| USA TODAY
Coca-Cola eliminating the popular TaB diet soda by the end of the year
Coca-Cola’s first diet soda, the TaB, was launched in 1963.
USA TODAY
Cheer up, coffee lovers and Coca-Cola fans.
A combined drink from Coca-Cola brings a new way to get a dose of caffeine.
As of Monday, Coca-Cola with Coffee and Coca-Cola with Coffee Zero Sugar are available nationwide in the aisles of ready-to-drink coffee in stores, the company said. The new drinks, infused with Brazilian coffee, were first announced in July.
“Many people are often torn between picking up a soda or coffee at 3 pm at work, at school or on the go,” said Brandan Strickland, director of the Coca-Cola brand, in a press release. Now, you don’t have to leave Coca-Cola to have your coffee. “
Coconut milk dropped: Target removes Chaokoh coconut milk after PETA allegations of monkey labor, Costco follows
New chicken sandwiches arrived: Chick-fil-A Grilled Spicy Chicken Deluxe Sandwich opens Monday, Boston Market also features hot sandwiches
Coca-Cola with Coffee is available in three flavors – Dark Blend, Vanilla and Caramel – while the sugar-free and calorie-free version comes in Dark Blend and Vanilla.
All 12-ounce cans contain 69 mg of caffeine, while Coca-Cola says that the same portion of a Coca contains 34 mg and a Diet Coke has 46 mg of caffeine. An average cup of coffee contains 95 mg of caffeine.
There are 70 calories in Coca-Cola with Coffee, half the calories in a 12-ounce can of regular Coca. A single can of the new coffee will be sold at retail for about $ 2.32, the company said.
The USA is the 50th market to launch Coca-Cola with Coffee, which was first tested in Japan in 2018. The company says it adapts the recipe in each country to “meet local tastes”.
It is not the first time that Coca-Cola has a soft drink with coffee in the United States. In 2006, Coca-Cola Blak was launched, but was discontinued two years later. Some product reviews said the drink had a brutal aftertaste.
Coca-Cola says in its preliminary consumer tests, more than 80% of consumers who tried the new product would buy it.
Caleb Bryant, associate director of food and beverage at global market research firm Mintel, told USA TODAY that ready-to-drink coffee is one of the fastest growing beverage categories and is particularly popular with Millennials and Generation Z. The beverage categories have also been blurring together, Bryant said.
“This is a great example of a drink that mixes carbonated soft drinks and coffee,” he said of Coca’s new product, noting that other categories of blends include coffee and energy drinks and alcoholic coffee drinks.
Rival Pepsi also planned to launch its own soda with coffee in 2020, but said in a statement to USA TODAY that high consumer demand for its core and existing portfolio impacted the launch of Pepsi Café Original and Pepsi Café Vanilla. The company said it is looking to launch new flavors in 2021.
Last week, Greek yogurt company Chobani announced new iced coffees ready to drink in bottles. Coffee comes in four flavors.
Closing of stores in 2021: Godiva closes its boutiques by the end of March. The chocolate will be sold online, in other stores.
Follow USA TODAY reporter Kelly Tyko on Twitter: @KellyTyko