Frisk
| File:Frisklogo.png | |
| Manufacturer | Ajax AB |
|---|---|
| Distributor | InterV |
| Country of origin | Eldmark |
| Region of origin | Arucia |
| Introduced | 1913 |
| Color | Various |
| Variants | Orange Apple Strawberry Peach Pineapple Prickly Pear Orange Cream Mullwine Sarsaparilla |
| Website | drinkfrisk.el |
Frisk, stylized as "Frisk!", is an Eldmarsk carbonated beverage invented in 1913 by Hiram Ernman, bottled by Ajax AB, and distributed internationally by InterV. Initially an orange soda, the brand has since encompassed seven additional flavors, including a seasonal "throwback" flavor, marketed as Frisk "Zarza-Kola." The soda has retained a cult-like status in Eldmark and elsewhere, and is an Eldmarsk cultural symbol.
History
In 1913, Hiram Ernman, a known brewer and extract chemist, was experimenting with various root barks such as Sassafras and Sarsaparilla. Penniless, Ernman failed at a number of preceding business ventures and attempted flavors before proposing his beverage to Ajax AB, a brewing corporation in Stenighamn. Unsatisfied with their stagnant beer sales, Ajax marketed the beverage as Zarza-Kola. Marketed as "a cheap and tasty alternative to alcohol for those abstaining from it, or from those too young to partake in it." The drink initially marketed its medicinal effects, calling on the indigenous Asterian use of safrole in tribal medicine. For a time, advertisments of Zarza-Kola would feature an Ayohli chieftain drinking from an amber bottle. The drink received moderate success before the brewery was destroyed during the Great War by the advancing Ardesian army. While limited production ran in the AFR by Ajax, mostly to sell to the Eldmarsk resistance, the drink waned in popularity in comparison to more readily available brands from the AFR.
As the brewery began to rebuild itself after the war, Ajax AB decided to devote more time to their soda sales, and hired Ernman again, who had developed additional drinks. Zarza-Kola along with the racist advertising was discontinued, and Frisk, meaning "Fresh" in Blostlandic, was introduced in a clear ribbed bottle in 1939, showing off the bright colors of the soda. Initially, Frisk included orange pulp in the bottles, giving it the illusion that it was "fresh squeezed", and allowing it to claim it as an "All-Natural Soda" even though the pulp was added in production rather than remaining from squeezed oranges. By 1942, pulp was removed completely, though the reputation and marketing of it being a natural soda remains. Due to the massive success of the brand, Frisk Apple and Frisk Strawberry were introduced in 1943. A more successful marketing campaign was created in 1943, featuring Dr. Ernman as the company's brand ambassador and a symbol. His name and image are still symbols of the company, though his face no longer appears on cans or bottles.
In 1956, Ernman would officially retire, but remained as a spokesman for the company. In 1960, Ajax AB was bought by InterV, which immediately began phasing him out of advertisments. In a later interview, Ernman would reveal that InterV had dropped him as the spokesman for the beverage "because he was too old." He passed away in 1965. Despite his family's protests, InterV would use his image and likeness to sell Zarza-Kola in 2013.
In 1970, their holiday soda, marketed as "Frisk! Holiday," was introduced, primarily to compete domestically with the growing presence of rival Blostlandic holiday beverage, Vargmust. An additional shot across the bow came with the 1973 with the Second Batch of sodas, Peach, Pineapple, and Prickly Pear, directly created for a Euclean audience. While popular in Euclea, distribution of the sodas internationally are handled by InterV, and may be marketed with different brand names depending on country. In the 2000s, diet versions of Orange and Apple were introduced, using stevia as a sweetener. In 2013, to celebrate the soda's 100th anniversary, Frisk came out with a slightly modified version of the original "Zarza-Kola" recipe, made with cane sugar, organic sassafras, and sarsparilla. The soda, akin to a root beer, was such a success on release that, while it was intended to only last for a month, has been reintroduced yearly as an autumnal soda. Now, all variants of Frisk have a diet variant, in accordance with EC law.
Ingredients and Nutritional Facts
In the case of Frisk Orange, the ingredients are carbonated water, sugar, orange juice, citric acid, sodium benzoate, colors Yellow 6 and Red 40, and vitamin C (ascorbic acid). It contains 160 calories, 0 g sat fat (0%DV), 44 g carbohydrates, 60 mg sodium (2% DV), 43 g sugars, and 41 mg of caffeine. The diet variant has no sugar or carbohydrates.