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Pepsi Is Giving That Whole Coffee & Cola Mashup Another Try With Pepsi Cafe

by Rudy Sanchez on 12/16/2019 | 2 Minute Read

Aimed at those looking for a midday boost with a little fizz, PepsiCo has announced Pepsi Cafe, a carbonated cola and coffee mashup with double the caffeine of a regular Pepsi. The new beverage is made with Arabica coffee and will be available in two flavors, Original and Vanilla. The announcement comes on the heels of rival Coca-Cola’s announcement of their own line of cola-flavored energy drinks.

Pepsi Cafe is not the soda maker’s first rodeo when it comes to cola-coffee drinks. In 1996, they tested Pepsi Kona in the Philadelphia-area, promoting the beverage with a TV commercial featuring singer Tom Jones. Pepsi ultimately decided not to roll Kona out nationwide, characterizing the coffee-soda combination as “ahead of its time” in announcing their latest attempt at blending java and sweet cola.

The cola brand believes that it has learned from the Kona trial and other higher-test colas such as Pepsi AM and Pepsiccino. For this latest experiment, Pepsi is marketing the beverage primarily as a midday pick-me-up for those that like their coffee served cold, carbonated, and sweet with subtle hints of cola and caramel.

Editorial photograph

"We know that the consumers today are looking for products that meet the needs of energy, indulgence, and refreshment during that afternoon pick-me-up occasion. At Pepsi, we've known the potential of blending cola and coffee for years, and after striking the perfect balance, we cannot wait to introduce Pepsi Café to the US next year," said Todd Kaplan, VP of Marketing, Pepsi in the product announcement. "We are confident that cola fans, iced coffee drinkers, and anyone in need of an extra caffeine boost will love the unexpected flavor medley of roasted coffee infused into the refreshing, crisp flavor of Pepsi."

Based on images provided by Pepsi, the new Cafe variant will come in slim cans similar to other energy drinks, with Original sporting a pattern of roasted beans in gold and brown while Vanilla has a similar visual style but comes in a lighter shade, akin to a coffee with a lot of cream, and the same bean pattern in a lighter shade.

Pepsi Cafe will roll out across the US in April 2020.