Diet Coke fans, brace yourself, because something big is coming…
The drinks giant has revealed exclusively to Metro that an iconic fan-favourite flavour that first launched in the 80s is making a comeback – with retro-inspired packaging to boot.
Yes, Diet Cherry Coke is returning to shops once again, seven years after it was discontinued.
The fruity beverage was last sold in the UK in 2018 but you’ll be able to get your hands on it in Tesco stores nationwide from October 8.
And it won’t matter whether you prefer to sip your crispy Diet Coke from a can or a bottle, as it’ll be available in all of the above, with 24 x 330ml can multipacks, 500ml bottles and 2L bottles as well.
But there is a catch, the nostalgic drink will only be available for a limited time.
Tara Byrnes, senior brand manager for Diet Coke Great Britain, said: ‘We have been listening and are so excited to announce the return of Diet Cherry Coke. The comeback of this retro icon is the tasty throwback that fans have been hoping for.
‘Some love a classic, and others a twist; for some this little cherry-flavoured ritual will give an opportunity to make Diet Coke breaks reflect “your taste” even more.’
She added: ‘Returning exclusively for a limited time, the flavour you love, cherry, is back – but get it while you can!’
Diet Cherry Coke made a comeback in the US earlier this summer and people went wild over the drink, with some hailing it as ‘life-changing’, ‘elite’, ‘the best’ and a ‘10/10’.
On TikTok, @hauskris said: ‘This feels so monumental. It’s so good. It’s everything. I can’t stop drinking this and I’m actually so sad that this is limited-edition.’
She added in the comments that she would be ‘stockpiling’ the drink and @tylerjacksontippett felt just as strongly, urging Diet Coke to ‘please never get rid of this one’, saying they had ‘outdone’ themselves with the beverage.
@darcymcqueenyyy was also a huge fan of Diet Cherry Coke. In her video review, she proclaimed: ‘The cherry flavour is perfect, it’s not too much but it’s not too little. The Diet Coke is burning my mouth the way I like it. Solid 10/10, they really did the big one with this one. I’ll never crave normal Diet Coke again.’
Diet Coke alternatives
Metro recently put supermarket own-brand diet sodas to the test to see how they compare to the OG.
We taste-tested five different drinks and while none of them were found to be better than the big brand, a bargain retailer had a surprising gem that was deemed ‘on par’.
Lifestyle editor, Kristina Beanland, gave Aldi’s Diet Vive a 4/5 rating, saying: ‘As a Diet Coke superfan, it would take a lot for me to give up my favourite drink, but I might be willing (on occasion) to swap it for Aldi’s version which is very good.
‘It’s really hard to distinguish between the two and in a blind taste test of both it took a while to work out which was which. The difference is so subtle, and again it just comes down to a little less fizz in the Diet Vive.’
If this wasn’t exciting enough, Asda also revealed this week that they were bringing back the rare pink cans of Diet Coke for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The cans are available in a bundle of nine pink items being sold by the supermarket on TikTok shop.
The bundle includes other family favourites such as Yorkshire Tea, pink Digestives, Marmite and Pot Noodle.
The bundle costs £7.17 and all proceeds go straight to Asda’s Tickled Pink charity partners: Breast Cancer Now and CoppaFeel.
The bundle went live on Monday, September 29 and the supermarket expects it to sell out quickly.
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