Not Your Average Joe: Coca-Cola With Coffee Has Arrived

Back in August 2020, we wrote that coffee-infused Coke would make its debut in the United States in January 2021. That seemed a long way off back then, but somehow, we've arrived at the start of a new year and all the exciting product releases that come with it. And now, Coca-Cola® with Coffee—yes, that's the official name of the product—is available nationwide. Here's how the press release describes it (emphasis ours):

The breakthrough innovation creates the new "refreshment coffee" category with a pioneering proposition that "sips like a Coke and finishes like a coffee" – giving Coca-Cola fans and java lovers alike a refreshing and reinvigorating reset to their daily routine.

The U.S. is not the first to enjoy this extra-caffeinated product, not by a long shot. According to the press release, we're the 50th market to receive coffee Coke after the company first launched it in Japan in 2018. One interesting takeaway from the press release is that, much like international iterations of McDonald's fast food, the beverage giant "tailors the Coca-Cola With Coffee recipe and packaging mix to meet local tastes." The product has roughly twice the caffeine of a normal can of Coke, at 69mg of caffeine per 12-oz. can.

One of the reasons this product is hitting the market is that, according to Coca-Cola's research, "More than 50% of Coca-Cola drinkers and coffee loyalists enjoy both beverages on a regular basis." I find this surprising, since most of the soda enthusiasts I know aren't particular about restricting their Coke consumption to a certain time of day, and would thus presumably crack one open in the morning while the rest of us are sipping our caffeine hot. It will be interesting to see if this product as crossover appeal as the company is surely hoping it will.

And don't worry, Diet Coke obsessives, there's a coffee soda for you, too: the three flavors rolling out nationwide are Dark Blend, Vanilla, Caramel, with Zero Sugar versions of Dark Blend and Vanilla. Consumer tests showed that a whopping 80% of people who tasted Coca-Cola with Coffee said they would buy it. Would you?