Coca-Cola introduced the Italian bitter aperitif Beverly in 1969.
Beverly was a carbonated, non-alcoholic aperitif created for the Italian market. Its defining characteristic was a sharply bitter citrus taste, associated with grapefruit rind and intended to fit the European aperitif tradition, where a small pre-meal drink can stimulate the appetite.
The product remained in Italy for decades before Coca-Cola discontinued it there in 2009 during product consolidation. Beverly later became famous outside Italy through Coca-Cola tasting locations, including World of Coca-Cola museums and selected Disney venues. Visitors often encounter it as a deliberately challenging sample rather than as a mainstream American soft drink.
The alternatives are different Italian or international bitter beverages. Chinotto is a dark, bittersweet soft drink; Crodino is a non-alcoholic Italian aperitif; and Sanbittèr is another Italian bitter aperitif. Their similar category makes them plausible distractors, but none is Coca-Cola’s 1969 product.