Nuka-Cola

Nuka-Cola was the most popular flavored soft drink in the United States before the Great War. After the War, Nuka-Cola remains the most popular soft drink of the post-nuclear world, as much of it was preserved in fairly good state, although it tends to be warm and flat. Consumed in large amounts, it has an addictive effect.

Ingredients and flavor
The ingredients of Nuka-Cola are Carbonated Water, Caramel Color, Aspartame, Phosphoric Acid, Potassium Benzoate (To Protect Taste), Natural Flavors, Citric Acid and Caffeine. What gives it the unique flavor is the essence of seventeen different fruits mixed in just the right proportion to give the beverage its trademark taste. During the Great Passion Fruit Famine of 2044, people actually noticed the taste difference when the flavor was changed. Some versions of the drink also include vitaminerals and health tonics.

History
Nuka-Cola was invented in 2044 by John Caleb-Bradberton. Its unique taste gained widespread popularity quickly, ending with it becoming the most popular soft drink with an extremely dedicated following. The widely known Dazzling Blue bottle color was adopted as standard in 2052, after market research programs indicated that the blue color was the favorite in 86 people out of a hundred polled.

By 2067, vending machines with ice-cold Nuka-Cola could be found on virtually every street in America.

The company's main factory was located in Washington, DC, which used cutting edge equipment to keep the world's most popular soft drink in full production 24 hours a day.

Types
There are several types of Nuka-Cola. Aside from the original version, the company also created Cherry Nuka-Cola, but nobody liked the new taste. This resulted in a marketing disaster for the company, which quickly attempted to save the brand by introducing the Classic Nuka-Cola, tasting exactly like the original but in a new bottle. Diet Nuka-Cola also exists, but it's hard to find after the Great War.

In 2077, a new version called Nuka-Cola Quantum was introduced. According to the advertisements, it had twice the calories, twice the carbohydrates, twice the caffeine and twice the taste. To make it stand out more on the shelves and to give it an extra kick, the Quantum included a mild radioactive strontium isotope (and an eighteenth fruit flavor - pomegranate). The effect was a drink that not only boosted your energy, but also glowed with a bright blue light. While no ill effects were recorded by the Food and Drug Association, the isotope also caused the drinker's urine to glow.

The company also began to develop a product called Nuka-Cola Clear (with only minimal loss of life). They were able to modify the look of Nuka-Cola but give it the same great taste. However this was only referred to on a research terminal in the Nuka-Cola Plant. It was never developed.

In Chicago, during the Midwestern Brotherhood of Steel reign, there were reports of a strange Yellow Nuka-Cola. However, it was quickly identified as a substance designed by a "mad naked man" who "made water". Also, a guy existed named Phil, the Nuka-Cola dude, who was an owner of a bike and a jacket with Nuka-Cola logo. Phil has the thankless job of riding around the wasteland and refilling all of the nuke cola machines that litter it. It's a tradition passed down (rather stupidly) from generation to generation. Phil is not impressed and doesn't like Nuka-Cola much. It is rumored that he had something called Fusion Nuka-Cola, a unique, unknown taste which was created by fusing together some Nuka-Cola dregs.

Appearances
Nuka-Cola appears in all Fallout games except for Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel where it is replaced with the real-life Energy Drink brand of Bawls (much to the anger of fans). The Cherry and Classic variants appear only in Fallout Tactics, while Nuka-Cola Quantum appears only in Fallout 3. Diet Nuka-Cola is only mentioned in Fallout.

Fallout, Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics
Nuka-Cola tends to play a background role. Dugan, an addict can tell you about the drink in Fallout, but otherwise it has no direct effect on the storyline.

The drink has several minor uses for quests and items in Fallout 2. One of the three ingredients of a Super Stimpak as crafted by the artiste of the test tube known as Myron, Nuka-Cola restocks in shops in Klamath, and on the oil tanker in San Francisco. Left click on a Nuka-Cola machine and drag the mouse to access the backpack and put coins in the slot. Nuka-Cola machines inexplicably (other than for reasons of gameplay) restock every one to seven weeks.

A special encounter in Fallout Tactics will allow you to get your hands on a supply of the drink.

Fallout 3
In Fallout 3, not only do Nuka-Cola and Nuka-Cola Quantum appear in bottle form, but the bottling factory can also be entered. Nuka-Cola branded security robots guard the factory floor, directed by their Robotic Foreman, but the offices and irradiated underground area are also infested with curiously mutated Mirelurks, called NukaLurks. The factory is located along the southern highway going towards Rivet City.

Use
Nuka-Cola will give you 2 Rads and 10 Health (12 health with the Food Sanitizer). Nuka-Cola Quantum will give you 20 AP and 5 rads (Approximately 1 more shot in V.A.T.S.). However, due to the extreme rarity and other potential uses of Quantum, consuming it is ill-advised.


 * Consuming a bottle of Nuka-Cola provides a single Cap. It does not, however, generate an Empty Nuka-Cola Bottle. (This is probably so that your inventory does not get clogged up with empty bottles)
 * The basic Nuka-Cola can be traded for other random supplies in Little Lamplight, see Zip's Nuka Fix.
 * You can buy a Nuka-Cola machine for your house that will turn generic Nuka-Cola into Ice Cold Nuka-Cola. This increases hp recovery when consumed to 20 (24 with the Food Sanitizer).
 * The Nuka-Cola Quantum is part of a quest (see The Nuka-Cola Challenge) and is the rarest ingredient in the assembly of Nuka Grenades from schematics.
 * With the perk Quantum Chemist, every 10 Nuka-Colas in your inventory will become a Nuka-Cola Quantum. If you're playing with a new character, and don't desperately need health, you can stockpile all the Nuka-Colas you find and convert them once you obtain the perk. Note that the perk can be first gained at level 22 with a science skill of at least 70, and that you'll need the Broken Steel DLC to surpass the level 20 cap. It should also be noted that you cannot convert Ice Cold Nuka-Colas into Quantums with this perk, so stockpiling your bottles somewhere other than in your Nuka-Cola machine is advised.

Real-life appearances
During the 2008 E3 as a promotional item, people were given a real drinkable version of the product. It greatly resembles the 1950's look of the Coca-Cola brand bottles.

Trivia

 * The logos, bottle designs, market crash and even the Nuka-Cola name are obviously based on those of Coca-Cola.
 * The name of Nuka-Cola creator, John Caleb-Braderton, is an amalgamation of the inventors of Coca-Cola (John Pemberton) and Pepsi (Caleb Bradham).
 * On a research terminal in the Nuka-Cola plant in Fallout 3, an e-mail is sent about a new flavor called "Nuka-Cola Clear". This is likely a reference to Crystal Pepsi from 1992-1993 or may also be a reference to the short lived Coca-Cola product "Tab Clear".