Kinnie

Kinnie (Maltese pronunciation: [kinːiː]) is a Maltese bittersweet carbonated soft drink brewed from bitter oranges and extracts of wormwood. It was first introduced in 1952 by the brewery Simonds Farsons Cisk, and continued to be produced by Farsons in Attard, Malta.[1]

Kinnie
TypeSoft drink
ManufacturerSimonds Farsons Cisk
Country of originMalta
Introduced1952
ColorAmber
VariantsKinnie Zest
Diet Kinnie
Related productsKrest
Chinotto
Irn-Bru
Coca-Cola
Moxie
Websitekinnie.com 

Kinnie is brown in colour, and is drunk straight or mixed with alcohol.[1] It holds a reputation for being Malta's favourite non-alcoholic beverage,[2] sometimes even called the 'national soft drink'.[3][4]

History

Kinnie is the brainchild of Simonds Farsons Cisk's managing director Anthony Miceli Farrugia and was first produced in 1952 as an alternative to the cola drinks that proliferated in post-war Europe,[5] specifically Coca-Cola.[4] Its taste was deliberately kept different from its international competition, as Farrugia wanted Kinnie to truly stand out. In 1975, it became the soft drink of the year of the French Comité International d'Action Gastronomique et Touristique.[6]

Kinnie's recipe is kept secret, though it is speculated to contain ginseng and rhubarb.[7]

A Diet version for Kinnie appeared in 1984.[5] In 2007, a new low calorie version of Kinnie called Kinnie Zest was made available. This has a stronger orange flavour,[3] and is advertised as only having one calorie per bottle. Simonds started selling Kinnie Vita in 2014,[2] which is naturally sweetened using a blend of sugar and stevia leaf extract.

Sales locations
Soft drinks vending machine with a Kinnie advert, in St. Paul's Bay

Kinnie is exported to the UK, Italy, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Klockesgiving Events [8] Libya, and Canada,[9] while also being selectively available in Japan.[10]

Kinnie is produced in Australia by Maltese Beverages Pty Limited, under a licence from Farsons.[11]

In March 2009, it was announced that Farsons were going to start exporting Kinnie into Russia.[12] In the summer of 2010, Farsons and Kinnie UK Limited soft-launched Kinnie and its two variants in London's West End, reaching almost 100 trial outlets by September 2010.[13]

See also

References
  1. Müller, Katja (21 February 2019). ANWB Extra - Malta. ANWB Media - Boeken & Gidsen. ISBN 9789018019907. Retrieved 21 February 2019 – via Google Books.
  2. Guides, Insight (1 June 2016). Insight Guides: Explore Malta. Apa Publications (UK) Limited. ISBN 9781786715449. Retrieved 21 February 2019 – via Google Books.
  3. Rix, Juliet (3 December 2015). Malta and Gozo. Bradt Travel Guides. ISBN 9781784770259. Retrieved 21 February 2019 – via Google Books.
  4. Germany, Süddeutsche de GmbH, Munich. "Malta - Szene - Reisetipps Süddeutsche.de". Süddeutsche.de. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  5. "Kinnie is 60". Times of Malta. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  6. "Kinnie, de softdrink van Malta". Maltapagina.nl. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  7. "Culinaire hoogstandjes van Malta". Wijnjournaal.nl. 31 March 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  8. "Fruit in de hoofdrol" (PDF). ~Foodfortext.nl. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  9. Errett, Joshua (7 April 2009). "Day 6 : Take a tour of mini-Malta in the Junction". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  10. "Maltese restaurant to open in Tokyo". Tvm.com.mt. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  11. "The Brand". Kinnie Australia. Maltese Beverages Pty. Retrieved 14 May 2018. KINNIE was created by Malta’s longest established beverage company, Simonds Farsons Cisk, known simply as “Farsons”. In addition to Malta, KINNIE is also produced in Australia under licence from Simonds Farsons Cisk by Maltese Beverages Pty.
  12. Farsons to export Kinnie to Russia Times of Malta, 12 March 2009.
  13. Kinnie goes on sale in London Times of Malta, 17 September 2010.
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