Rasna's original name, & the story behind Thums Up | #103
Also, the origins of Star Wars Day will surprise you ➡️
Hello
Right now the world thinks India is a hot property, and why wouldn’t they? I mean, look at how the temperatures are soaring 😰
Summer is well and truly upon us, and in an effort to beat the heat we’re going to get ourselves a nice cool drink. And while we do that, let’s look at the stories behind some desi summer drinks this week. We recommend you sit down and read this one with a chilled drink in hand. Non-alcoholic of course.
Things we learnt this week 🤓
In 1977, the Janata Party came to power and insisted that Coca Cola should share its super secret recipe with the government. Coke said nope and left the country. This unlocked an opportunity for a desi cola, and India’s most iconic and resilient brand took its place - Thums Up. The famously misspelt name is because back in 1978, FMCG products were not allowed to have dictionary words as product names, hence they dropped the ‘b’ and tasted the thunder. In an ironic twist, Coca Cola re-entered the Indian market in 1993 by purchasing Thums Up. Life without these fizzy drinks must be soda-pressing.
It is unimaginable to go through summer without drinking Rasna. It was started in 1976 and initially was called Jaffe, after Jaffna mangoes. After many years of losses and realizing that the quintessential Indian summer drink needed an Indian name - the term Rasna was coined. Drinking Rasna now might help you concentrate better.
During the time of Ramzaan, the true refresher of the soul is Rooh Afza. Made in Ghaziabad by Hamdard Dawakhana, things took an interesting turn in 1947. The elder son of the founder stayed back in India, while the younger one moved to Pakistan to set up Hamdard industries in Pakistan. Both industries are called Hamdard and both make Rooh Afza and from far away, it is impossible to distinguish whether it is Indian or Pakistani. There is a refreshing message here about India and Pakistan.
From IWTK, with love 💌
We all saw the 4th of May memes, but did you know we must thank Margaret Thatcher for bringing the Star Wars day to us?
The top 2 highest grossing *Hindi* films of all time are sequels. What are the odds!
Quiz Alert 🔎
From Boy in Luv to Butter, How you Like that to Ddu- Du Ddu - Du and Thunderous to Christmas Evel, the Hallyu wave has taken over the entire globe. Join us on the 14th of May from 4-5 pm to participate in a virtual K-pop quiz.
Share this newsletter on WhatsApp
Stay hydrated
❤️ IWTK