Classic Coca-Cola is the biggest-selling drink in history – but that hasn’t stopped The Coca-Cola Company from coming up with new versions of the beloved beverage, from fruity infusions using blood orange and apple to more experimental drinks infused with coffee and even cinnamon. Here, we countdown to reveal the greatest Coca-Cola flavour of all-time.
Feeling thirsty? Click or scroll through our gallery to discover where your favourite Coca-Cola flavour comes on our list.
Our ranking is based on the popularity of each flavour, taking into account sales, longevity and the reaction to the products at the time of their release.
Coca-Cola Y3000 and Coca-Cola Y3000 Zero Sugar launched in late 2023 to a fair amount of fanfare – not least because the limited-edition drink was made using artificial intelligence (AI). The company claimed that the new flavour offered fans a glimpse of the future – or a sample of what Coca-Cola would taste like at least. Feedback was mixed. Some praised the fruity taste of the drinks, highlighting that the background notes of vanilla and caramel worked well. Others said the flavour just wasn’t exciting or impactful enough.
The first permanent addition to The Coca-Cola Company’s North American portfolio in three years saw the brand spicing things up a little. Seizing on the growing trend for all things sweet and spicy, Coca-Cola Spiced and Coca-Cola Spiced Zero Sugar were introduced in the US and Canada in February 2024. While the exact ingredients in the new drinks remain a closely guarded secret, fans were quick to note that, despite the name, neither delivered a huge amount of fiery heat, with raspberry cited as the most prominent flavour.
The brand’s first foray into coffee drinks, Coca-Cola Blāk was introduced in France, the US and Canada in 2006. Its intended audience was apparently the savvy, sophisticated over-30s set, but the drink never took off with them – or anyone else, for that matter. The plug was pulled on the energy-boosting beverage just a few years later.
In April 1985, the Coca-Cola Company released an updated version of their classic drink, known unofficially as ‘New Coke’. The change was so unpopular they announced a return to the original formula just a few months later. The retro soda resurfaced in 2019 in collaboration with Netflix's Stranger Things and was described as being sweeter and less fizzy than the flagship drink.
A Japan exclusive, Coca-Cola Plus launched in 2017, and was essentially regular Coke with an extra 0.2oz (5g) of dietary fibre. The addition of the indigestible dextrin was said to give the drink a thicker texture, which many considered a small trade-off for the fact that it claimed to reduce the body's ability to absorb fat from food.
Coca-Cola Life first arrived in shops in 2014 and contained the natural sweetener stevia instead of aspartame, becoming the first drink in the main Coca-Cola range to make use of the ingredient. At its peak, it was available in more than 30 countries, but was scrapped in the UK in June 2017, eventually coming off global shelves for good in 2020 due to low sales.
Branded as a 'healthy' energy drink, Diet Coke Plus made its debut in the UK in October 2007 with two versions: one with added B3, B12 and vitamin C, and the other enriched with green tea and vitamin C. It also landed in Belgium and the US the same year, but drew attention from the FDA, which said that there were too few nutrients to justify the word ‘plus’ in the product name.
Coca-Cola Orange has been sold all around the world over the years, and enjoyed particular popularity in countries such as Japan, Turkey and Brazil. Presented in an opaque orange bottle, the drink has been compared to Mezzo Mix, a cola and orange concoction sold in Europe and also made by The Coca-Cola Company. A similar product, Coca-Cola Orange Vanilla, was released in the US in 2019, only to be phased out by 2022.
The strikingly packaged Coca-Cola Citra was first available to buy in Japan in 2006. It’s similar to – but not to be confused with – Citra, a predominantly grapefruit-flavoured drink that came in a yellow can and was sold by Coca-Cola in India in the 1980s and 1990s, and in the US in the 1990s. This one infuses classic Coca-Cola with notes of lemon and lime.
Citrussy Coca-Cola Lime first made an appearance in the US in 2005, and launched in Romania in 2016. By 2018, though, the drink had been removed from shelves in the US, with fans now only able to purchase it from the brand’s touchscreen soda fountains known as Coca-Cola Freestyle machines.
Launched in 2007, Diet Coke Citrus Zest featured a combination of lemon and lime flavours, and was sold in the UK. In 2018 it was discontinued without warning, much to the dismay of loyal fans.
A zingy take on original Coke, Coca-Cola with Lemon was introduced in the US in 2001 to compete with Pepsi Twist. A diet version was also available, but both failed to make an impact and were discontinued a few years later. Other exotic flavours (including Twisted Mango and Ginger Lime variations) appeared in 2018, but have since been phased out too.
Launched in 2018 in Japan, translucent Coca-Cola Clear lacks the distinctive caramel colour and flavour of the original product. The lemony drink has zero calories and is more than slightly reminiscent of 1990s favourite, Crystal Pepsi. A lime-flavoured variation known as Coca-Cola Clear Lime has also been available in Japan since 2019, though there are currently no plans to bring the drink to other markets.
One of the brand’s biggest launches in recent years, Coca-Cola Plus Coffee blends both beverages in one drink. It contains more caffeine than a normal can of Coke, but claims to have less than your average cup of coffee. First trialled in Japan in 2017, Coca-Cola Plus Coffee was available in more than 30 markets by 2020, proving to be a hit in Australia in particular. After years of testing, it was eventually launched in the US in 2021, but was discontinued the following year.
