Jolt Cola

Jolt Cola

Type	Soft Drink
Manufacturer	Wet Planet Beverages
Country of origin	United States
Introduced	1985
Discontinued	2009

Jolt Cola is a carbonated soft drink produced by The Jolt Company, Inc. (later known as Wet Planet Beverages). The cola drink was created in 1985 by C. J. Rapp as a highly caffeinated beverage.^[1] It was targeted towards students and young professionals, stressing its use as a stimulant in a similar manner as energy drinks. On September 28, 2009, Wet Planet Beverages filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after failing to meet the demands from Rexam to fulfill an agreement over buying resealable cans.^[2] Emigrant Savings Bank, the main creditor, then acquired the Jolt assets and relaunched the business.

History

A "battery bottle"

Jolt Cola was a beverage originally made by The Jolt Company, Inc. of Rochester, New York, which changed its name to Wet Planet Beverages. From the outset, Jolt's marketing strategy centered on the caffeine content, billing the drink as a means to promote wakefulness. The initial slogan was "All the sugar and twice the caffeine"; this slogan survived for 24 years.^[3] This slogan was changed to "Maximum caffeine, more power".

In the fall of 1987, the company began marketing a low calorie version, called Jolt 25, which was sweetened with a mixture of sugar and NutraSweet (a brand of aspartame), and had 25 calories per 12 US fl oz (350 ml) can. Jolt Cola later diversified into additional flavors named Cherry Bomb, Citrus Climax, Orange Blast, White Lightning (grape), Red Eye, and Electric Blue.

In 2003, the name was licensed to a Hackensack, New Jersey, company named Gumrunners, Inc., which manufactures a line of caffeinated gum and mints bearing the Jolt label and the slogan "Chew More, Do More." The gum comes in two flavors: Spearmint and Icy Mint.

In 2005, Jolt Cola revamped its product line. Jolt Cola changed its logo, and came in "battery bottles" (that resemble the shape of a AA battery) which make a loud popping sound when opened. The cans are 23.5 US fl oz (695 ml) resealable aluminium bottles; the body of the bottle was similar to that of a standard aluminium can, but the top had a twist-off aluminum cap with a plastic gasket liner, and in smaller "Quick Fix" cans (8.5 US fl oz (250 ml) single-use pull-tab aluminium cans, similar to those used for Red Bull) and "battery" cans (16 US fl oz (473 ml) resealable aluminium cans with the same twist-off top as the battery bottles). The Jolt Cola website claimed that the "Quick Fix" sizes were available at establishments that serve "adult beverages," for use as a mixer. The flavors of Jolt offered were also changed. Flavors offered were Cola, Blue Raspberry, Cherry Bomb (cherry cola), Silver (lemon-lime), Wild Grape, Orange Blast, Passionfruit (featuring a yellow can) and Ultra (a diet drink with Splenda as its artificial sweetener alongside guarana, ginseng, taurine, and vitamin B complex).

On September 28, 2009, The Jolt Company, Inc. filed Chapter 11 proceedings in the United States Bankruptcy Court in Rochester, New York and simultaneously filed a motion to permit sale of the company's assets through a court-approved sale. The restructured company has now opened headquarters in Moonachie, New Jersey. Production of the Rexam 'battery bottles' ceased, and non-resealable cans is the major focus in the US.

Jolt Energy

Since 2009, Jolt Cola and related flavors have been rebranded as Jolt Energy. Jolt Energy Drink comes in multiple flavors: Power Cola, Orange Burst, Wired Grape, Blue Bolt (blue raspberry) Blue Zero Carb, Cherry Bomb, Ultra and Silver.^[4] The company now also manufactures and markets a line of caffeinated chewing gums in various flavors, they are marketed under the brand-name Jolt Energy Gum.^[5]

Jolt Cola is still packaged in glass bottles under license by the 7 Up bottling company of California. These are sold on the West Coast, where laws are stricter to encourage use of refillable bottles.

The Jolt Company Inc. (once also known as Wet Planet Beverages) exists as a "sister" company to Boylan Bottling Works and its traditional "flavors" soft drinks. The company is primarily financed by Emigrant Capital of New York City.

Worldwide

Jolt Cola is also manufactured under license in Australia, Sweden and formerly (and briefly) in the United Kingdom and the Philippines. The German and Swedish supplier uses the old logos, branding and formulation, and only sells the original flavor. Jolt Cola is also available in the Netherlands and Finland. However, Jolt Cola Netherlands is a subsidiary of Jolt Cola Germany.

In Ireland, Jolt Cola is sold in 17 US fl oz (50 cl) bottles in most Eurospars and Dunnes Stores. It is very popular at universities and, for example, is sold in the Dublin Institute of Technology's (DIT) student unions.

In Sweden and The Netherlands, Jolt Cola is heavily associated with LAN parties.^[6] Desperate fans of the drink paid SEK37.50 (over US$4.00) per can when it was thought that Jolt would be discontinued in 2010.^[6]

In Australia, ("bottled under the authority of the Jolt Company Inc. by Jolt Corporation Australia Pty Ltd, 1 Barrpowell Rd Welland" South Australia) Jolt is sold in the traditional cola flavor, as well as lime, root beer, cream soda, and orange flavors. It generally comes in 20.8 US fl oz (615 mL) bottles, with 190 mg of caffeine. In 2006 bottle capacities 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 contain 282 mg.^[7]

In Canada and India, Jolt Cola is not available; however, Thums Up, a similar product made by the Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd., can be found in India (and some Indian stores in Canada). In the 1980s and 1990s, Cott licensed and distributed the brand in Canada, primarily to colleges and universities and the surrounding communities.

Jolt Cola was also available in Japan^[8] in the late 1980s and early 1990s, through the local distributorship of UCC Ueshima Coffee Co.

In the Philippines, Cosmos, makers of Sarsi and Pop Cola, entered into a licensing agreement with The Jolt Company of Rochester, New York, to manufacture and distribute Jolt beverage products though 1995 until 2001 when San Miguel Corporation acquired Cosmos and sold its brands to Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Inc., but it terminates the license to produce Jolt Cola, along with RC Cola and Sunkist (soft drink).^[9]

In the mid-1990s, it also made headway into Pakistan, but could not survive the competition. Jolt was redistributed after the formula was modified by RG Cola distributor Eduardo Sanchez and Victoria Lambert.

Legacy and influence

The Jolt Awards are annual awards determined by DrDobbs.com, a coding/developer website. The awards logo is modeled on the old Jolt Cola logo and have served Jolt Cola at the event. Presumably the awards pay homage to the caffeinated drink and its helpful role in sustaining programmers' attention span and work practices.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jolt Cola.

• Jolt Cola Australia
• Jolt Cola Germany