Remember when Coca-Cola first rolled out Vanilla Coke? Get ready for a fruity remix.
Later this month, Coca-Cola will be introducing a new spin on a classic flavor combo: Vanilla Orange Coke. The drink it set to hit store shelves Feb. 25 and will be available as regular Coke and Coke Zero Sugar.
When it comes to the sparking beverage market, pushing fruit-forward flavors is definitely on trend. Brands like La Croix experiment with unique flavor combos (two of which recently experienced some backlash from fans) and Diet Coke has shaken up its traditional recipe with Ginger Lime, Feisty Cherry, Twisted Mango, Zesty Orange and, most recently, Blueberry Acai and Strawberry Guava.
But Coca-Cola hasn't launched a new canned flavor since Vanilla Coke first debuted in 2002. It was discontinued in 2005, but only for two years. It did craft limited-edition, vintage-style bottles of raspberry and peach-flavored Coke in February 2018.
For TODAY's Tryday Friday, Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford got an exclusive sip of the latest Coke to hit the market, but they had a hard time guessing the flavor.
"Strawberry or grapes?" Hoda guessed. "I don't know."
"It's not cherry," Kathie Lee said. "Cherry Coke?"
After lifting the silver covering that concealed the drink from view, the bright red cans were revealed.
"Orange! Ohhh," Hoda exclaimed.
Kathie Lee (who earlier mused about what happened to Vanilla Coke back in the day) and Hoda weren't sold on the Orange Vanilla drink all by itself. However, Hoda proposed that it could probably be improved with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Anyone who's a fan of orange cream soda will get what they mean.
On Twitter, the soon-to-debut soda has already caused a divide between those who've tasted it and those who haven't.
A few Vanilla Coke fans were ecstatic to hear of the remixed flavor.
One tweeter said that it "tastes like candy corn."
Another said that it's like an orange creamsicle.
But some, like Hoda and Kathie Lee, weren't so sure about the flavor pairing at all.
Whether you prefer to drink a simple plain Coke or enjoy a drinkable dessert, only a DIY Tryday Friday will determine Orange Vanilla's success among the diehard Coke fans.
