The glass fulfills the lifelong dream of Georg Riedel, the 10th generation owner of the Austrian company. On his fourth birthday -- 60 years ago -- his parents bought him a 12-pack of Coca-Cola. He savored every sip, self-rationing the dozen small glass bottles to make them last.
“World War II was over, but people still were suffering, so to have this sweet taste and effervescence on my palate was a revelation,” Riedel recalled during a phone interview from Napa Valley, Calif.
Last February, Brad Fields from Coke’s worldwide licensing team approached Riedel about partnering on a specialty glass at a tradeshow in Frankfurt, Germany. Riedel agreed to develop his company’s first-ever glass for a non-alcoholic beverage.