Passiona
 | |
| Type | Soft drink |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Schweppes Australia |
| Origin | Australia |
| Introduced | 1925 |
Passiona is an Australian passionfruit-flavoured soft drink currently manufactured by Asahi Beverages (formerly Schweppes Australia) and originally Cottee's.[1]
History
[edit]Originally developed as a cordial by Lismore dairy farmer Spencer Cottee during the 1920s to avoid wasting excess passionfruit on his farm, when carbonated Passiona became a foundation product of the Cottee's range.[2] Passiona was first manufactured in 1924, and described in writing in an address to the Mullumbimby Chamber of Commerce by Spencer Cottee 1925.[3]
On January 17, 1925, Cottee filed an Australian trade mark application for a logo of the words "Passiona", which remains current (in the name of Asahi Group Holdings).[4]
In 1926, a factory was set up in Sydney, and in 1927 the drink was marketed to the public.[5]
Newspaper reports from the 1930s mention Australians taking the drink with them overseas to Canada and Jerusalem. In 1934, Cottees Passiona Ltd reported a gross profit of £609.[citation needed]
Cottee granted licences to produce the drink to a number of now defunct Australian bottlers, including Geo. Hall & Sons in South Australia and Bowral Bottlers in the NSW Southern Highlands.[6] The trademark has also been used by Cottee's jelly crystal range.
Promotion
[edit]It was heavily promoted by Asahi, including advertisements by pop singer Paul Kelly, the worship music band Planetshakers, and in Garfield: The Movie. Historically, Passiona has been endorsed as a drink of choice within the Australian Senate, with statements made by senators being used in official advertisements.[7]
Ingredients
[edit]The passionfruit pulp was originally supplied from not only Australian mainland growers, but later also a Norfolk Island cooperative.[8] Cottee's then established plants in New Guinea in the highlands at Goroka and Mt. Hagen.[9]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Cottee's Story - A Journey From Passiona To Cordial And Beyond". cottees.com.au. Retrieved 4 January 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ "Australian food history timeline - Passiona first developed". Australian food history timeline. Retrieved 4 January 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ 'Passion Fruit Culture', The Brisbane Courier newspaper, 17 September 1925
- ↑ "IPAustralia Australian Trade Mark Search". IPAustralia Australian Trade Mark Search. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
- ↑ 'A New Beverage. Advent of Passiona', the Brisbane Courier newspaper, 21 January 1927
- ↑ Bill Clarkson (1997) The Pioneers Archived 15 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Chapter One, pg 4, Australian Soft Drink History, www.ozbevnet.com
- ↑ O'Connell, Jan (16 September 1920). "Passiona first developed - Australian food history timeline". Australian Food Timeline. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
- ↑ "Historic passionfruit industry".
- ↑ Tariff Revision: Tariff Board's Report On PassionFruit Juice And Passionfruit Pulp, 13 March 1964, The Parliament Of The Commonwealth Of Australia
External links
[edit]
 | This soft drink–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |