Bun-Taa! Masala Cola

Masala and cola are not an obvious pairing. Bun-Taa! Masala Cola combines a traditional Indian spice blend with a probiotic cola. It was introduced by Latambarcem Brewers in Goa, India, by March 2025 as part of the company’s Bun-Taa! range.

Latambarcem Brewers was founded in 2017 by brothers Aditya Ishan Varshnei and Anish Varshnei. After Aditya returned to Goa from the United States, where he had developed a taste for kombucha, the brothers began brewing their own recipes at home using a SCOBY culture brought back from the US. Their experiments led to the launch of the functional beverage brand Borécha in 2019. Initially centred on kombucha, the brand gradually expanded into other functional drinks, while the craft beer brand Maka Di followed in 2020. Besides its own consumer brands, the company also develops beverage recipes and manufactures drinks for third parties.

The Bun-Taa! version follows an earlier masala cola released under the Borécha brand in August 2023 as part of the Vintage Soda Series. By late 2024, the series consisted of Masala Cola and Basil Soda Shikanji. Both later appeared under the Bun-Taa! name alongside Basil Shikanji, although with revised recipes. The original Borécha Masala Cola featured adaptogens, botanicals commonly associated with helping the body adapt to physical and mental stress. The later Bun-Taa! version replaced these with probiotics, live microorganisms associated with gut health.

The recipe also changed from being sweetened primarily with cane sugar to a sugar-free formulation using sucralose and stevia, while several botanical ingredients were replaced or added. The current Bun-Taa! range consists of Masala Cola, Basil Shikanji and Basil Soda Shikanji.