The company that gave us eel flavored cola has also gifted us a cola with miso.

Miso is a a fermented soy bean paste that is used a lot in Japanese cooking. Kimura Drink Co. have teamed up with a legendary producer of miso; Maruya Hatcho Miso Co. which was founded almost 700 years ago in 1337.

Kimura Drink Co. launched the cola on February 23rd, 2018 under the name Hatcho Miso Cola. Production soon came to a halt, however, as it turned out that “hatcho miso” is a protected term that is not allowed to be used in the name of e.g. a cola.

The drink was quickly renamed Okazaki Miso Cola (八丁味噌コーラ) and production started again in April the same year. “Okazaki” is the hometown of Maruya Hatcho Miso Co.

Hatcho miso is a specific type of miso that contains only soybeans, also called red miso. This is opposed to other types of miso where rice or grain is added.

It takes around two years to properly mature hatcho miso. It is a self preserving food and will not really get old as long as it is does not get contaminated by other foods in your cupboard. Apparently, a miso cola has a shelf life of around to two years – most colas have a shelf life of 4 to 6 months.

Source: Reason for suspension of shipment of Hatcho Miso Cola (busniess.nikkei.com, August 30, 2018)

Cola is spelled コーラ in Japanese. It does not have a particular meaning but just mimics the sound “cola”.