Fanta is an American-owned German brand of fruit-flavored carbonated soft drinks created by Coca-Cola Deutschland under the leadership of German businessman Max Keith. It was originally developed in Germany as a Coca-Cola alternative in 1940 during the American trade embargo of Nazi Germany, which affected the availability of Coca-Cola ingredients. Fanta quickly became popular in Germany, with three million cases sold in 1943.
The name "Fanta" was the result of a brainstorming session, during which Keith encouraged his team to "use their imagination" (Fantasie in German). One of his salesmen, Joe Knipp, then suggested the name "Fanta".
Fanta has more than 200 flavors worldwide, and in February 2015, a 75th-anniversary version of Fanta was released in Germany. This version was packaged in glass bottles that resembled the original design and had an authentic original wartime flavor, including 30% whey and pomace. It was described as "less sweet" and a German original.
Recently, Fanta has released a limited-edition mystery soda flavor called "What the Fanta." This flavor is available in both regular and zero sugar versions. The exact flavor of "What the Fanta" is intentionally kept a mystery, and customers have to purchase a bottle to find out the flavor.
