Coca-Cola with Coffee Zero Sugar

I’ve been away from the blog for a bit. The laptop was in the shop for repairs and I didn’t have the courage to post from my phone. Here’s hoping I can get back to daily posts.

The Coca-Cola Company has a new product, which is funny since it killed off a couple hundred brands during the pandemic. (RIP, Tab.) The new juice is Coca-Cola with Coffee. That’s not the same as the new Coca-Cola energy drink, which is confusing because both come in Red Bull-style tall cans.  I got my hands on both of the Coca-Cola with Coffee Zero Sugar varieties – “Dark Blend” and “Vanilla.” If you go full sugar, there’s also a “Caramel.”

I wish I had some big reveal for you, but it tastes like Coke with coffee in it. It’s not sharp or acidic, more like a coffee hard candy. As you go, the coffee flavor will start to fade until it’s mostly just there on the finish. The “Vanilla” version didn’t taste that “vanilla” to me at all – just less coffee. That’s probably because vanilla is already in colas. Brand recipes vary, but they’re all vanilla, cinnamon, and a citrus.

I wanted to try this Coke/coffee because I’ve actually made it homebrew-style for years. As I switch beverages around 10am, I’ll sometimes pour Coke Zero Sugar on top of the last bit of cold coffee. I actually like the two together, but I don’t think I’ll keep paying Coke to mix it for me.

The USA is actually behind the times on Coca-Cola with Coffee. Here’s a two-year-old Turkish commercial promoting java Coke as a way to wake up when playing a disguised version of Monopoly with your pals.