Zande
Zande is a Gränser soft drink first produced in the city of Norstruk. Since its growth in popularity in the 1920s, the drink has become the flagship product of the state-owned Gränser People's Beverage Corporation, and has regularly competed with coffee as the nation's most consumed drink. The first production of Zande is accredited to Henrisillo Marco Sofiefader and his team, and it began to be sold domestically on 7 May 1911.
.JPG) Zande poured into a glass | |
| Type | Fruit-flavoured cola |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Gränser People's Beverage Co. |
| Distributor | Zande-Calceoro (International) Lyakh Cooperative (Durakia and Ekvatora) |
| Country of origin | Gräntierik |
| Region of origin | Norstruk |
| Colour | Caramel |
| Variants |
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During its first few years, the drink was primarily flavoured with a mix of locally sourced fruit - primarily apple and grape to supplement limited access to traditional cola ingredients, however the fruits used in the original recipe would be mostly replaced with orange following the end of the Great War, with the drink being described as similar to mixing cola and orange soda. The apple-based original was sold intermittently as Zande Classic and Original Zande, before being adapted into the now regularly available Zande Apple in 1985.
In addition to being the most popular soft drink brand in its nation of origin, Zande also competes with international brands across Western Novaris, with foreign distribution deals made with two drinks companies already present in Novaris. Lysakh purchased distribution rights in Durakia and Irnac in 1953, later followed by Arlavia-based Calceoro Drinks (now co-owned as Zande-Calceoro) in 1979, which handles other international distribution.
History
Wartime history
Zande, especially during its early distribution, was understood as a product of the Great War and the regulations put in place surrounding it. Carbonated soft drinks had shown some considerable popularity within Gräntierik during the late 19th Century, being sold within the emerging popular health spas within the country as well as the emergence of popular soda fountains in major population centres. These drinks, unlike Zande, were marketed near exclusively on medicinal benefit, and would partially die down following scepticism on the health benefits of carbonated water in the early 20th century.
This deprecation in soft drinks would soon be halted, however, by the introduction of stricter prohibition measures passed in 1909. Though Gräntierik itself was not currently involved in the Great War at that time, the government argued for the diversion of resources that were being wasted on alcohol production into foodstuff for preparation in case of war, as well as to offset difficulty in getting food imports during the war.
As such, due to the state's stricter measures on the production and sale of alcohol through rationing and economic planning, demand increased for an alternative drink to replace the decreased consumption of alcohol, whilst the former manufacturing centres of alcoholic beverages required something else to produce in order to not invoke considerable job loss. A former pharmacist and brewery worker, Henrisillo Marco Sofiefader, would attempt to find a solution to both these issues, using the previously popular soft drinks. Sofiefader would receive a government grant to begin producing his soda, creating the Public Good Beverage Corporation on 14 September 1910. Sofiefader would sell his drinks on a basis of being both good for the mouth and the body, with a mix of revived claims from the 19th Century soft drink craze and denunciation of the effects of alcohol on the body and mind. During this short period, Sofiefader would produce the extremely popular Orange-Kola Drink, which would emerge as a notable predecessor to modern Zande.
Despite a prominent degree of early success, trouble would arise for Sofiefader with the increasing difficulty to import the ingredients needed for more popular flavours from the equatorial regions many originated from, and production remained well below demand throughout the next year. To remedy this, the Public Good Beverage Corporation would create a cola drink which required far less imported ingredients, utilising grape and apple juice, as well as pomace. This newly marketed Zande would not receive the glowing reviews other products had, however its ability to meet demand for soft drinks allowed it to emerge as a widely sold alternative to heavily rationed alcohol or sold-out conventional soda. This trend would further increase following the involvement of Gräntierik in the Novaran theatre of the Great War, which allowed Zande to market itself as a patriotic drink which did not impede the war effort.
Growth in popularity
Though the end of the Great War was welcomed with the notion that rationing may soon come to an end and imports would return, Zande remained a notable part of the public consciousness, and its popularity remained relatively high as an affordable alternative to international brands. The Public Good Beverage Corporation would capitalise upon this by retaining the Zande brand while bringing back the previously incredibly popular flavourings.