The Coca-Cola You’ll Never See On Shelves

Well here’s one I’ve never heard before. When you say “White Coke” I think most people would think of cocaine, (which was actually originally an ingredient in Coca-Cola) but there was a clear version of Coke produced for a Soviet leader decades ago. They have a lot of flavors–vanila, lemon, lime, cherry, coffee and green tea and also had the New Coke which didn’t go over well in 1985, but this one was actually made clear to look like vodka.

A lot of people drink Rum and Coke but I don’t think I’ve heard of vodka and Coke, but the way the market has been trending with flavored cocktails, I wouldn’t put it past Coke to come up with a vodka flavored one…

From Mental Floss.

During negotiations over the division of Germany, Dwight D. Eisenhower, then the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe, brought a little treat for Georgy Zhukov, Marshal of the Soviet Union. The gift was simple, but Eisenhower was anxious to share it: Coca-Cola, a favorite drink from back home. For Zhukov, it was love at first sip—but there was a problem. Coca-Cola was (and is) about as American as mom and apple pie. Though Zhukov had a reputation for being able to challenge Joseph Stalin and live to tell the tale, he knew his newfound love for Coke would never fly. So, he found a workaround.

Zhukov made a request through top U.S. military officials—some say it went all the way up to President Harry Truman—for a clear version of the drink that looked like vodka. Perhaps urged by the government to encourage diplomatic relations, Coke obliged, taking out the caramel syrup but retaining the flavor: White Coke. In order to further disguise the distinctive beverage, it was shipped to General Zhukov in cylindrical bottles labeled with the Soviet star. His first shipment was 50 cases.

It’s probably good that Zhukov got it while he could. Though Pepsi was available in the Soviet Union beginning in 1973, Coca-Cola didn’t make its legal debut until 1985—11 years after Zhukov’s death.