Coca-Cola Energy Drinks Are Coming To The US In 2020
Need an energy lift for that midday meeting, but want to stick to beverage brands that you know well? Like the rest of us, Coca-Cola has been watching the rising popularity of energy drinks. Now the soft-drink giant is getting in the game big time. Come January 2020, Coca-Cola Energy is coming to the U.S., with four different flavors to choose from.
The new energy drink line provides 114 milligrams of caffeine per 12-ounce serving, the company says, which it calls "roughly the equivalent of a 12-oz. cup of drip coffee." There's a basic Coca-Cola Energy drink plus three variations: Coca-Cola Energy Zero Sugar, Coca-Cola Energy Cherry and Coca-Cola Energy Cherry Zero Sugar. The drinks also contain guarana extracts and B vitamins.
If you're a world traveler, you may have already tried Coca-Cola Energy. The drink debuted earlier this year in Spain and Hungary and can now be purchased in 25 countries, including Great Britain, Ireland, France and Australia, according to Coca-Cola. But Americans are luckier than most — the cherry flavor isn't available elsewhere.
"Americans love Cherry Coke!" said Janki Gambhir, Coca-Cola Trademark innovation brand director, on the Coca-Cola Journey website. "The brand has a cult-like following here. Since our ambition is to bring Coke drinkers into the energy category, what better way to do so than with an extended Coca-Cola Energy range built on the great taste credentials of a flavor people recognize, trust and love?"
The new drinks will be more expensive than regular Cokes, costing $2.49 for one 12-ounce can, a Coca-Cola spokesperson confirmed.
Coca-Cola has been getting creative lately. In 2018, the brand introduced four fruity Diet Coke flavors inspired by millennials. In February 2019, Orange Vanilla Coke hit the shelves, the first new Coke flavor in 10 years. Coca-Cola Cinnamon is just hitting shelves to bring that spicy flavor to your fizzy beverage. And Gambhir says on the Coke website that Cherry Vanilla Coke and Cherry Vanilla Coke Zero Sugar are also coming to the U.S. in 2020. But that's not all. While Coca-Cola is a permanent part of the U.S. soft-drink landscape, there are still plenty of things you didn't know about 15 of the most popular soda brands.