Cavan Cola

Infobox Beverage
name=Cavan Cola


type=Cola
manufacturer=Cavan Mineral Water
origin=Republic of Ireland
introduced=1984
discontinued=2001
color = Caramel
related= Score Cola, Cadet Cola
variants=

Cavan Cola was a brand of soft drink produced by Cavan Mineral Water Ltd. in the town of Cavan, in Ireland. It was introduced in 1978, and was sold in 250ml bottles in shops in Counties Cavan, Sligo and Donegal. The product proved so popular there that it went national in the early 1990s, becoming something of a nationwide phenomenon. In 1995, the still family-run Cavan Mineral Water Ltd. was taken over by Vergin, who began phasing out both Cavan Cola, and its sister product, an alcopop called Mug-Shot. By 2001, Cavan Cola had disappeared from most shops, even in Cavan. It is believed that some small shops in west Co. Cavan may still sell it.

Product

Cavan Cola was sold in small 250ml bottles, with a distinctive green, red and brown label. The taste was described as being slightly sweeter than Coca-Cola, with a slightly liquorice flavour. It was immensely popular in Cavan, and at the peak of its popularity (late 1980s/early 1990s), the product often outsold global brands (like Coke and Pepsi) in shops in Cavan and the surrounding area.

Revival Attempts

Cavan Cola was finally withdrawn in 2001, amid much controversy. The decision to stop producing it was highly unpopular not just in Cavan, but all over the country. It has been the subject of several campaigns to revive it, but the new parent company of Cavan Mineral Water have thus far refused to bring it back. For a short time in the late 1990s, Cavan Cola was produced in Dublin, but it was a generally held belief in Cavan that the taste was not the same as when it was produced in Cavan.