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.