The Coca-Cola Company announced it’ll be adding a new alcoholic beverage to its portfolio exclusively in the Japanese market. The low-alcohol drink, or Chu-Hi, will be a watered-down mixture of the shōchū spirit plus flavoring. This isn’t the first time Coca-Cola has experimented with flavors and tastes, especially in Japan.
Not all flavors are successful, but the unique flavors deserve a round of applause. Below are five other unusual Coca-Cola products that were released.
Beverly
Introduced in 1969, Beverly was an Italian apertif. Designed to be consumed before meals and believed to aid digestion, competitors like Campari and San Pellegrino led to its discontinuation in 2009.
New Coke
In 1985, the 99-year-old company decided it was scrapping its classic Coke recipe for a newer and sweeter version to compete with Pepsi. In blind taste tests, people generally preferred the new recipe compared to the old. But three months after making the switch, the company announced the return of the classic Coca-Cola.
OK Soda:
This product was launched to capture the Generation X market in 1993. OK Soda cans had grim-looking illustrations in its ad campaign that responded to the idea that Generation X was cynical and disillusioned. It’s slogan was “Things are going to be ok” and it even had its own manifesto. It was discontinued in 1995.
Coca-Cola Blak:
Coffee in soda? Coca-Cola developed this recipe for two years and finally released the carbonated coffee drink in 2006. It hoped it would tap into the premium coffee markets, but just one year later Blak was discontinued.
Coca-Cola Plus
After more than a decade of research and development, Coca-Cola launched its first ever soda approved by the FOSHU Japanese food standard. The no-calorie and no-sugar drink contains fiber that will help suppress fat absorption and help moderate blood sugar levels.