Pepsi, the iconic cola created by PepsiCo, has a rich history of innovation, marked by a diverse range of flavors introduced over the years. While the original Pepsi remains a classic, the company has continuously experimented with new and exciting variations, some of which have become immensely popular, while others have had a more fleeting presence in the market. This article delves into the fascinating world of Pepsi flavors, exploring both the well-known and the more obscure offerings.
Classic Pepsi Flavors
- Pepsi: The signature cola product that started it all.
- Caffeine-Free Pepsi: Pepsi without the caffeine, catering to those sensitive to stimulants.
- Wild Cherry Pepsi: A delicious Pepsi with cherry flavoring, known under the slightly different name of Wild Cherry Pepsi until 2005.
- Pepsi Vanilla: Pepsi with vanilla flavoring, released in the US and Canada in 2003 as Pepsi's answer to Vanilla Coke. It was eventually discontinued by 2005 but was relaunched in 2019 and is still available in some parts of the US.
- Pepsi Lime: Pepsi with lime flavoring, introduced in 2004 and discontinued by 2006. It was later re-released as a standard limited edition variety for the spring of 2019 but was later re-released permanently.
- Pepsi Real Sugar/Pepsi Throwback: Made with real sugar instead of corn syrup. First introduced as Pepsi Throwback in May 2009 as a limited edition and was sold again throughout 2010-2011, until becoming permanent.
Adventurous Pepsi Flavors
- Pepsi Blue: A bright blue soda with a fruity, berry taste, described as a "Berry Cola Fusion" in marketing. It was given a huge marketing push akin to other similar varieties of rival brands (e.g., Vanilla Coke, Dr Pepper Red Fusion) but would end up being a huge flop, being discontinued in 2004.
- Pepsi Max Cease Fire/Citrus Freeze/Lime: A Lime-favored variety. It was first sold as Pepsi Max Cease Fire and Pepsi Max Citrus Freeze in Australia/New Zealand and the United Kingdom respectively in 2011 as part of a promotion with Doritos corn chips. It was re-released in Australia under its current name for a limited time in 2016, and re-released in the United Kingdom in 2021.
- Pepsi Fire: a limited edition, cinnamon-flavored variety that is sold in Guam, Saipan, Thailand, Mexico, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
- Pepsi Ice: Pepsi with an icy mint flavor, sold in Guam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines.
- Pepsi Tropical Chill: Pepsi with orange/pineapple tropical mix flavoring.
- Crystal Pepsi: A clear cola that was sold for a short time between 1992 and 1993. Pepsi sees citrus appeal in its crystal.
- Pepsi Coffee: Pepsi with coffee flavoring.
- Pepsi Twist: Pepsi with a refreshing lemon flavor. First released in 2000 and was discontinued in 2006. It is still sold in many countries outside the United States.
- Pepsi Holiday Spice: This Pepsi had a hint of cinnamon, perfect for the holidays. Pepsi with a cinnamon finish, somewhat similar to the Swedish Julmust. It was released on 1 November 2004 in the US and Canada as a limited edition, 8-week-long Christmas variety. It was sold again during the 2006 holiday season.
- Pepsi Summer Mix: Pepsi with tropical Fruit flavoring, released for the summer of 2007 in limited areas of the United States.
- Pepsi Berry: Pepsi with berry flavoring. It was first sold as a standard limited edition variety in spring 2019.
- Pepsi Mango: Pepsi with a tropical mango flavor. It was first sold as a standard limited edition variety in spring 2019.
- Pepsi Pineapple: Pepsi with a sweet pineapple flavor. It was released in the spring of 2019, as a limited edition available exclusively at Walmart stores, and returned for a limited time in the Summer of 2023 as part of a promotion exclusively with Little Caesars.
- Pepsi Apple Pie: Pepsi that tasted like apple pie, with cinnamon and apple flavors. Pepsi with artificial cinnamon and apple flavoring.
- Pepsi Hot Chocolate: Pepsi with a hot chocolate flavor! It was given out as a limited edition to people who participated on National Hot Chocolate Day using the #nationalhotchocolateday and #pepsioffer on January 31, 2021. Only 2000 cans of this flavor are known to exist.
- Pepsi Maple Syrup: A Maple Syrup flavored Pepsi released as part of a limited edition sweepstakes with IHOP Maple Syrup in March 2022.
