Pepsi is About to Release a "Wild" New Flavor and Fans are "Hyped"

Coca-Cola fans mourning the loss of their favorite Cherry Vanilla Coke flavor may find solace in a rival soda company, with news Pepsi is releasing a Wild Cherry & Cream flavor. The delicious new drink will be available from January 20, in both regular and zero sugar varieties, and fans are already buzzing about the new drinks.

"Just saw someone mention it on tiktok and google brought me here. I'm HYPED," one excited Redditor said.

Although the official release date is not until next week, some customers have been spotting the new drinks already in stores. One Redditor found the Wild Cherry and Cream flavor at a Target in Queensbury, NY, and admitted they were getting over a cold and couldn't really taste much. "They definitely leaned on the vanilla flavor to create the cream soda taste," the person said. "That's good to know because we already have a wild cherry standalone flavor so I rather have something more vanilla tasting or cream balanced," another responded.

According to Pepsi, the Wild Cherry and Cream has a "familiar, initial burst of sweet Pepsi cherry flavor," and the "sweet, fruity effervescence is followed by a smooth, creamy vanilla swirl, delivering a practically silky mouthfeel. It's a refreshing and satisfying blend that's sure to delight your taste buds and make every sip a moment of pure enjoyment."

It remains to be seen just how similar Pepsi's Wild Cherry and Cream is to the Coke Cherry Vanilla, which was discontinued due to "consumers' taste preferences and lifestyles constantly changing. As a Total Beverage Company, we are always searching for ways to evolve our product portfolio to bring consumers the beverages they want," Coca-Cola said. Coke loyalists are already planning to jump ship if the taste is good.

"It's gotta taste like Cherry Vanilla that got discontinued if it does I'm getting 32 cases," one hopeful Redditor said. "I'll try it. Wild cherry is the best cherry cola to me, and I'm mainly a coke guy. I really miss the soda shoppe black cherry that one was so good," another added.

Pepsi's new offering is very on-trend for the "dirty soda" phenomenon popular in Utah and made mainstream via viral TikTok posts and other social media. The viral soda is usually a non-alcoholic drink of soda mixed with creamer and syrup, depending on personal preferences.

"I gained 20 lbs living across from a Sodalicious my sophomore year at BYU. Everyone needs a vice," one Mormon Redditor said about their dirty soda addiction. "The soda scene is largely influenced by LDS Church culture. Historically, members would avoid 'hot drinks' such as coffee and tea," according to the Utah Valley blog. "With this unique diet, soda mixes appeal to the general crowd as a perfect refreshing beverage. Enter dirty soda, which quickly became a beloved alternative for members looking to get their sugar or caffeine high without breaking their religious dietary guidelines."