Back in the ’90s heyday of sugary pop, Pepsi turned it’s brown cola clear. Crystal Pepsi didn’t last long, but it was hype as hell. Rival Coca-Cola never outright competed on Pepsi’s level, keeping its signature drink as caramely brown as ever. But now, almost three decades later, Coke is going clear.
Coca-Cola announced the release of a new beverage called Coca-Cola Clear to be released in Japan June 11. According to Kotaku, over 50 recipes were tested before the company landed on the winner: Coke without the caramel ingredient, but with a splash of lemon and some tinkering to the base formula. It’s a zero calorie beverage.
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Frustratingly, the company only has plans to launch in Japan; Japan already gets dibs on Coke’s alcoholic drinks (called alcopops) and pouch slushies. But America is a sucker for nostalgia, even if it’s nostalgia for a rival soda company. If we can’t have Crystal Pepsi, all we can do is complain loudly enough until they give us Clear Coke.
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