XL Cola (Sweden)

When Coca-Cola introduced New Coke in 1985, several beverage producers were ready to attract consumers who preferred the earlier Coca-Cola flavor. Such was the case when XL Cola was introduced in Sweden the same year by the brewery Falcon, with bottling carried out in cooperation with Till-bryggerierna.

The name XL refers to the slogan “Extra Large Taste”, which was used to describe the cola. The slogan reflected the producer’s own description of the drink’s flavor profile.

XL Cola was available on the Swedish market until 2000. In 1996, Carlsberg acquired both Falcon and Till-bryggerierna. When Carlsberg subsequently acquired Pripps in 2000, XL Cola was discontinued. Pripps already held the Swedish bottling license for Pepsi, and Carlsberg continued with that brand.

After a prolonged absence, the rights to XL Cola were acquired by Vasa Bryggeri, which reintroduced the cola in 2019 in both a regular version and a light variant.