Have you ever tried Rivella, an iconic Swiss soft drink? If you live in Switzerland or have visited this country, you have undoubtedly come across it. You’ll find Rivella at cafés, supermarkets, alpine restaurants and more. This beverage appears in the directory of Swiss food products via Patrimoine Culinaire Suisse. Want to know more? Here are 10 facts about Rivella:
1. Milk serum makes up about 25-35 percent of the ingredients in Rivella, depending on the flavor.
Milk serum, or whey, is a by-product of the cheesemaking process. With over 450 varieties of cheese in Switzerland, Rivella makes good use of a leftover ingredient. It also contains a secret mixture of fruit and herbal extracts.
2. Rivella started in the 1950s.
Robert Barth founded a company called the Milkin-Institut. One year later, it began the first production of Rivella in 1952.
3. The Rivella factory is located in the Swiss canton of Aargau.
First, Rivella was made in Stäfa, near Zurich. Then, the company moved its factory to Rothrist in 1954, where it remains today.
4. It currently comes in five flavors:
These include the following: Red (Original), Blue (fewer calories), Green Tea, Mango and Rhubarb. My personal favorite is Red. This flavor contains the following ingredients: water, milk serum, sugar, carbonic acid, acidifying agent (L (+) – lactic acid), caramelized sugar and natural flavorings.
5. Since 1977, Rivella has sponsored the Swiss national ski team, Swiss-Ski.
In this year, they celebrated the 40th anniversary of this partnership in St. Moritz. Check out this 1977 commercial featuring Rivella and members of the Swiss ski team (in German).
6. The name “Rivella,” combines two distinct influences.
First, the name Rivella is inspired by the name of a Swiss town in the canton of Ticino, Riva San Vitale. Then, its second influence is the Italian word for revelation, rivelazione.
7. Market trends indicate Rivella is the 2nd most popular soft drink in Switzerland.
Swiss Coca-Cola takes the top spot.
8. Previous launches of Rivella in the US and UK have been unsuccessful.
To learn more, check out the article, “Americans fail to get a taste for Rivella” from Swissinfo.ch (2005). However, in 2017 Rivella reported an increase in revenues from sales outside of Switzerland. At this time, the Netherlands was its largest foreign market.
9. From 1995 to 2008, Rivella produced a beverage for Migros known as “Mivella”
It had a slightly different formula than traditional Rivella. Since that time, Migros stores have replaced it with the original Rivella.
10. The Rivella brand is recognized by 95 percent of all Swiss people.
…according to the Rivella Group. In 2016, Rivella released a new design for its products.
What’s your opinion of Rivella? For instance, how often do you drink it? Please leave a comment below. Thanks!
For more information:
- Rivella, Patrimoine Culinaire Suisse
- Official website for Rivella
- Rivella Group (Official website)
Updated: May 9, 2022