Hold on to your Diet Cokes, Coca-Cola isn't coming for your caffeine. Coca-Cola just announced Coke Blak, a coffee based coke that gives drinkers a bigger jolt than the original beverage, but the product isn't new. After giving us 80s Coke and Coke Mixers, the beverage company thinks a new formula might make the U.S. finally ready for coffee cola.
In 2006, Coca-Cola tried to piggyback on the launch of Vault, their Coke plus energy drink product, by launching a coffee version of Coke. While the French and Canadian products did well, the U.S. version subbed natural with high fructose corn syrup and acesulfame potassium that messed with the original drink's flavor. The product died on grocery shelves two years later, but the product's favor in Europe led executives to table Coke Blak until 2019.
Instead of simply being coffee-flavored Coke, the brand reformulated the drink to contain actual coffee, raising the caffeine quantity above regular Coke's 45.6mg (just 20mg shy of a shot of espresso!). They've also moved away from the Blak brand, sticking a new name that mirrors the brands other offerings. Now Coca-Cola Plus Coffee, the drink aligns itself more with Coke Zero than Ok Soda.
Coca Cola Plus Coffee will be soon available in 25 countries—26 if you count the Coke Blak coffee vending machines in Mexico. The drink capitalizes on Coke's natural sweetness to create a coffee-candy flavor that's impressing international audiences. It's initial run in Australia, Italy and Thailand is doing well enough that they're re-thinking their U.S. strategy. Nancy Quan, Coca-Cola's chief technical officer, believes new changes will help it succeed.
"That was a trend before its time. I don't think people were ready to have a coffee portfolio within the Coca-Cola brand." Quan told CNN Business.
Honestly we'll try anything to help with caffeine withdrawal.
