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White Coke

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History:
– Marshal Zhukov requested White Coke, a colorless variant of Coca-Cola
– Introduced to Coca-Cola by Dwight D. Eisenhower during or after WWII
Coca-Cola symbolized American imperialism in the Soviet Union
– Zhukov hesitated to be associated with Coca-Cola
– Zhukov inquired about packaging Coca-Cola to resemble vodka

Manufacture:
– General Mark W. Clark passed Zhukov’s request to President Truman
– James Farley delegated the special order to Mladin Zarubica
– Zarubica found a chemist to remove the coloring from Coca-Cola
– White Coke was bottled in clear glass with a white cap and red star
– First shipment of White Coke consisted of 50 cases

Regulations:
– White Coke led to a relaxation of regulations in Allied-occupied Austria
Coca-Cola shipments were not stopped in the Soviet occupation zone
– Goods entering the Soviet zone were cleared quickly for Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola supplies were transported between the Lambach plant and Vienna
Coca-Cola was exempt from the usual delays in the Soviet zone

Related Products:
– See also: Coca-Cola Clear and Crystal Pepsi

References:
– Tommy O’Callaghan’s article on White Coke
– Cordelia Hebblethwaite’s report on countries without Coca-Cola
– Mark Pendergrast’s piece on the history of Coca-Cola
– Tom Standage’s book “A History of the World in Six Glasses”
– Various references on Coca-Cola’s global presence and legal cases

White Coke (Wikipedia)

White Coke (Russian: Бесцветная кока-кола, tr. Bestsvetnaya koka-kola, lit. "colorless Coca-Cola") was a clear variant of Coca-Cola produced in the 1940s at the request of Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov. Like other clear colas, it had the same flavor as the original, virtually unchanged by the absence of caramel coloring.

White Coke
Product typeClear cola
OwnerThe Coca-Cola Company
CountrySoviet Union
Introduced1946
Discontinued1946; 78 years ago (1946)
Related brandsCoca-Cola Clear
Crystal Pepsi
MarketsSoviet Union
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