Coca-Cola rolls out new soda infused with coffee and big-time caffeine fix

Perk up, coffee lovers and Coke fans.

A combination beverage from Coca-Cola brings a new way to get a caffeine fix.

Coca-Cola with Coffee and Coca-Cola with Coffee Zero Sugar are now available nationwide in stores’ ready-to-drink coffee aisles, the company said. The new drinks, which are infused with Brazilian coffee, were first announced in July.

“Many people are often torn between reaching for a soft drink or a coffee at 3 p.m. at work, at school or on the go,” said Brandan Strickland, brand director, Coca-Cola Trademark, in a news release. Now, you don’t need to leave Coca-Cola to get your coffee fix.”

Coca-Cola with Coffee is available in three flavors — Dark Blend, Vanilla and Caramel — while the zero-sugar, zero-calorie version comes in Dark Blend and Vanilla.

All 12-ounce cans have 69 mg of caffeine while Coca-Cola says the same serving of a Coke has 34 mg and a Diet Coke has 46 mg of caffeine. The average cup of coffee has 95 mg.

There are 70 calories in the Coca-Cola with Coffee, half of the calories in a 12-ounce can of regular Coke. A single can of the new coffee will retailfor about $2.32, the company said.

The U.S. is the 50th market to launch Coca-Cola with Coffee, which was first piloted in Japan in 2018. The company says it tailors the recipe in each country to “meet local tastes.”

It’s not the first time Coca-Cola has had a soda with coffee in the U.S. In 2006, Coca-Cola Blak was launched but then was discontinued two years later. Some reviews of the product said the drink had a brutal aftertaste.

Coca-Cola says in its preliminary consumer testing, more than 80% of consumers who tried the new product would buy it.

Last week, Greek yogurt company Chobani announced new ready-to-drink cold brew coffees in bottles. The coffee comes in four flavors.

Read more at usatoday.com