- Pepsi 1893: Pepsi 1893 variant with currant and berry flavoring. Pepsi 1893 variant with grapefruit flavoring. Pepsi with cinnamon infusion. Pepsi with caramel flavoring.
- Pepsi Perfect: This vitamin-enriched Pepsi was shown in the movie Back to the Future Part II.
- Pepsi Ginger: Pepsi mixed cola with Ginger Ale. PepsiCo launches Pepsi Ginger Cola in Canada with more natural ingredients.
- Pepsi Raw: A variant made with all-natural ingredients and no artificial colours. Pepsi with natural ingredients and flavoring, and is sweetened with sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup. It is the US equivalent to Pepsi Raw.
- Pepsi Creaming Soda: A strong cream and vanilla light pepsi tasting soda, giving out an ice cream milkshake like flavor.
- Pepsi Electric: A blue-colored variant that was first sold in Norway in April 2024 by Ringnes. It will be sold in the United Kingdom for a year-long period in May as simply Pepsi Electric, released through Britvic. Introduced in Canada 19 may 2025, labelled Pepsi Electric Zesty Citrus.
- Nitro Pepsi: Pepsi with nitrogen infusion.
International and Regional Flavors
Pepsi has also introduced a variety of flavors in different regions around the world, catering to local tastes and preferences. These include:
- Pepsi Apple (Poland): An apple-flavored Pepsi sold in Poland. An apple-flavored variant that was sold in Poland as a limited edition for the summer of 2007.
- Pepsi Ice Cucumber: A green, cucumber-flavored Pepsi.
- Pepsi Yogurt (Japan): A Pepsi with a yogurt flavor.
- Pepsi Baobab (Japan): A limited edition Pepsi based on the African Baobab fruit.
- Pepsi Shiso (Japan): A Pepsi with shiso (perilla) flavor.
- Pepsi Mont Blanc (Japan): A limited edition Pepsi based on the French chestnut dessert.
- Pepsi Azuki (Japan): A red bean flavored Pepsi.
- Pepsi White (Japan): A Pepsi flavored with orange.
- Pepsi Samba (Brazil): A citrus-flavored variant inspired by Brazilian culture.
- Pepsi Cappuccino (Russia, Romania, Europe): A coffee-flavored variant that was sold in Russia, Romania, and other various parts of Europe during the 2000s.
- Pepsi Gold: A ginger-hinted, gold-colored variant that was released for 2006 FIFA World Cup and ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 promotions in Southeast Asia, Central Europe, Finland, Russia, Turkey, and the Middle East.
- Pepsi Blue Hawaii (Japan): A tropical fruit-flavored Pepsi available in Japan for a limited time that debuted in summer 2006.
- Pepsi Pecsi (Mexico): Pepsi spelled differently as "Pecsi".
- Pepsi Chilled Cola (Vietnam): Pepsi Blue Chilled Cola, or simply Pepsi Blue, which was promoted by Britney Spears was released in Vietnam.
Diet Pepsi Flavors
Pepsi also offers a range of diet versions of its flavored colas, catering to health-conscious consumers. These include:
- Diet Pepsi: The first low-calorie Pepsi. It was first test marketed in 1963 under the name Patio Diet Cola, and was re-branded as Diet Pepsi when it officially launched in 1964.
- Caffeine-Free Diet Pepsi: Pepsi without the Caffeine. It was first introduced in 1982 as Diet Pepsi Free but was changed to its current name in 1987.
- Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi: Cherry flavored Diet Pepsi, introduced in 1988.
- Diet Crystal Pepsi: A low-calorie Clear cola that was sold for a short time between 1992 and 1993.
- Diet Pepsi Coffee: Diet Pepsi with Coffee flavoring.
- Diet Pepsi Twist: Lemon-flavored Diet Pepsi. It was first released as Diet Pepsi Twist in 2000 and was discontinued alongside its regular counterpart in 2006. It was re-released as Diet Pepsi NFL Kickoff during the NFL kickoffs of 2008, and again under its current name as a permanent variety in 2009.
- Diet Pepsi Vanilla: Diet Pepsi with Vanilla flavoring.
- Diet Pepsi Lime: Pepsi with Lime flavoring. It was introduced in 2004 Diet Coke with Lime and remained on shelves after the regular variety was discontinued.
