Coca-Cola Adds A New Flavor To The Permanent Lineup
This new product, Coca-Cola Spiced, has a flavor profile you might not expect.
Coca-Cola has announced that for the first time in over three years, it's adding a new flavor to its permanent lineup: Coca-Cola Spiced. This is a big bet by the big beverage brand, because companies as big as Coca-Cola don't just jump into the market with a new product headfirst—such things take years of research and development, plus limited-time releases, to ensure that in the long run, they'll sell.
How will the new Coca-Cola Spiced flavor taste?
It's called Coca-Cola Spiced, but it's not necessarily spicy. The brand says the drink "blends the iconic taste of Coca-Cola with a burst of refreshing notes from raspberry and spiced flavors offering an uplifting taste experience unlike any other. Coca-Cola Spiced is not spicy but Coke's boldest-tasting brand innovation yet."
So picture raspberry notes with the same spices as those you'd find in, say, a spice cake. There are cake recipes (including one from Betty Crocker) that illustrate how well the berries and spices complement each other, so Coke is capitalizing on a tried-and-true flavor combination.
Cola itself is a complicated flavor, when you think about it, and it's already got plenty of spices on its own. Sporked explains that Coke's primary notes are vanilla, cinnamon, citrus oils, and other flavorings like nutmeg. The new drink will come in both regular and Zero Sugar varieties, sold in both cans and bottles.
Coca-Cola has been experimenting with flavors for a while now
Through its line of Coca-Cola Creations, the company has been playing with abstract flavor concepts for a while now. Coca-Cola Starlight tastes "reminiscent of stargazing around a campfire"; Zero Sugar Byte evokes "what pixels might taste like"; Dreamworld "makes the most fascinating parts of our imagination real"; and the AI-developed Y3000, "an optimistic vision of what's to come, where humanity and technology are more connected than ever."
By contrast, Coca-Cola Spiced is a relatively straightforward flavor, and the fact that it's a permanent offering is definitely interesting. Going all-in on a permanent fixture that will sit beside Cherry, Cherry Vanilla, and Vanilla suggests that Coke wants to continue being an undeniable force in the increasingly crowded beverage aisle.
The new Coca-Cola Spiced will be available starting mid-February, so keep an eye out in the coolers of your local supermarket or convenience store.