Vita-Cola
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Vita Cola (VEET-ah KOHL-a) is a cola beverage produced in eastern Germany. It was originally an imitation of Coca-Cola produced in the German Democratic Republic, also known as East Germany. It was introduced in 1957, advertised as a Brauselimonade mit Frucht- und Kräutergeschmack (fizzy beverage with fruit and herb flavor) and using a formula that is still kept secret (rather like Coca-Cola's "Merchandise 7X" formula). At its peak, Vita Cola was bottled in over 200 factories.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall and Iron Curtain in 1989, Vita Cola's business quickly collapsed and Western cola brands took its place. However, with the advent of Ostalgie (nostalgia among Ossis for the "old days" in East Germany), many former East German products were brought back, Vita Cola being one of the most popular. The firm Thüringer Waldquell (itself an eastern German company) secured the rights to the name and formula and began producing Vita-Cola in 1994. Currently Vita Cola sponsors FC Hansa Rostock, an Eastern German football club.
Vita Cola's flavor is best described as cola-like with a strong note of lemon and fruit flavoring. It is also noticeably less sweet than Afri-Cola, Coca-Cola or Pepsi-Cola, and has a slightly oily consistency due to its use of citrus and other aromatic oils in the formula.