refreshing and free from unpleasant aftertaste seen in cheaper brands. Otto's is easy to find in Gothis and recently released a special edition blue and gold can celebrate the creation of NGEC.

 

[Prydania]

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LáBru is a relatively modern beer. It was founded after the Civil War by Láufar Gyldenlove and Brunjólfur Dokken with a government aid business grant. The two lifelong friends saw that there was an opening to be had, with the country's two traditional brewers, Víking and Gull, recovering from fifteen years of Syndicalist management.

LáBru is sold as a cheap option, and has gained a following among the burgeoning heavy metal scene in Prydania. Detractors refer to it as "barely beer" and "water," but remains popular at its low price (each can is only x6.58) and 4.8% alcohol content.

LáBru's mascot is Beygjar the Robot (Beygjar in Vélmenni) was a cartoon doodle by Láufar. The sketch was noticed by a crowd of customers at a concert in Haland, with one patron suggesting they sell merch with the cartoon. Láufar and Brunjólfur had shirts with Beygjar the Robot holding LáBru cans a month later. He's grown into a beloved mascot for the brand.

 

[Paxiosolange]

          

          

The Miyo Miyo logos from 1917-1967, 1967-1983, and 1983-​

Miyo Miyo (stylized "MIYO MIYO") is a soft drink company founded in Menykawn in 1905. The drink was previously sold locally in Menykawn as a medicinal formula aimed to treat a wide variety of afflictions including insomnia (namoya kînipaw) and depression (pîkiskâtikosiwin). The company's early success in the 20th century coupled with the passage of the Factories Act, 1905 allowed the company to pursue a broader market through industrialization. They founded their company that year and leased an industrial warehouse to begin increasing the production of their product, now marketed as a sweet beverage. They saw impressive initial success, and accumulated the funds to expand their merchandise into both Tawaic and Wasaw. However, very quickly the tables turned against the small soda company as they did with all industrializing businesses of the era. As popular opinion swayed against the unsightly, polluting factories, The Industrial Development Act, 1906 now confined all industry to the northwest. The company did not have the capital nor the means of transportation to move their operations to Assapisk, and thus following the mawat (policy), the company downsized. It wasn't until 1909 when their fate would begin to change again. That year, an elderly man found the last individual Miyo Miyo store in Menykawn on his daily walk and became ecstatic that the company had not gone under. The man claimed that the soft drink was one of his favourite items at the time, and lamented over the company going out of business. As a result of the interaction, the man promised to bankroll the Miyo Miyo company as a primary investor. The acclimatization was difficult. Since 1905, the industrial landscape of the Tusacaway had fluctuated rapidly through a series of mawata on the rapid modernization. The Factories Act, 1907, now forbade private companies from operating their own warehouses and instead had them either purchase their refined materials from state-owned industry in the northwest or open a new factory under government intervention. This system had advantages as it meant that the transportation and manufacturing of goods was now in the hands of another party, but it also meant that the company could not so easily direct their own quotas. Despite the inconvenience, Miyo Miyo took off again in 1910, reaching new horizons with their product. In 1917, there were 10 stores in Menykawn, 5 in Tawaic, and 2 in Wasaw. The company survived the rampant monopolization threats subdued by the Commerce Antitrust Act series in the 1910s, and pushed forwards into the midcentury. By 1953, there was at least one Miyo Miyo vendor in every major town in the Tusacaway. Finally, in 1968, the company licensed local businesses to order and sell their soft drinks. Since that point, Miyo Miyo has remained an icon of the Tusacwyan industrial revolution. Having survived the volatile dawn of the industrial world and the encroachment of Miyo Miyo, the beverage has become a staple soft drink in Tusacwyan culture.

 

[Loz]

Kharzak is a type of Alnarian Whiskey, aged in barrels and primarily distilled from corn and rye. Kharzak originates from the Kharzad region of Alnaria, and has since become the national staple and source of pride for Alnarians. The Whiskey is know for its full body flavors acquired during aging, often of vanilla and other spices.

Per the Primacy of Alnaria the legal definition of Kharzak is as follows:

1: Must be distilled in Alnaria
2: Made from grain mixture comprising at least 40% corn and 20% rye.
3: Distilled to no more than 160 proof (80% alcohol by volume)
4: Entered into the container for aging at no more than 125 proof (62.5% alcohol by volume)
5: Bottled (like other whiskeys) at 80 proof or more (40% alcohol by volume)

Production:

Kharzak is made by first creating a mash of corn, rye, and smaller amounts of other cereal grains. The mash is mixed with water and combined with yeast in order to be distilled. This distillation produces a clear spirit which is then placed in wood barrels for aging. Sugars and other compounds found in the wood of the barrels provide the whiskey with its signature look and taste. There are no requirements on aging, however longer aged Kharzaks are lauded for begin fuller of flavor and easier on the way down. Kharzak that has been rushed through the aging process has what is know as a "bite" or a burning sensation while drunk. While this is sought after be certain drinkers, Kharzaks with less bite are often considered higher in quality, and certainly higher in price.

 

[Loz]

Iaima is a spirit distilled from the Agave plant. Production of the sprit is a careful and largely manual process. Iaimadors monitor the growth of the plant carefully for the right time to harvest. If harvested too early or too late the plant will not have the proper amount of carbohydrates needed for fermentation. When the Iaimadors deem the time to be right, the sharp leaves are removed, and the core of the plant is harvested. The plant itself can be rather large, typically weighing between 70 and 110 kilograms. Following the harvest, the cores are put together in an oven to bake slowly to break down their complex fructans into simple fructoses. When the cores are done baking they are shredded or mashed into a pulp. The liquid produced by this mashing is then placed in barrels to ferment. The fermented liquid is then distilled twice to produce Iaima.

 

[North Timistania]

Palm wine(M'Aanya Okha) has been a staple beverage in Astragon for untold Millennia, the first Ubgandian settlers found that the Iterian palm was similar enough to those in Metterra to allow for widespread sap cultivation. Palm wine is noted for its low alcohol content and sweet taste and has become synonymous in most areas of Astragon as a drink of choice for every occasion from birth to a funeral. The Palm wine has a significant role in many Ubgandian tribal societies within the Exalted empire, traditionally a toast will be given to the ancestors before any of the wine is imbibed with some of the substance being poured upon the ground to honour those who have come before.

Palm wine cultivation can be found in both the Toruba lands of eastern Astragon (where the practice of sap tapping is first believed to have been introduced to Iteria) and across the wider nation. Palm wine is particularly deceptive as its sweet taste and seemingly small alcohol content have often led men to overindulge. Palm wine is often referred to as the "philosophers drink" due to its connotations of cultural heritage and mysticism. Traditionally priests and high society scholars would drink the beverage giving it a timeless air of dignity and cultural prominence.

Palm wine has a thick texture and sweet, sugary, taste and typically ferments within minutes of being extracted from the date palm tree, for this reason, it is seldom exported as it does not keep and will become sour and similar to vinegar if left out for prolonged periods of time. However recent advances in preservation techniques (courtesy of B&K's food and beverage division) have yielded results on mainland Iteria, notable markets are beginning to open up including in Alnaria.

 

[Loz]

A Iaimarta is a staple, Iaima based Alnarian mixed drink. The recipe is as follows:

-50 mL Iaima
-20 mL Orange liqueur
-15 mL Lime juice

Shaken and poured over crushed Ice with a salt rim glass, some have been known to use sugar,, but this is largely seen as an abomination. The origin of the Iaimarta is a matter of spirited debate throughout Alnaria, with many of the nation's provinces claiming to be its home. Booze historians however place Rohirrik as its home.