When it comes to Fanta Quest and the best orange sodas in the world I say it loud and proud that Arctic Ocean is one of the best in the world, if not the best.
Super common in local BBQ spots, noodle joints, and old school restaurants around Beijing. It is basically Beijing’s answer to Fanta, but less sweet, more citrusy and frankly iconic.
What the Arctic Ocean?
Arctic Ocean, known in Chinese as 北冰洋 (Beibingyang), is Beijing’s classic orange soda first produced in 1936. Like many drinks from China’s state owned industrial era, it was part of a wider system where cities and regions produced their own soft drinks, from orange sodas to herbal colas, each tied to local factories rather than global brands.
It thrived through the communist period and became a staple of Beijing life. In the 1990s it faded after joint ventures and Pepsi involvement, disappearing completely before being revived in 2011 as nostalgia driven heritage drink still loved today. And boy is it huge today, being available in many a restaurant that has coke, but no Fanta. If you are not on beer, you drink Arctic Ocean with Beijing BBQ.
Range and price?
When it comes to the range of Arctic Ocean things are kept simple. Basically it comes in a glass bottle mostly and is predominately in restaurants. Of late cans have been introduced and you can get out from the odd shop, but hey it is just not the same.
Glass bottle 330 ml commonly 6 to 10 RMB roughly 0.85 to 1.40 USD
Can 330 ml 4 to 6 RMB roughly 0.60 to 0.85 USD
Restaurant markup 8 to 15 RMB roughly 1.10 to 2.10 USD
How does Arctic Ocean taste?
What sets this soda apart from Fanta and even other Chinese variants like Bing Fun in Xi’an is that it is not so sweet. In fact it is fairly citrusy and has a real tang to it. This puts it more towards an Orangina type drink, although again it is very unique.
This makes it perfect with flavorsome Beijing cuisine, particularly kao rou, or BBQ as you Lao Wai might say. So does it mix with liquor? Back in the day I had it with vodka, as well as chasing bai jiu with it. So yes it does.
Fanta Quest score
Arctic Ocean gets 9.5/10. I would go higher, but no one yet deserves a perfect score. This though is for the glass bottle rather than the can.