Kinnie
{{Short description|Maltese soft drink}}
{{other uses}}
{{Infobox Beverage
|name=Kinnie
|logo=Logo_of_Kinnie.svg
|image=Kinnie bottle and glass.jpg
|type=Soft drink
|manufacturer=Simonds Farsons Cisk
|origin=Malta
|introduced=1952
|discontinued=
|color = Amber
|related= Krest
Chinotto
Irn-Bru
Coca-Cola
Moxie
|variants= Kinnie Zest
Diet Kinnie
}}
Kinnie ({{IPA|mt|ˈkɪnːɪ}}) 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 continues to be produced by Farsons in Mrieħel, Birkirkara, Malta.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PbkNUtgdMvgC&q=kinnie+malta&pg=PA15|title=ANWB Extra - Malta|first=Katja|last=Müller|date=21 February 2019|publisher=ANWB Media - Boeken & Gidsen|isbn=9789018019907|access-date=21 February 2019|via=Google Books}}
Kinnie is brown, and is drunk straight or mixed with alcohol. It holds a reputation for being Malta's favourite non-alcoholic beverage,{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rOxHDAAAQBAJ&q=kinnie+malta&pg=PT37|title=Insight Guides: Explore Malta|first=Insight|last=Guides|date=1 June 2016|publisher=Apa Publications (UK) Limited|isbn=9781786715449|access-date=21 February 2019|via=Google Books}} sometimes even called the 'national soft drink'.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WmKKCwAAQBAJ&q=kinnie+malta&pg=PA66|title=Malta and Gozo|first=Juliet|last=Rix|date=3 December 2015|publisher=Bradt Travel Guides|isbn=9781784770259|access-date=21 February 2019|via=Google Books}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/reisefuehrer/malta/szene|title=Malta - Szene - Reisetipps Süddeutsche.de|first=Süddeutsche de GmbH, Munich|last=Germany|website=Süddeutsche.de|access-date=21 February 2019}}
History
Kinnie was invented by 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,{{cite news|url=https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120404/local/kinnie-is-60.414127|title=Kinnie is 60|newspaper=Times of Malta|access-date=21 February 2019}} specifically Coca-Cola. Its taste was deliberately kept different from its international competition due to branding reasons. In 1975, it became the soft drink of the year of the French Comité International d'Action Gastronomique et Touristique.{{cite web|url=http://www.maltapagina.nl/kinnie.html|title=Kinnie, de softdrink van Malta|website=Maltapagina.nl|access-date=21 February 2019}}
Kinnie's recipe is kept secret, though it is speculated to contain ginseng and rhubarb.{{cite web|url=https://www.wijnjournaal.nl/2015/03/31/culinaire-hoogstandjes-van-malta/|title=Culinaire hoogstandjes van Malta|date=31 March 2015|website=Wijnjournaal.nl|access-date=21 February 2019}}
A Diet version for Kinnie appeared in 1984. In 2007, a new low calorie version of Kinnie called Kinnie Zest was made available. This has a stronger orange flavour, and is advertised as only having one calorie per bottle. Simonds started selling Kinnie Vita in 2014, which is sweetened using a blend of sugar and stevia leaf extract.{{citation needed|reason=Your explanation here|date=August 2015}} In April 2021, Kinnie launched an alcoholic version of the drink called 'Kinnie Spritz'.{{Cite web|last=Azzopardi|first=Jean Paul|date=2021-04-22|title=Malta's Most Beloved Soft Drink Goes 18+ With The Launch Of Kinnie Spritz|url=https://lovinmalta.com/lifestyle/things-to-do/maltas-most-beloved-soft-drink-goes-18-with-the-launch-of-kinnie-spritz/|access-date=2021-08-15|website=Lovin Malta|language=en-GB}}{{Cite web|title=Bluemarlin designs identity for new alcoholic aperitif|url=https://www.transformmagazine.net/articles/2021/bluemarlin-designs-identity-for-new-alcoholic-aperitif/|access-date=2021-08-15|website=Transform magazine|date=21 July 2021 }}
Sales locations
Kinnie is exported to the UK, Italy, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands,{{cite web|url=http://foodfortext.nl/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/VMT1819_010-013_KLEIN2.pdf|title=Fruit in de hoofdrol|website=~Foodfortext.nl|access-date=21 February 2019|archive-date=9 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209095140/https://foodfortext.nl/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/VMT1819_010-013_KLEIN2.pdf|url-status=dead}} Libya, and Canada,{{cite web|url=https://nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm%3Fcontent%3D168880|title=Day 6 : Take a tour of mini-Malta in the Junction|first=Joshua|last=Errett|date=7 April 2009|website=NOW Magazine|access-date=21 February 2019}}{{Dead link|date=June 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} while also being available in Japan.{{cite web|url=https://www.tvm.com.mt/en/news/maltese-restaurant-to-open-in-tokyo/|title=Maltese restaurant to open in Tokyo |website=Tvm.com.mt|date=4 August 2016 |access-date=21 February 2019}}
Kinnie is produced in Birkirkara, Malta by Maltese Beverages Pty Limited, under a licence from Farsons.{{cite web|title=The Brand|url=http://kinnie.com.au.gridhosted.co.uk/|website=Kinnie Australia|publisher=Maltese Beverages Pty|access-date=14 May 2018|quote=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.|archive-date=15 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180515045153/http://kinnie.com.au.gridhosted.co.uk/|url-status=dead}}
In March 2009, it was announced that Farsons were going to start exporting Kinnie into Russia.[http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090312/local/farsons-to-export-kinnie-to-russia Farsons to export Kinnie to Russia] Times of Malta, 12 March 2009. 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.[http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100917/local/kinnie-goes-on-sale-in-london Kinnie goes on sale in London] Times of Malta, 17 September 2010.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.kinnie.com Company website]
{{commons category|Kinnie}}
{{citrus sodas}}