Coke and Pepsi have had a stranglehold on the cola market for what feels like forever. But every now and again a new challenger emerges from the woodwork and tries to shake things up (something you’ve got to be really careful about when dealing with soda). Back in the ‘80s, Jolt Cola was one of these contenders, and boy did they give the big boys a run for their money!
Today, we’ll be discussing the ins and outs of Jolt; how it came to be, how it went away, and how it came back again.
When did Jolt Cola come out?
Jolt Cola was (and, spoiler alert, still is!) a carbonated soft drink produced by The Jolt Company, Inc., later known as Wet Planet Beverages. The cola was created in 1985 by C. J. Rapp and envisioned as a highly caffeinated beverage to give it a leg up among the leading cola manufacturers. It certainly delivered on the first part of that promise!
How much caffeine is in Jolt Cola, exactly?
Well, folks, let’s just say Jolt is an aptly named product! Each 12-ounce can of Jolt contains 71 milligrams of caffeine (twice the amount in other regular colas) and about 10 teaspoons of sugar. That’ll sure help the medicine go down, heck, it would help motor oil go down!
What happened to Jolt Cola?
A combination of fierce competition from modern day energy drinks, along with the late aughts economic recession drove down Jolt’s sales. In the end, it was actually the cost of the cans themselves that proved too much for the faltering company to handle. The company went out of business for a while. This is why I always say sodas should come in paper bags!
Is Jolt Cola coming back? Do they still make Jolt Cola?
In 2011, Jolt ceased production. However, as we’ve found to be the case with many products that go out of business, nostalgia has a way of bringing things back. Yes, faithful soda-heads, Jolt Cola returned to stores in September 2017, available for just $1 per can at Dollar General locations across the United States.
In a statement about the product, Jolt CEO Doug Dixon waxed philosophical as he envisioned Jolt Cola as a “phoenix of energy drinks.” Well, rise again it has, and at just four quarters a can, hopefully that phoenix will stay in the air as long as possible!
If energy drinks aren’t your bag, and you’ve aligned yourself as a diehard cola consumer, then Jolt will certainly help your eyes open and ready you for the day. We cannot, however, ensure that it will ready you for your dentist, unfortunately. They will undoubtedly have some probing questions about the amount of sugar you’re consuming. Just be sure to brush if Jolt is part of your daily routine! Or, heck, even if it isn’t! Teeth brushing is something we should all be doing!
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!