This Nostalgic Coca-Cola Soda Brand Is Back And Better Than Ever

Who remembers Mr. Pibb? I don't believe I ever tried it myself, but I vaguely recall seeing it in stores or vending machines sometime in the distant past. Well, as of today, it's back under its original name, but with a slightly revamped formula.

Created to be the Coca-Cola company's alternative to Dr. Pepper, Mr. Pibb was born in 1972. But by the time its 50th anniversary rolled around, it had largely sunk from view and the date passed by with zero fanfare. This may have been because original Mr. Pibb was actually discontinued in 2001, so it didn't quite make 30 years before being replaced by a slightly different product called Pibb Xtra. So what made this soda so "Xtra," besides the fact that people loved tossing around this term back in Y2K days? It was said to have a slightly spicier, cinnamon taste. But, apart from that, it had the same flavor profile, which was meant to be cherry-caramel but really tasted more like fizzy prune juice. (As does Dr. Pepper, despite having one of the most famous secret recipes in food and drink history.) Pibb Xtra is still available as of 2025, but isn't always easy to find.

The new Mr. Pibb will probably taste somewhat different, since the Coca-Cola company admits to tinkering with the flavor. (Did it learn nothing from the Coke Zero fiasco from 40 years ago?) The soda will also come with 30% more caffeine than Pibb Xtra. There's no caffeine-free option at present, but Mr. Pibb Zero Sugar is available for calorie counters. Rumor also has it that there will be two flavored versions available in 2026.

Why is Coca-Cola bringing back Mr. Pibb at this time? Is it meant to appeal to nostalgia seekers, or was it released in response to overwhelming demand? No. Instead, it seems that this new development was prompted by the outcome of a lawsuit. When Dr. Pepper parent company, Keurig Dr. Pepper, lost the rights to distribute its signature soda in some areas, a Coca-Cola subsidiary stepped in as the supplier to certain parts of California and Nevada. A judge in Texas (home to Keurig Dr. Pepper, Inc.) recently ruled that Dr. Pepper could distribute all of its own product as it sees fit, so Coca-Cola will no longer be involved. This means the company won't be competing against itself if it pushes a similar product — and some Coke-branded soda fountains which no longer have access to Dr. Pepper could be switching to Mr. Pibb.

Okay, so it's a bit disappointing to learn that Coca-Cola was prompted to bring Mr. Pibb back by its own legal concerns rather than any desire to please its customers. Still, the return of Mr. Pibb is good news for those who prefer the product to Dr. Pepper — and it could set a precedent for other discontinued products. One Facebook group called Surge Movement hopes that this move will make room for their favorite discontinued '90s Surge soda to come back, as well.