The origins of theCockta drink begin in the early 1950s. In 1952, Ivan Deu, the
Director of the state-owned corporation Slovenijavino, came up with the idea of
producing an original, refreshing Slovenian beverage which would be able to
compete against soft drinks from abroad, which were not yet being sold in
Yugoslavia.The chemical engineer, Emerik Zelinka, an employee of the
Slovenijavino research labs, created the drink with a new, different taste,
derived from a blend of eleven different herbs and spices; including therose
hip, a prominent flavour within Cockta's blend.

The drink was introduced to the market for the first time on 8 March 1953 at a
ski jumpingcompetition atPlanica.