- Diet Pepsi Max: A Lime-favored variety. It was first sold as Pepsi Max Cease Fire and Pepsi Max Citrus Freeze in Australia/New Zealand and the United Kingdom respectively in 2011 as part of a promotion with Doritos corn chips. It was re-released in Australia under its current name for a limited time in 2016, and re-released in the United Kingdom in 2021.
- Diet Pepsi Max Cherry: A Cherry-flavored variety. It was first released in the United Kingdom in June 2011 only at Asda stores in 2 liter bottles, and gained a wide release in 2012.
- Diet Pepsi Max Ginger: A Ginger-flavored variety.
- Diet Pepsi Max Vanilla: A Vanilla-flavored variety. It was first sold in Australia in February 2018 and was later released in New Zealand in April.
- Diet Pepsi Max Raspberry: A Raspberry-flavored variety. It was first sold in Australia in 2018, and was later released in United Kingdom since March 2019 and in Turkey since 2020.
- Diet Pepsi Max Cream Soda: A Cream Soda-flavored variety. It was sold in Australia in August 2019.
- Diet Pepsi Blue: A blue-colored variant that was first sold in Norway in April 2024 by Ringnes. It will be sold in the United Kingdom for a year-long period in May as simply Pepsi Electric, released through Britvic. Introduced in Canada 19 may 2025, labelled Pepsi Electric Zesty Citrus.
- Diet Pepsi Spice: A ginger and cinnamon flavored version that was sold in the United Kingdom for the 2005 Christmas Season.
- Pepsi Light Mojito: A Non-alcoholic mojito-flavored Pepsi Light.
- Diet Pepsi Cherry Vanilla: Diet Pepsi with Cherry Vanilla flavoring.
- Pepsi Next: A mid-calorie cola targeted at males, and transition consumers making the move from regular to diet colas, similar to the version of Pepsi Max sold in Canada. It was sweetened with a 50/50 blend of Corn Syrup and Aspartame. The version of Pepsi Next in some regions outside the United States are sweetened with Stevia as the sweetener. It was sold in Canada, France and The Netherlands.
Pepsi Zero Sugar Flavors
Pepsi Zero Sugar offers a range of zero-calorie options that aim to replicate the taste of regular Pepsi flavors without the sugar.
- Pepsi Zero Sugar Mango: A Mango-flavored variant of Pepsi Zero Sugar sold in the United States.
- Pepsi Zero Sugar Cream Soda: A Cream Soda-flavored variant of Pepsi Zero Sugar sold as part of the Pepsi Soda Shop range.
- Pepsi Zero Sugar Lemon: A Lemon-flavored variety that was introduced in March 2023 for Chushikoku, Japan limited only.
Discontinued and Limited-Edition Flavors
Many Pepsi flavors have been discontinued or were released as limited-edition offerings, making them sought-after by collectors and enthusiasts. These include:
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- Pepsi AM: A variant of Pepsi that contained 25% extra caffeine and was marketed as a morning drink.
- Pepsi X: A coffee-flavored variety sold in a number of countries.
- Pepsi Raw: A variant made with all-natural ingredients and no artificial colours.
- Pepsi XL: An energy drink variant that contained extra caffeine, a unique flavor, and a reddish tint.
- Pepsi Fire: A limited edition, cinnamon-flavored variety that is sold in Guam, Saipan, Thailand, Mexico, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
- Pepsi Ice: Pepsi with an icy mint flavor. Sold in Guam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines.
- Pepsi Twist: Pepsi with a refreshing lemon flavor. First released in 2000 and was discontinued in 2006. It is still sold in many countries outside the United States.
- Pepsi Holiday Spice: This Pepsi had a hint of cinnamon, perfect for the holidays.
- Pepsi Summer Mix: Pepsi with tropical Fruit flavoring, released for the summer of 2007 in limited areas of the United States.
- Pepsi Max Cease Fire: A Lime-favored variety. It was first sold as Pepsi Max Cease Fire and Pepsi Max Citrus Freeze in Australia/New Zealand and the United Kingdom respectively in 2011 as part of a promotion with Doritos corn chips.
- Pepsi Blue: A bright blue soda with a fruity, berry taste.
- Pepsi White: A Pepsi flavored with orange.
- Pepsi Tropical Chill: Pepsi with orange/pineapple tropical mix flavoring.
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