There is a myth that the only two countries you can’t get Coke in are Cuba and North Korea. In fact you can get it in both. In North Korea though, at least recently it has gotten harder to get the “real thing”, or even North Korean Coke.
This void has seemingly been filled by “London Strong Soda”, which despite its name is of the cola family. Not heard of London Strong Soda? Well that is not surprising as there is really not much info about it.
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History of North Korea Coke
When I first started visiting North Korea circa 2008 you generally could not get Coca-Cola – don’t even get me started on Pepsi. Instead there was the North Korean made “Ryongjin Cola” (룡진콜라). This was very much homemade and tasted, if I am honest, like a cheap brand soda from a supermarket. Very low on the #ColaQuest scale.
This kinda disappeared and was, for a time, replaced by actually Chinese made Coca-Cola. This again changed just before Coronavirus when the DPRK launched a new “Coke” and “Sprite” with colours very much influenced by the originals. This was at the same time as the very Johnny Walker-like North Korean whisky. I have seen none of these since I have returned to the country.
London Strong Soda
Instead I have seen London Strong Soda everywhere from Pyongyang to Mt Myohyang and Rason to even roadside service stops. Yet despite this, there is quite literally no information about the product. The general theory thus is that it is a Chinese made soda, made to sound European and exported cheaply to the DPRK. This though is of course but theorising.
So, how does London Strong Soda taste and score on #ColaQuest? Well I would love to say that London Strong Soda was a gem of a find, but alas it really was not. In fact it also tastes very much like a cheap knock-off cola. Does it mix with booze? I used it to chase North Korean soju, but I would not fancy it with vodka or rum. Cola Quest score? 2.5/10 – perhaps my lowest score yet, or at least since “Ryongjin Cola” (룡진콜라). This is not to say North Korea doesn’t have good sodas, it does – for example pear cider. London Strong Soda though whether made in Korea or China is not one of them though.
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