A spicy cherry soda is making a comeback after almost 25 years.
Coca-Cola said Thursday it is bringing back Mr. Pibb, a brand it originally launched in 1972 to compete with Dr Pepper. The soda gained a following for three decades, but it was discontinued in 2001 and rebranded Pibb Xtra.
Now, a reformulated Mr. Pibb returns with 30% more caffeine then Pibb Xtra and new packaging, the Atlanta beverage giant said. Coca-Cola will also offer a zero sugar version.
The sodas are launching in Florida, Chicago, Las Vegas, Michigan and California, with a national rollout planned for 2026. A Coca-Cola spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request asking when it would come to Atlanta.
“Consumers have been asking for Mr. Pibb’s bold kick of cherry flavor for some time,” Dane Callis, director of sparkling flavors for Coca‑Cola North America, said in an announcement. “If you go on Reddit, X and other social media, you’ll find conversations about the mystique of Mr. Pibb. Mr. Pibb has a feisty loyal following, so he’s coming back in a bold, fresh way.”
The soda has a flavor of “intensely sweet cherry with hints of caramel and a spicy bite,” says Coca-Cola.
The company filed a trademark application for Mr. Pibb in September, after canceling the previous mark in September 2014, according to documents filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The relaunch comes as Dr Pepper has risen in popularity, surpassing Pepsi, according to media reports last year.
In the non-alcoholic beverage segment, Dr Pepper ranked second behind only classic Coca-Cola for the volume of cases sold in 2024, according to data from trade publication Beverage Digest. And its market share grew that year by 0.3%, while the classic Coke remained flat, the data shows.
A lot of consumers like flavored carbonated soft drinks, said Duane Stanford, editor and publisher of Beverage Digest. Coca-Cola also recently brought back Diet Cherry Coke, said Henrique Braun, Coca-Cola’s chief operating officer, during a recent earnings call.
“They love cherry,” Stanford said, referring to consumers. “They love things with more of a spicier profile. That’s what Dr Pepper is, and it’s really working.”
Coca-Cola said one of its core consumer targets for Mr. Pibb will be “multicultural Xennials,” referring to a micro-generation between Gen X and Millennials, born in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Some of its marketing efforts include online videos voiced by comedian and actor Roy Wood Jr., along with “experiential grassroots events,” says the announcement.
The revival of Mr. Pibb could give hope to fans of another discontinued soda — Coca-Cola’s former diet cola Tab, often styled as TaB. It was discontinued five years ago.
But devoted fans have rallied for its return.
The SaveTaBSoda committee this month unveiled a new billboard in downtown Atlanta calling for Tab’s return. “Never say never,” it proclaims.
The Coca-Cola spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request asking what Mr. Pibb’s return could mean for a potential Tab comeback.
“I’m kind of skeptical that’s really going to happen anytime soon,” Stanford said. He said Diet Coke is starting to catch on again.
“To me, Diet Coke having a bit of a revival, having this renaissance, probably means that you’re not going to see anything happen with Tab anytime soon,” Stanford said. “But, I wouldn’t rule it out.”
