So, "Not See Kola" Exists (Just Say It Out Loud, There You Go)

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By  Allison Shoemaker

File this one under—and forgive the profanity, but it's warranted—"what the actual fuck."

Utah's KSL TV reports that a local soda company has come under fire for selling a bunch of messed up shit. A local shopper spotted some craft sodas on the shelf at one location of the grocery chain Macey's, was understandably taken aback, and shared the photos online. They are called "Not See Kola," "Orthodox Jooce," and "Leninade."

Again, what the hell?

After the customer, Kate Boyle, complained, she said, "Macey's reached out to me personally and apologized, and said they would remove the soda." Associated Food Stores, a brand that includes Macey's, later released a statement:

"We recently received feedback from guests regarding our craft soda. This item was not approved at a corporate level. We have reviewed our craft soda offerings and decided to discontinue Not See Kola. We apologize and our stores have been instructed to remove the product from shelves immediately. "

Damn straight they did, but still, how the hell did this even happen?

The sodas themselves are made by Real Soda, which is based in California. The owner of the company, Danny Ginsburg, called the uproar an overreaction, noting that Not See Kola has been around for 10 years. Ginsburg, who told KSL that he's Jewish, said in a phone interview that Real Soda is "not out there to promote any sort of political [ideal]. When you have things that are sort of provocative and so on, it can grab people's attention. Everyone has their own gimmick."

Per KSL:

"The drink originated with another German soda, Afri-Cola, in the late 1990s. After a legal mishap, they lost the rights to the soda but wanted to still make another cola in the early 2000s. The new one was clear, like Crystal Pepsi — or a cola people could not see, which led to the name.

It's pronounced "note-zay," or a German translation for "lake emergency" as it is marketed on its list of sodas it sells.

"That's just how this drink was formed," Ginsburg said. He likened any comedy about Nazism to the popular 1960s TV comedy show Hogan's Heroes, which showed how spoofing Nazism can be well-received comedy.

One of the little taglines on that bottle of Leninade is "A taste worth standing in line for." What a lark! Oh, and Not See Kola! Just like Crystal Pepsi, but haha, genocide! Such fun! Tra-la! Refreshing!

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