Ella Scott
Coca-Cola has confirmed the revival of a discontinued soda absent from shelves for more than two decades—promising a bold new formula that ’90s drinkers will be obsessed with.
There have been countless fizzy drink icons retired over the years, including Pepsi Blue, the dessert-themed Jazz cans, and everything from Spiced to Raspberry and Black Cherry Vanilla Coke has been shelved.
One, however, is set to make a comeback just days after a Texas court order took effect, officially terminating Dr Pepper’s decades-long distribution agreement with Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling.
The new ruling grants Keurig Dr. Pepper complete control over its own distribution to venues such as movie theatres, restaurants, and beyond, as reported by Bloomberg.
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Dr Pepper will no longer be installed in soda fountains or gas stations owned by Coca-Cola, so there’s free space for a competitor.
And that challenger is a newly improved recipe of a soda that first hit shelves as Coke’s answer to Dr Pepper in 1972.
Re-introducing Mr. Pibb, a cult-favourite soda can boasting an ‘intense sweet cherry flavour with hints of caramel and a lingering spicy finish’.
“It's sweet with a bite – made for those who want more personality in their soda,” the business added in a statement.
Originally discontinued in 2001 and rebranded as Pibb Xtra, the Coca-Cola company has described the reintroduction of Mr. Pibb as a ‘bold reformulation and rebranding’ of a once-loved drink.
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"Bringing back Mr. Pibb is about more than reviving a classic — it's about honouring an icon that fans have never stopped talking about and reintroducing its bold, unapologetic flavour to a new generation," Dane Callis, director of sparkling flavours for Coca-Cola North America, told Food & Wine.
Caffeine-lovers will be pleased to hear that the reinvented Mr. Pibb has 30 percent more caffeine than its older brother, Pibb Xtra.
Of the decision to rev up the caffeine content, Callis explained: “The spicy cherry segment is growing fast, creating the perfect moment to bring back Mr. Pibb and give fans the bold, spicy cherry flavor they've been missing, but with a modern twist: a little more caffeine, a new look, and a lot more attitude.”
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The outlet revealed that the soda should be available to purchase in can and bottle form along the West Coast, the Midwest, and in Florida in the coming days.
More regions will gain access to the new formulation in 2026, according to the report.
Redditors are already excited about the prospect of getting their hands on Mr. Pibb again, with one writing: “This is way better than Dr Pepper.”
“So glad to see it make its way east. Pretty stoked to find Pibb in stores again,” a second typed.
Another commented: “I love Mr. Pibb but it's been almost non-existent for a while. This is exciting.”