No matter which way you look at it, 70 years is quite a long time. It is enough time for something to develop from a bittersweet novelty to an object of national pride and a symbol of Maltese heritage, and that’s exactly what happened with Kinnie.
Characterised by its golden amber colour and now-iconic taste and aroma, the thirst-quenching beverage is an icon of Maltese gastronomy and goes hand in hand with traditional favourites like the classic galletti water crackers & bigilla bean dip . The Mediterranean Classic has been around for as long as we can remember and has lived through a number of historic moments… here are a few of the most iconic ones.
Princess Elizabeth becomes Queen (1952)
On the 6th of February this year, Queen Elizabeth celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, commemorating 70 years since she first succeeded the throne in 1952. In the same year that Princess Elizabeth became Queen, Kinnie hit the local markets, which means that Malta’s king of soft drinks has been around as long as the current Queen of England.
One giant step for mankind (1969)
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to land on the moon, with Armstrong becoming the first person to walk on it. “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind;” the quote heard around the world was uttered in Kinnie’s 17th year in the market. The historic moment is just about as ‘out of this world’ as the Maltese beverage’s bittersweet flavour.
The Beatles walk THAT walk (1969)
One of the most famous photos of all time, the artwork for The Beatles’ final album ‘Abbey Road’ is as iconic as it gets. Throughout history, many have theorised what George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and John Lennon were walking towards as they crossed the London zebra crossing; we just think they were on their way to get some Kinnie.
The Jumpman’s final shot (1998)
An undisputed legend of the game, Michael Jordan’s long and illustrious basketball career culminated with one earth-shaking shot against Utah Jazz in 1988. Jordan’s last shot was a defining moment in his career and, much like Jordan changed the game forever, Malta’s own aromatic blend of orange and herbs made its mark on the beverage market for decades to follow.
The end of Friends (2004)
Arguably one of the greatest series of all time. Much like Kinnie, Friends has been been there for us through the highs and lows of our lives and were it not for the troublesome New York natives, we would have had much less laughs. Thankfully, Kinnie was there to comfort us when the very last episode of Friends aired in 2004.
The birth of the iPhone (2007)
Steve Jobs’ 2007 introduction of the first-generation iPhone is one of the most ground-breaking speeches in commercial history. While the tech company successfully brought together 3 technological components to create a product which made history, the minds behind Kinnie had already blended the essence extracted from oranges with aromatic herbs to create the now-iconic beverage, 55 years prior.
Ye interrupts Taylor (2009)
“I’mma let you finish, but Kinnie is one of the best soft drinks of all time.” The man formerly known as Kanye West’s interruption of Taylor Swift during the 2009 edition of the MTV video music awards is one of the most iconic moments of pop culture history. Despite the public’s animosity towards Kanye’s bold move, all he was doing was making a statement about something he loves, and honestly… we would do the same for Kinnie.
That’s how long Kinnie has been around. The magical mix of orange flavour and aromatic herbs has lived through some of the most iconic moments in recent history and is as important to Maltese culture as the events mentioned above are to the world’s. So here’s to 70 years of Malta’s favourite beverage – CHEERS!
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