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Japanese craft cola brand Iyoshi has a heartwarming backstory that adds spice to new formulation

Oona McGee Aug 4, 2024
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Reishi mushrooms add immune-boosting powers to the centuries-old recipe behind this cult cola.

Sometimes, when you have a good product it sells itself and that’s certainly what’s happened to Takahide Kobayashi, who goes by the name Cola Kobayashi. Back in 2018, we discovered him selling craft cola from a truck at the U.N. Farmers’ Market in Tokyo, and in the six years since his business has grown rapidly, with his Iyoshi Cola now becoming a sought-after cult product sold at luxury supermarkets and two top convenience store chains.

▼ Back in 2018, Kobayashi sold his cola in bags.

Our reporter Tasuku Egawa was one of the first members of the media to report on Iyoshi Cola, less than three months after Kobayashi set up his business, and he knew back then that the humble drink was destined for big things.

▼ Cola Kobayashi, selling drinks from his truck in 2018, at the age of 28.

It wasn’t long before the brand was featured in magazines and radio and T.V. shows, leading to a craft cola boom that saw other brands pop up, but nobody could quite compare to Iyoshi Cola, thanks to the expertise of its creator, who is a self-confessed “cola maniac”. After finding a recipe for cola online that was over 100 years old, he travelled the world tasting different colas, and when he returned to Japan to help clear out his grandfather’s workshop in Shinjuku — his grandfather was Ryotaro Ito, a craftsman in Chinese holistic medicine whose workshop was called Iyoshi Yakko — he discovered materials and tools that could be used for cola making.

This perfect synergy led to him moving into his grandfather’s workshop in Shinjuku’s Shimo-Ochiai, where the tools he found helped to significantly improve the flavour of his cola. This led to the birth of Iyoshi Cola, with Kobayashi choosing the name in honour of his grandfather.

▼ Today, the workshop beside the Kanda River is home to Iyoshi Cola, and the walkway in front of it is known as “コーラ小道” (“Cola Komichi”), which means “Cola Path“.

After six years of selling his cola, which is now available in cans and bottles, Kobayashi’s love for the drink hasn’t waned — in fact, he’s been travelling overseas to research new ways to improve his recipe, leading him to add a new ingredient, and create a new look for the packaging that makes it even shinier than before. In advance of the official release, Tasuku was invited to try the new drink at the end of last month, and so he headed out to the company’s Jingumae store in Shibuya to reunite with the owner and find out more about the new cola.

▼ The ”伊良コーラ” (“Iyoshi Cola”) store in Shibuya.

Upon laying eyes on Cola Kobayashi, the two couldn’t help but grin at each other. While Tasuku is still writing about new companies around town, gone are the days when Kobayashi worked out of the back of his truck. He’s now the head of an organisation that includes employees and stockists, but he hasn’t lost any of his enthusiasm or charm.

▼ Kobayashi with the new-look cola, and the new mystery ingredient.

▼ The mystery ingredient is…reishi.

Reishi is a type of mushroom which, according to the National Institute of Health and Nutrition, is a herbal ingredient that has appeared in Chinese literature since 200 B.C. Although it’s not often seen in Japan, when Kobayashi traveled to Taiwan, he learned that Reishi mushrooms were used as commonly as ginseng, which is famous in Japan.

Seeing it as his role to help continue his grandfather’s legacy in spreading awareness of ingredients that are popular as herbal medicines, Kobayashi added the new ingredient to the blend and found that it worked remarkably well.

▼ The spirit of Kobayashi’s grandfather lives on with this old “Iyoshi Yakko” sign.

Egawa was invited to take a close look at the mushroom, which is said to have immune-boosting properties, and when he sniffed it, he was surprised to find it had a faint scent similar to dried longan. As for the taste, it’s said to have almost no effect on the flavour of the cola, so the formula shouldn’t taste that different to the original.

What’s most significant about the new formula is actually the design of the can it comes in. While the old cans (left, below) feature a kingfisher and the words “Iyoshi Cola” in Japanese, the new cans (right) have a gold kingfisher that sparkles in the light, and the words “Iyoshi Cola” in English, with the Japanese now appearing towards the bottom of the can.

▼ The front of the new can is referred to as “新A面” (“New A Side”) and the back “新B面” (“New B Side”), so that’s how Tasuku referred to them here.

The new design works well to improve visibility from a distance, with the English letters seeming to stand out better than the Japanese. But the real question Tasuku was keen to find an answer to was: How is the taste?

Pouring it into a glass, he could see that the hue was as golden as the kingfisher on the can, and it sparkled beautifully, sending spicy aromas up towards Tasuku’s nostrils. Peering at it from beneath the glass revealed just how much spice was contained within the drink — so much so that it tends to settle at the bottom of the can, so you should turn the can upside down for about 10 seconds before opening it.

As for the flavour, well, in a word, it was remarkable. The taste is seriously unique, and unlike any other cola on the market. There are notes of clove and cardamom that dance on your tongue with every sip, making every mouthful a spicy delight that keeps your taste buds eager for more.

It’s so delicious that once you try it, you’ll find it hard to go back to regular cola ever again. It’ll open your eyes to what cola was actually meant to taste like before big companies turned it into a comparatively bland effervescent drink, and it’ll have you singing the Iyoshi Cola song over and over again.

▼ The “Iyoshi Cola Song”, composed by Masataka Matsutoya.

The new cola will be on sale at Iyoshi Cola’s online shop and other stockists, including Lawson stores in the Hokuriku, Kanto, Chubu, and Kansai regions, and Family Mart stores in the Kanto region from 30 July.

References: Iyoshi Cola , National Institute of Health and Nutrition
Photos © SoraNews24
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