8. A Soviet Marshal Asked For A Coca-Cola Product Resembling Vodka To Be Created... So He Could Drink "White Coke" In Public Without Upsetting Joseph Stalin
When Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov (pictured above, right) was presented with a bottle of Coca-Cola by the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe, Dwight D Eisenhower, following the end of World War II, he took a liking to the fizzy beverage. However, because the Communist USSR's leader Joseph Stalin did not want any American capitalist goods in his country, Zhukov could not just import regular Coke. Instead, Zhukov supposedly asked for the company to create a clear concoction that resembled Russian vodka so that he could be seen drinking it in public and not risk upsetting Stalin. As a result, "White Coke" was born - and it was bottled using straight, clear glass bottles that had a white cap with a red star in the middle. This was then exported to the USSR for a few years before import restrictions were imposed.
NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.
