Ramune

This article is about the carbonated soft drink. For the Japanese visual novel, see Lamune (visual novel).

Ramune

Type	Soft drink
Manufacturer	Shirakiku, Sangaria
Distributor	Nishimoto Trading Co., LTD.
Country of origin	Japan
Introduced	1876

Ramune (ラムネ) is a carbonated soft drink originally sold in Japan which was introduced in Kobe by Alexander Cameron Sim.

Bottle design

Ramune is widely known for the distinctive design of its bottle, often called Codd-neck bottles after the inventor, Hiram Codd. They are made of glass and sealed with a marble; the codd head is held in place by the pressure of the carbonation in the drink. To open the bottle, a device to push the marble inward is provided with the bottle. The marble is pushed inside the neck of the bottle where it rattles around while drinking.

People trying Ramune for the first time sometimes find it difficult to drink, as it takes practice to learn to stop the marble from blocking the flow. In the new version of the bottle (2006), little slots were added to the cap where the marble was originally held. This prevented the flow from obstruction if the marble falls back into the cap.

Ramune is also available in plastic PET bottles as well as cans.

Ramune is one of the modern symbols of summer in Japan and is widely consumed during warm festival days and nights. Empty bottles are usually collected for recycling at stalls where it is sold.

The bottle's design creates a special attraction to children who clamor to see the "alien head" image that is formed from the ball and indentations on the bottle neck. This provides a unique form of endearing brand recognition, even for children who do not remember the product's name. The marble, which can be removed after finishing the soda, is also a main draw.

Flavors

The original Ramune flavor is lemon-lime. The word "ramune" is derived phonetically from the English "lemonade". Both fizzy lemonade and the unique bottles were imported from the United Kingdom at the same time, becoming associated with each other.

Including Original, there are 24 flavors of Ramune: Banana, Blueberry, Blue Hawaii, Bubble Gum, Cherry, Cola, Curry, Disco Dance, Green Apple, Kimchi, Kiwi, Lychee, Mango, Melon, Muscat, Octopus, Orange, Peach, Pineapple, Raspberry, Strawberry, Wasabi (available at Tokyu Hands), & Watermelon.

The Codd-neck marble lock in the neck of the bottle.

See also

• Calpis
• Pocari Sweat
• Oronamin C Drink