Coca-Cola has a new soda for Diet Coke fans

Published 6:56 am Friday, February 9, 2024

By Veronika Bondarenko

: Coca-Cola Spiced mixes flavors of raspberry and a signature spice blend.

Regular Coca-Cola (KO) drinkers will know that something very different has been going on with the brand over the past two years.

Along with the regular, Diet and Zero Sugar versions that customers are most familiar with, the company has been rotating a number of flavors with different formulas and mysterious names — Starlight and Dreamworld — through its Creations branch, launched in 2021.

Each such Coca-Cola Creation is available in both regular and Zero Sugar versions.

While all these flavors so far have been limited editions and disappeared from the shelves within a couple of months of introduction, the newest offering will join Coca-Cola’s permanent lineup — Coca-Cola Spiced will be available for sale in the U.S. and Canada from Feb. 19.

Coca-Cola promises ‘boldest tasting brand innovation yet’

The “spiced” refers to the mysterious combination of spices and raspberry that creates the new flavor. Just as with its signature formula — which has remained shrouded in mystery for nearly 140 years — Coca-Cola has kept secret the specific things that go into the new drink to keep fans guessing which notes they catch.

“It’s Coca-Cola, only spiced,” Coca-Cola says in its promotional materials. “Coca-Cola Spiced transforms the familiar into the extraordinary, blending the iconic taste of Coca-Cola with a burst of refreshing notes from raspberry and spiced flavors.”

*Coca-Cola Spiced mixes flavors of raspberry and a signature spice blend.*

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The company also promises that the flavor will bring its “boldest tasting brand innovation yet” and an “uplifting taste experience unlike any other.”

The new flavor will initially be available in stores across the U.S. and Canada but may eventually make its way to other countries if the initial market response is successful.

Coca-Cola has offered unusual flavors

Coca-Cola believes that this spiced version will be popular enough to justify keeping it on shelves for years to come alongside classics such as regular, Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero.

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Prior.to the new Creations branch, Coca-Cola at different times launched products such as Mango, Cherry Vanilla and Orange Vanilla Coke. While each had its own cult following, most did not come anywhere near the main product in sales and was eventually scrapped.

At the moment, Coca-Cola continues to sell Cherry and Vanilla flavors, but they are not as easily found in single cans outside grocery stores and often need to be purchased in 12-packs.

To keep the excitement around the Creations products, Coca-Cola has been rotating the limited-edition flavors. The spiced line is the first to become a permanent part of the Atlanta drinks giant’s offerings.

The decision to launch the latest version comes from data showing that raspberry was the most popular flavor customers selected on its Freestyle drink machines in 2022 while overall trends show an “increase in consumer willingness to try a spiced beverage,” the company says.

“We’re constantly looking at industry trends and exploring new ways to offer our customers more choice,” Vice President Of Marketing Sue Lynne Cha said in a statement. “We are always innovating with new flavors to offer new experiences for our fans.”