TOKYO >> Created using blends of spices and original recipes, craft cola is experiencing a boom in popularity. Its unique aromas and refreshing sensations, said by some to be addictive, have been causing quite a stir.

The spike in interest was sparked by Iyoshi Cola, a business in Shinjuku ward said to be a pioneer in craft cola.

“The nostalgic and addictive taste cannot be found in colas sold in supermarkets,” said one customer from Tokyo’s Nakano ward who sampled “The Dreamy Flavor,” made with lemon and more than 10 spices including cola nut and clove.

The store’s founder and operator, Takahide Kobayashi, 31, was originally an employee of a major advertising company who enjoyed making homemade cola on his days off.

“I enjoyed the pursuit of (finding) a satisfying flavor,” he recalled.

Kobayashi was inspired to open a store after sorting through the belongings of his grandfather, who ran a Chinese medicine workshop. When making his cola, Kobayashi uses the delicate method of heating medicinal herbs described in a memo he found written by his grandfather. The process soon enabled him to produce cola drinks with a fragrance that infused their flavors.

While still working for the ad company, he began selling his cola from a food truck on weekends. The drinks quickly gained a following on social media, and about a year after the launch of his product, he began to sell his cola syrup wholesale nationwide.

In 2018, he quit his job to focus on making cola. After renovating his grandfather’s workshop, he opened his store in February. In April, he opened another branch in Tokyo’s Shibuya ward. Now, Iyoshi Cola employs about 20 workers.

Kobayashi’s next goal is to open a store in the United States, the home of cola.

“I want to become a cola dealer on par with Coca-Cola and Pepsi cola, and spread the taste of Iyoshi around the world,” he said with a smile.