Coca-Cola Is Bringing Back an Iconic Soda After Nearly 25 Years—And We Tried It First

No one does soda quite like the Coca-Cola company. For well over a century, it has been serving up some of the most iconic fizzy beverages, and it shows no signs of slowing down. Over the summer, fans were beyond thrilled to find out that Diet Cherry Coke is coming back for good. Not long after, Diet Coke Lime landed in grocery stores, offering a citrusy twist to our favorite afternoon pick-me-up. And if that wasn’t enough, Coca-Cola also dropped a cherry float-inspired soda, which combines all of the brand’s best flavors into a single sip.

Now, the beverage giant is bringing back a spicy soda fans have begged to see return for nearly 25 years, and we got an early taste.

The Coca-Cola Company Relaunches Mr. Pibb

Mr. Pibb is officially headed back to shelves. The popular drink made its debut in the ’70s and remained a beverage aisle staple alongside its main competitor, Dr Pepper, until it was discontinued in 2001. The same year, the company launched Pibb Xtra, which boasted a new design and more intense flavors than its predecessor.

But Mr. Pibb fans have never stopped longing to see the original return, and now, those dreams are finally a reality. The revamped Mr. Pibb features all of the intense, sweet cherry flavor we love with notes of caramel and a spicy finish. The re-formulated drink also has 30 percent more caffeine than Pibb Xtra. For reference, this means each new 12-ounce can has 54 milligrams of caffeine, the same as Mountain Dew.

Along with the updated recipe, the new Mr. Pibb also sports refreshed packaging. The brand stays true to the original color scheme, but now includes eye-catching stripes and a bold exclamation point for the “i” in Pibb. The company says the change is to modernize and capture the attention of a new audience.

“This is a brand people know and love, but there is also an entirely new generation that doesn’t know Mr. Pibb exists,” said A.P. Chaney, Senior Director of Creative, Sparkling Flavors, Coca‑Cola North America. “The challenge for us, creatively, was to lean into the lore and popularity of the brand while driving awareness and discovery.”

Allrecipes Senior Editor Courtney Kassel was among the first to try the returning drink at the 2025 National Association of Convenience Stores Expo, and offered her initial thoughts on the taste. “It’s sweet, for sure,” she notes, before adding, “It has a big, bold spice flavor that gives Dr Pepper a serious run for its money.”

In a recent Reddit thread, one person called the relaunch a “highlight of the year.” In a separate discussion, more praise poured in for the release. “I had the zero sugar. Honestly, [it] might be my favorite zero-sugar I’ve ever had, but that might be because I didn’t have the sugar version to compare it to,” said one user. “Definitely way better than Dr Pepper ever was,” another added.

You can find Mr. Pibb and Mr. Pibb Zero Sugar in 20-ounce bottles, 12-ounce cans, and 2-liter bottles. For now, it will only be available in select stores in Florida, Chicago, Las Vegas, Michigan, and California. However, we can look forward to a wider rollout across the U.S. in 2026.