Coca-Cola Announces New Permanent Flavor

Coca-Cola is spicing up its beverage lineup. For the first time in three years, the century-old company is adding a new permanent flavor to its beverage collection: Coca-Cola Spiced, a new drink that features "burst of refreshing raspberry flavors and spiced notes," according to a press release.

According to Food Network's blog, the new beverage, which is set hit shelves nationwide beginning Monday, Feb. 19, tastes "mostly like raspberry at the outset, though not as tart as you might expect." The outlet added that "if you're thinking 'Spiced' means 'spicy'...don't worry – any 'spice' we could detect simply served to round out the flavor and was mostly present as we finished each sip." Coca-Cola hasn't divulged the ingredients of the spice blend at this time, but FN said "there was definitely a lingering hint of cinnamon and other similarly warm spices."

From Flamin’ Hot Cheetos to Sweet Heat Starburst, America’s snacks are getting spicier. Now, Coca-Cola wants in on the trend.

The beverage giant introduced Coca-Cola Spiced, the first new permanent offering to its North American portfolio in three years. https://t.co/S6zcl1ZHQL

— ABC News (@ABC) February 7, 2024

Coca-Cola Spiced will be available in a variety of can and bottle options, including a 12-ounce sleek can, 12-ounce twelve packs, ten-pack mini cans, 2-liter bottles, and more. Customers will also have the option to purchase Coca-Cola Spiced Zero Sugar in a 12-ounce sleek can, 12-ounce twelve packs, and 20-ounce bottles.

The drink will be sold alongside Coca-Cola's other permanent offerings, such as its flagship flavor, cherry, and vanilla. Over the years, Coca-Cola has also experimented with unique limited-time offerings, including Coca-Cola Y3000 Zero Sugar, which was announced in the fall and co-created by human and artificial intelligence (AI). The company decided to roll out Coca-Cola Spiced as a permanent flavor rather than a limited-time offering because it's "all about being on category trend and responsive to our consumer preferences," Sue Lynne Cha, Coke's vice president of marketing for North America, told CNN.

According to Cha, Coke's research found that an "increase in consumer willingness to try a spiced beverage." Meanwhile, the raspberry flavor was selected more than 5 million times on its Freestyle drink machines in 2022, which the company "often uses for inspiration" for new flavors.

Cha added that "consumers are looking for more bold flavors and more complex flavor profiles. That's a trend we started to see in food, but also in beverage and we though that was a unique space for us to play in."