Tarhun (drink)

Tarkhuna (Georgian: ტარხუნა) is a Georgian[1] carbonated soft drink that is flavoured with tarragon or woodruff. It was first created in Georgia in 1889, by a young pharmacist named Mitrofan Lagidze in the city of Kutaisi.

A bottle of Georgian Tarhun "Natakhtari"

Availability

As of 2019, tarkhuna is produced in Georgia under "Natakhtari" and "Zhedazheni" brands; in Lithuania under "Selita Klasika" as "Tarchunas"; and in Russia, where one of the producers is OAO Narzan under the brand "Ледяная Жемчужина" as "Тархун".

Trademark status

In a trademark dispute between OÜ Acerra and AS Tallinna Karastusjoogid, the Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications determined that the word Tarhun is a descriptive term for the drink, and is thus not trademarkable under the laws of the Republic of Estonia.[2] In Estonia, it was possible to find both the Estonian-made and Russian-made Tarhun drinks from the same soft drinks aisle, as the soft drink is distilled and bottled in both countries, though by different companies and with slightly different recipes. In 2015, the Estonian soft drinks company AS Tallinna Karastusjoogid, who were the local producer and distributor of "Tarhun", ceased operations, and its owner AS Haljas put the producer on sale to a 'foreign investor', whose name and country of origin has remained unknown.[3] As of 2019, stores in Estonia variously sell tarkhuna lemonades made in Georgia, Lithuania, and Russia; though none of these tarkhuna brands has reached universal distribution across most store chains.

In 2014, Ryan Wood bought the rights for using the Tarhun trademark in the United States.[4]

References
  1. The Georgian Feast by Darra Goldstein p.43, University of California Press, 1999
  2. "ruling 808-o" (PDF). Majandus- ja Kommunikatsiooniministeeriumi Tööstusomandi Apellatsioonikomisjon. Majandus- ja Kommunikatsiooniministeerium. 28 April 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 December 2009.
  3. Gamzejev, Erik (2015-03-20). "Jõhvi joogitehas võib taas tööle hakata" [The Jõhvi drinks factory might start working again] (in Estonian). Põhjarannik. Archived from the original on 2017-07-28.
  4. სახსრებისა და წელის ტკივილს ტარხუნა მოგიხსნით, 2014
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