Paulaner Spezi

Paulaner Spezi is a cult-favorite German soft drink that famously blends cola with orange soda. The drink's history is rooted in a unique legal and collaborative past between two Bavarian breweries. While the 'Spezi' brand name was originally registered and trademarked in 1956 by Brauhaus Riegele based in Augsburg, the Paulaner Brewery in Munich entered into a landmark agreement in 1974. This agreement allowed Paulaner to produce and sell its own version of the mixture under the Spezi name for a one-time fee.

Over the decades, Paulaner Spezi became the market leader in the cola-mix segment in Germany. Although a legal dispute arose in the early 2020s regarding the validity of the decades-old contract, German courts upheld Paulaner's right to continue using the name. More recently, in late 2025, a new international licensing agreement was established between Paulaner and Riegele, clearing the way for Paulaner to export the beverage to global markets under the original brand name from 2026 onwards. The product is primarily manufactured at Paulaner's facilities in Germany, including historical sites in Munich and newer production hubs like Gotha and Karlsruhe.