Created in response to an increase in popularity of ginger beer and aimed at those with ‘curious taste buds', Coca-Cola Ginger made its debut in Australia and New Zealand for a limited time in the summer of 2016. However, the fiery new product failed to catch on, with some complaining it just wasn’t gingery enough.
In one of Coca-Cola’s biggest branding change-ups to date, the soft drink heavyweight released four new Diet Coke flavours in the US in 2018: Twisted Mango, Zesty Blood Orange, Feisty Cherry and Ginger Lime. The shake-up aimed to attract younger consumers, who were increasingly opting to sip sparkling water over soda. Twisted Mango was generally considered the best of the bunch and, while you can still find cans online, the range appears to have been quietly discontinued.
Making its debut in 2005, Coca-Cola Zero was one of the brand's most successful flavour launches. Despite its popularity, however, it was discontinued in 2017 and replaced with Coca-Cola Zero Sugar – a new formula intended to taste more like classic Coca-Cola.
A blood orange–flavoured drink available in both France and Belgium, Coca-Cola Light Sango was the first Coca-Cola drink developed outside of the company’s headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. It was apparently given its catchy name in reference to the French word for blood, sang. Despite its zippy flavour, the drink was discontinued in 2008.
Only in Japan are you able to find this particular version of Coca-Cola: Coca-Cola Plus Catechin. Aimed at health-conscious soda sippers, the innovative green tea–flavoured drink went on sale in 2009 and, as the name suggests, contains catechins (antioxidants found in green tea).
This cult favourite first appeared as a limited-edition festive flavour for Christmas 2019. It proved such a hit that Coca-Cola re-released it the following year. Considering cinnamon is one of the major flavour notes in the original drink, the addition makes perfect sense and fans praised the warming, spicy taste. Unfortunately, it’s been off shelves since 2020, with devotees frequently calling for its return.
This fruity product first materialised in New Zealand in 2006, only to be revived again 10 years later. In an unexpected development, it crossed the globe; a zero-sugar version arrived on shelves in the UK in 2019, much to the delight of die-hard Coca-Cola fans. These days, though, the only remaining place to find the flavour is in Coca-Cola Freestyle touchscreen soda fountains.
Having already taken over the world, Coca-Cola set its sights on other galaxies in 2022 – sort of. As part of its Coca-Cola Creations initiative, which was intended to appeal to younger consumers thanks to the experimental flavours, the space-inspired Coca-Cola Starlight was available for a limited time across North America and in select countries around the globe. The drink had a reddish hue, and was intended to give a cooling sensation that evoked the feeling of journeying into to space. Fans described it as tasting like strawberries and cotton candy.
Combining two of the most popular Coke varieties to delicious effect, Coca-Cola Cherry Vanilla was introduced in 2020 (alongside a zero-sugar version) and was apparently inspired by the many customers who mix the two flavours at Coca-Cola’s Freestyle soda fountains. Today, it’s one of the soft drink company’s core flavours, though is only widely available in the US.
Back in autumn 2019, Coca-Cola Japan launched a limited-edition apple-flavour drink. Coke fans quickly called for the soda – which had a light, fruity flavour and unique red-and-gold bottle design – to be made available globally, but unfortunately it was never released outside of Japan.
Remaining a much-loved flavour to this day, Coca-Cola Vanilla initially went on sale in the US in 2002, and in the UK a year later. But it was discontinued as quickly as it was launched, disappearing from shelves by the end of 2005 to make way for Black Cherry Vanilla Coke. Much to the delight of the Coca-Cola-loving public, Coca-Cola Vanilla returned to the US for a limited time in 2023 to mark its anniversary.
Unveiled in July 1982, Diet Coke was the first new brand to use the Coca-Cola trademark since Coca-Cola's creation in 1886, and the drink quickly overtook the company's existing diet cola, Tab, in sales and popularity. Over the years, Diet Coke has gained a massive cult following, with fans raving about the fresh, thirst-quenching taste; others, however, criticise the very strong aspartame flavour. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar was introduced in 2021, and is generally considered to taste more like original Coca-Cola.
The original, culturally iconic Coca-Cola has been delighting fans with its unique, hard-to-describe flavour and perfect fizz for over a century. Originally marketed as a temperance drink, it was invented in 1885 by John Pemberton, a doctor and pharmacist from Atlanta, Georgia, who cooked up the formula in his backyard. Today it’s sold in more than 200 countries worldwide, with fans drinking more than 1.9 billion servings each day. For many, classic Coca-Cola simply cannot be beaten, although we think a few of its variations might be even better…
Made with cane sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup, Mexican Coke, or MexiCoke, was first produced in the 1920s. Fans praise it for the distinct buzz that the real sugar hit delivers. The drink can be found throughout Mexico, as well as in select US restaurants, having become something of a hipster choice in recent years. It's identifiable by its packaging, and is always sold in the old-style glass bottles.
One of the oldest Coke flavours, Coca-Cola Cherry (often simply called 'Cherry Coke') was launched in 1985, making its debut in the US. Its popularity spread and, at its height, it was available in 36 countries, including the UK, Ireland, China and Switzerland. The drink has a strong UK following; in 2018, British fans became upset following (false) rumours that the drink had been discontinued. These days, it's a Coca-Cola staple all over the world – and is considered by many to be superior to the original.
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