Guaraná Antarctica

Guaraná

225px Guaraná Antarctica logo
Type	Soft drink
Manufacturer	AmBev
Country of origin	Brazil
Introduced	1921
Color	Caramel
Variants	Guaraná Antarctica Zero Guaraná Antarctica Ice Guaraná Antarctica Champagne Guaraná Antarctica Seleção Guaraná Antarctica Diet Guaraná Antarctica Light Guaraná Antarctica Açaí Guarah
Website	GuaranáAntarctica.com.br

Guaraná is a guaraná-flavoured soft drink, originating in Brazil and manufactured and distributed by Anheuser-Busch InBev. It was created in 1921 by Pedro Baptista de Andrade for Companhia Antarctica Paulista, now part of Anheuser-Busch InBev. The drink is produced in four countries, Portugal, Brazil, Argentina, and Japan.

In Brazil, it is also available as the low calorie version Guaraná Antarctica Zero. Another brand of guaraná-flavoured drinks is Kuat!, which is produced by The Coca-Cola Company and in Brazil is sold through Burger King restaurants and supermarkets.

Guaraná Antarctica is also available in Portugal,Panamá, Spain, Honduras, Haiti, Paraguay, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands (cans only), Belgium, Israel, Italy, Switzerland, Finland, Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom (recently in some Tesco and all Waitrose stores), parts of Japan, the United States, Switzerland, Austria (at SPAR supermarkets) and as 1.5 litre bottles in special food stores in Germany.

One of its 2006 commercials featured Argentine football player Diego Maradona finding himself wearing the yellow jersey of the Brazilian team and singing the Brazilian national anthem before waking up and proclaiming it was a nightmare, because he had drunk too much Guaraná the day before.

Another controversial commercial from Guaraná Antarctica was a TV spot showing the guaraná berry plantations in the Amazon region while a narrator explained the basics of the process of producing Guaraná Antarctica and introduced the audience to the guaraná tree. By the end of the spot the narrator turns to the audience and says: "Now ask Coca-Cola to show you the coca tree...". This spot was a direct attack to Coca-Cola.

Coca-Cola, however, often responded with equally controversial TV spots, such as one in which former World No. 1 Tennis Player Gustavo Kuerten asks a street vendor for a guaraná, to which the vendor responds by throwing him a can of Guaraná Antarctica, which Kuerten throws back to the vendor. After a few exchanges, Kuerten proceeds to say: "joga direito!" (something like "do it the right way"), which prompts the vendor to toss him a can of Kuat, a guarana-based beverage produced by Coca-Cola.

The taste is mild, and slightly apple-like, with a berry after-flavour. However, Jonathan Goldsmith also says it has a slight ginger ale based tinge with a raspberry twang in it.

Ingredients

Carbonated water, sugar, (E150d) caramel (colour), citric acid, (E211) sodium benzoate (preservative) and (E202) potassium sorbate (preservative), ascorbic acid (antioxidant), guaraná extract and natural flavours.

References

• Information about Guaraná Antarctica on Ambev's official website (Portuguese)
• Summary of Guaraná Antarctica on AB-InBev official website

External links

• Official site of Guaraná Antarctica
• Official site of Kuat!
• Guarana.com Caffeine Content of Foods and Drugs Chart