28. East Germans developed Vita Cola as an alternative to Coca-Cola
Western products such as Coca-Cola were in short supply and in high demand. The GDR thus produced its own alternative in 1957: Vita Cola. As well as rivaling the immortal symbol of US capitalism, Vita Cola wasn’t prohibitively expensive or hard to find. At its peak popularity, 200 factories in East Germany produced the drink. Sales collapsed with the Berlin Wall, but soon East Germans began to feel nostalgic for it. Today, Vita Cola still outsells Pepsi and Coca-Cola in East Germany. Vita Cola fans point to its less-sweet, more-citrusy flavour as a reason for its success.
