Launched in 1985 as America's first carbonated energy drink, Jolt Cola dominated the hearts and minds of gamers, hackers, journalists, and other night owls throughout the nation with its commitment to all the sugar and twice the caffeine in every can. Despite its cult following, some bad business decisions (e.g. battery cans) forced the company to stop manufacturing and eventually dismantle the Jolt Cola empire.
Now, Jolt CEO Doug Dixon's vision for Jolt Cola since the phoenix of energy beverages will bring the seriously jacked-up cola back into the market. Single cans will be available for purchase ($1 per unit) only at Dollar Generals across the country.
Jolt Cola Reinception to the beverages market
Jolt Cola announced recently the appointment of Kathryn Lyons since the official company spokesperson. The original American energy drink will probably be back on shelves near the end of 2017 and Lyons is going to be crucial to sharing the information with Jolt fans across the nation and around the world.
Long before millennials were slamming Red Bull, or Monster, there was Jolt Cola, together with “Each of the Sugar and Twice the Caffeine.” Jolt prospered for years as a fave of cramming pupils, players and computer programmers.
Then it disappeared in an ever-expanding sea of heavily-caffeinated sodas. If the growing market for retro-gaming favored by 80's and 90's children is any sign, Jolt has chosen the perfect time to come crying back into our brains.
The beverage of a generation of nerds, especially computer nerds who desired brain fuel to get late-night hacking and coding. It came out in 1985 with twice the caffeine of regular cola, and was widely used throughout the 90s.
Soon you'll begin seeing cans of JOLT Cola appear at Dollar General stores September 21. They will be available in 10,000 of Dollar General's 14,000 stores across the country, though pricing hasn't been announced. Also, it's going to have sugar rather than corn syrup.
Jolt Cola's History
Jolt Cola was a drink initially made by The Jolt Business, Inc. of Rochester, New York. From the beginning, Jolt's marketing strategy based on the caffeine content, billing the drink as a way to promote wakefulness.
In the autumn of 1987, the company started marketing a very low calorie version, called Jolt 25, that was inoculated with a mixture of sugar and NutraSweet (a brand of aspartame), also had 25 calories each 12 US fl oz (350 ml) can.
In 2003, the name was licensed to a Hackensack, New Jersey, firm named Gumrunners, Inc., which produces a line of caffeinated gum and mints bearing the Jolt label along with the motto “Chew More, Do More.”
In August 2017, Geek.com verified that Jolt Cola will reunite at Dollar General shops in September 2017, although this date is tentative and not set in stone. More details about Jolt Cola's reemergence will be made available as the deadline for the drinks comes closer.
Jolt Cola Across the World
Jolt Cola is also manufactured under license in Australia, Sweden and previously (and briefly) from the United Kingdom along with also the Philippines. The Swedish and German provider employs the previous trademarks, branding and formulation, and only sells the original flavor. Jolt Cola is also available in the Netherlands and Finland.
In Ireland, Jolt Cola comes in 17 US fl oz (50 cl) bottles in most Eurospars and Dunnes Stores. It's very popular at universities.
Back in Sweden and The Netherlands, Jolt Cola is heavily associated with LAN parties. Desperate lovers of the drink paid SEK37.50 (over US$4.00) per unit as it was thought that Jolt will be stopped in 2010.
In Australia, (“bottled under the jurisdiction of this Jolt Company Inc. from Jolt Corporation Australia Pty Ltd, 1 Barrpowell Rd Welland” South Australia) Jolt is sold in the standard cola taste, in addition to lime, origin beer, cream soda, and orange tastes. It generally comes in 20.8 US fl oz (615 ml) bottles, with 190 mg of caffeine.
In 2006 bottle capabilities were reduced to 20 US fl oz (600 ml) (in some cases, without vendors being aware of the change). With a caffeine concentration of 47 mg per 100 ml, these bottles include 282 mg.
In Canada and India, Jolt Cola isn't accessible; nonetheless, Thumbs Up, a similar product made by the Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd., could be located in India (and a few Indian stores in Canada). From the 1980s and 1990s, Cott licensed and distributed the newest in Canada, primarily to schools and universities and the surrounding communities.
Jolt Cola was also accessible in Japan from the late 1980s and early 1990s, throughout the local distributorship of UCC Ueshima Coffee Co.
From the Philippines, Cosmos Bottling Corporation, manufacturers of Sarsi and Pop Cola, entered into a licensing agreement in 1995 to manufacture and distribute Jolt Cola. The permit was terminated in 2001 after Cosmos was obtained by Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Inc.
From the mid-1990s, it also made headway into Pakistan, but could not endure the competition. Jolt was redistributed following the formula was altered by RG Cola distributor Eduardo Sanchez and Victoria Lambert.
