Did you miss Mr. Pibb?
Mr. Pibb missed you. So much so that the soda is back on shelves and hoping you’ll pick it up next time you want to drink something cherry flavored, bubbly and caffeinated.
The cherry soda was launched in 1972 and disappeared in 2001, replaced by a drink called Pibb Xtra.
The Coca-Cola company just announced it is reintroducing Mr. Pibb to its lineup, with a twist. The recipe has been adjusted in “a bold reformulation and rebranding of Pibb Xtra, designed to meet the tastes of today’s consumers.” What that means: 30% more caffeine than Pibb Xtra.
San Diego is one of the first markets to get this new release.
It is available in a standard and zero-sugar formula. Both come in 12-packs and 20-ounce bottles.
“Consumers have been asking for Mr. Pibb’s bold kick of cherry flavor for some time,” Dane Callis, director for Sparkling Flavors at Coca‑Cola North America, said in a news release. “If you go on Reddit, X and other social media, you’ll find conversations about the mystique of Mr. Pibb.”
The drink is considered a competitor to Dr. Pepper. A debate on Reddit shows that both sodas have their staunch fans.
One commenter suggested a bold move: “I mix them and create Dr. Pibber.”