The Nostalgic 2000s Coke Flavor That's Gone But Never Forgotten

Coca-Cola's catalogue is no stranger to products coming and going over time. From a soda that was marketed toward hopeless Gen Xers to the spectacular failure that was New Coke, the cola giant's list of discontinued sodas that are never coming back is extensive. One of those is Coca-Cola Black Cherry Vanilla, a flavor that was released in 2006 in both regular and diet. While it's never been officially linked by the soda brand, the release of black cherry vanilla did coincide with the phase-out of Vanilla Coke and the rebranding of Cherry Coke to Coca-Cola Cherry. Although black cherry vanilla was discontinued a mere year later, Coke has since produced and discontinued similar flavors. Thankfully, there are still options via Coca-Cola Freestyle machines that can get close to the original.

Black Cherry Vanilla Coke was a smooth flavor injection of fruity cherry and creamy vanilla. This flavor became a spiritual successor to Vanilla Coke and a supporting option for the new cherry branding. Unfortunately, black cherry vanilla was discontinued shortly after its release due to the return of Vanilla Coke, which was rebranded to Coca-Cola Vanilla. The flavor black cherry vanilla was the victim of a lack of consumer demand, and Coca-Cola decided to discontinue it.

Following the discontinuation of Black Cherry Vanilla Coke, close successors were available to satiate the flavor's absence — albeit a bit differently. Of course, Coca-Cola Vanilla returned due to consumer demand. This was likely influenced by fans taking to the internet to share their desire for its return. Some even created petitions in the name of its revival. Additionally, the data retrieved from Coca-Cola Freestyle machines showed customers gravitated to either Cherry Coke or Vanilla Coke. As a result, Coca-Cola also introduced Cherry Vanilla Coke to the canned and bottled market in 2020. Unfortunately, despite a strong following, Cherry Vanilla Coke still found itself following its predecessor's fate, as it was one of the flavors Coca-Cola discontinued in 2024.

So how can Cherry Vanilla Coke fans fill the void? Well, thankfully, Coca-Cola has shown mercy, announcing that Diet Cherry Coke will return in bottled and canned form in 2026 with brand new packaging. It's also worth noting that those same Coca-Cola Freestyle machines have always offered the mixture as a choice. In fact, cherry vanilla has been an option for many of Coca-Cola's brands, such as Dr Pepper and Mr. Pibb, via the Freestyle machine. Even if you have to mix the cherry and vanilla variations separately, it's still technically achievable with products like Sprite. Just remember not to commit the mistake everyone makes using Coca-Cola Freestyle machines and rinse the soda dispenser line between sodas to achieve the fullest flavor.