The Discontinued 2000s Pepsi Flavor That Tried To Convince Europeans To Ditch Coffee

Major soda brands like Coca-Cola and Pepsi go to great lengths to keep and find new relevance, sometimes attempting to cross into new markets because of this. There was a time in the early aughts when Pepsi tried to convince Europe to swap out their morning java for a Pepsi Cappuccino. While the information on Pepsi Cappuccino is limited, we know it was a creamy mix of coffee and Pepsi's signature cola flavors. Although it was only produced and distributed for a short period, this wasn't the only time Pepsi stepped into the coffee game.

According to those who tried it, its flavor was described as a creamier version of Pepsi, with subtle hints of coffee. Unfortunately, it faced mixed reviews with some enjoying it enough to include it in their list of favorite discontinued sodas probably never coming back. Others seemed unimpressed, finding it gross and not much different from Vanilla Diet Coke. Though the majority of Pepsi Cappuccino's market was in Europe and Russia, it was available in other countries under similar names. In Malaysia and Singapore, it was known as Pepsi Tarik, the latter part of its name often used to describe a milky tea or coffee. Over in India, it was known as Pepsi Cafe Chino, and in Thailand, it was called Pepsi Latte. Unfortunately, with no official reason given, it quietly disappeared from shelves by the end of the early 2000s.

Perhaps it's the caffeine, but Pepsi wants a seat at the coffee table and even found a way to get one. Previous to Pepsi Cappuccino, the major soda brand attempted a similar vie for coffee mugs in the U.S. with Pepsi Kona in 1996. The limited-edition flavor was named after Hawaiian Kona coffee beans used to brew java. Pepsi introduced an ad in 1997 led by legendary singer, Tom Jones, belting his hit, "It's Not Unusual" to market the combination of cola and coffee. Despite such a strong push, this also failed (though not as spectacularly as New Coke), which inevitably led to its discontinuation in 1997, a mere year after its debut. 

Fast forward to 2020, and even with its past failures, Pepsi made another coffee cola product, Pepsi Café. This time, Pepsi doubled the product's caffeine and offered it in both original and vanilla, but only for a limited time. Furthering this, Pepsi formed the North American Coffee Partnership with Starbucks in 1994 with PepsiCo helping to create, develop, and distribute Starbucks coffee products like its premade Frappuccinos. Until Pepsi decides to produce another coffee cola experience, fans and those curious about the combination can make a homemade fizzy iced coffee upgrade with their favorite cola.