Watch out, Dr Pepper! Coca-Cola reveals new Coca-Cola Spiced

Food & Drink

By Alex Mitchell

Are the cola wars poppin’ again?

Coca-Cola announced it will soon roll out its first new permanent flavor in more than three years — a “spiced” variation of its original recipe.

The Atlanta-based soda giant says that the sure-to-be Dr Pepper rival “blends the iconic taste of Coca-Cola with a burst of refreshing notes from raspberry and spiced flavors,” according to Today.

Coca-Cola Spiced will be available in a classic and a zero-sugar form on Feb. 19 in standard 12-ounce cans, 12-packs of these cans, 10-packs of mini cans, 20-ounce bottles, six-packs of half-liter bottles, and 2-liter bottles.

Its labeling features magenta stripes wrapped around the soda’s iconic bright red hue.

The Post reached out to Coca-Cola reps for comment.

Beyond competing with the renowned Dr Pepper, Coca-Cola’s North America marketing chief, Shakir Moin, says the entire market is spicing up.

“If you go to the aisles, you’ll see the amount of spiciness has gone up because consumers’ taste palettes have evolved. We realized that could be an opportunity for us,” Moin told The Associated Press.

“Can we dial up something which is already part of our formula and bring in a taste profile that is interesting, unique, and brings in the next generation of consumers?” he mused.

Coca-Cola Spiced follows the 2022 launch of Coca-Cola Creations, a stunt aimed at appealing to younger generations.

As part of that campaign, the company made eight colorfully labeled limited edition flavors that include touches of coconut, strawberry, and watermelon.

Its latest is a “Happy Tears” drink composed of salt and mineral flavors that can only be purchased through TikTok until Feb. 17.

As for Cola-Cola Spiced, Moin said the beverage only took seven weeks to develop as opposed to the typical year-long process.

“Consumers are moving faster. The market is moving forward faster,” he explained. “We’ve got to be faster than the speed of the market.”