Coke's Newest Permanent Drink Brings 'Spice' and Raspberry Flavor to Its Lineup

Coca-Cola just introduced its newest permanent flavor—and it's literally spicing things up in the beverage world.

The latest in a long line of specialty drinks, Coca-Cola Spiced launched on February 19 (the first permanent flavor introduced by the company in three years). The bubbly drink has the sweetness of raspberries and a hint of spices, for "Coke's boldest tasting brand innovation yet," the company deemed.

The "spice" isn't spicy like you might expect—instead, Coca-Cola described it as an "uplifting taste experience unlike any other," referring to the mix of flavors you get in a single sip. This newest addition to Coke's permanent selections, which currently includes Classic Coke, Cherry Coke, Cherry Vanilla, and Vanilla, is available in both regular and Coke Zero.

Innovative carbonated beverages are on the rise among soft drink fans, also shown by the beloved brand La Croix, which offers a wide range of flavors from pamplemousse to cherry blossom.

"We're constantly looking at industry trends and exploring new ways to offer our customers more choice," Coca-Cola's Vice President of Marketing, Sue Lynne Cha, told USA Today. "People want to experiment with unique flavors, and Coke Spiced is a direct response to that trend."

Coca-Cola Spiced targets Gen Z consumers who are loving Pepsi's Starry, which replaced Sierra Mist and debuted a 2024 Super Bowl ad featuring breakout rapper Ice Spice. The rebranded beverage raked in more sales in its first year than the previous four years combined (while it was still Sierra Mist).

Besides the raspberry flavor, Coca-Cola hasn't revealed exactly what the "spice" is, but Coke fans didn't take long to share their opinions. Redditors were mixed in their enthusiasm.

"I may give it another try down the road, but my first impression last week was drinking a normal Coke while partaking in a cherry cough drop. Pretty underwhelming," one wrote.

"It reminds me of any of the specialty cokes where the flavor is like an addition (vanilla, cherry, orange) but the spice is a nice touch. Not like a kick, but wished I could place exactly what it is (cinnamon, etc)," another said about the somewhat elusive flavor.

With these differing opinions, you may just have to try the new flavor out for yourself—find it at any major grocery retailer in bottle and can form.