Reykjavík Grapevine - Aug 2022, Page 7

7The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 08— 2022
In December 2010, a newly minted
beverage company called Gosverksmið-
jan Klettur launched Klettagos, an
Icelandic soft drink that looked and
tasted much like internationally-
available dark colas like Coke or Pepsi.
They boasted being able to sell the soda
for less than Coke or Pepsi, and their
bottle came with hip labelling, featur-
ing young Icelanders singing, laughing
and playing guitar.
By August 2011, the factory shuttered
its doors. By December of that same
year, they were officially ruled bankrupt
in Reykjavík District Court, with losses
totalling some 330 million ISK.
What the heck happened? To under-
stand that, you need to understand
Ölgerð Egils Skallagríms and Vífilfell,
two Icelandic beverage giants, who
control domestic distribution of Pepsi
and Coke, respectively.
These two companies not only sell
soft drinks. They make contracts with
bars and restaurants for the rights to
sell them, and they have agreements
with shops dictating how much shelf
space they get for their products. As
such, Ölgerð Egils Skallagríms and
Vífilfell are pretty much the only game
in town, producing a lot of other more
localised Icelandic beverages—such as
the ubiquitous Applesin—and subsum-
ing others.
This is exactly what Gosverksmið-
jan contended was their demise, and
the Icelandic Competition Authority
agreed. In a 2020 ruling, the Compe-
tition Authority found that Ölgerð
Egils Skallagríms and Vífilfell deliber-
ately took up an inordinate amount of
shelf space and set their own products
more prominently, in some instances
dispatching their employees to remove
Klettagos bottles altogether.
In the end, Ölgerð Egils Skalla-
gríms paid 20 million ISK in fines, and
Vífilfell paid 17 million ISK. A far cry
from the 330 million Gosverksmiðjan
lost, but the real loss is still felt to this
day by the Icelandic people. Klettagos
didn’t just die; it was murdered. Where
for one shining moment, we had our
own homegrown, caramel-coloured,
caffeinated beverage, today it is merely
a warm memory of a simpler time.

Laufey
Everything I Know About Love
Release date: August 26th
Laufey is back with her debut full-
length album, “Everything I Know
About Love.” This new output shows
a more fleshed out character, a
young woman developing both
musically and emotionally—and all
the better for it. With ‘Everything I
Know About Love,’ Laufey has taken
another step firmly in the direction of
superstardom. Watch this space. JG

Jelena
Rome
Release date: August 26th
Rich with emotion and powerful
vocals, this song is giving us major
sad girl vibes. It’s like if you crossed
any of the softer ABBA songs from
“Mamma Mia!” with your favourite
indie pop band. Steep a cup of tea,
stare out the rain-streaked window,
and have the main character moment
you deserve. EL
GusGus (ft. John Grant)
Bolero EP
Release date: August 5th
The irrepressible GusGus are at it
again with their infectious brand of
80s-influenced techno/electro/dance
delights. This time they have teamed
up with Michigan-born, Reykjavik-
based John Grant for a curious little
three-track EP. The synths are heavy,
the vibes are strong. It’s some serious
after-party shit, the sort of music
that only hits just right at 3am when
everything feels possible. JG
NEW MUSIC PICKS
First
GREAT MOMENTS
IN ICELANDIC
HISTORY
Words:
Andie Sophia
Fontaine
Photo:
Gosverksmiðjan
Klettagos
For about 8 months, we had our own Icelandic cola
UNFORGETTABLE FOOD AND
DRINK EXPERIENCE
Seljavegur 2, 101 Reykjavík, www.hedinnrestaurant.is