Coca-Cola Cherry

Coca-Cola Cherry was officially launched in the United States in 1985 under the name Cherry Coke, making it the first major flavor variation of Coca-Cola since the original. However, consumers had been mixing cherry syrup into Coca-Cola at soda fountains for decades before the bottled version was released. It was rebranded to Coca-Cola Cherry in 2007 as part of a global brand consolidation.

No—Coca-Cola Cherry is flavored with artificial and natural cherry flavoring rather than actual cherry juice, which distinguishes it from craft sodas that use real fruit. This gives it a candy-like cherry profile rather than the tartness of real cherries. Competitors like Dr Pepper and Pepsi Wild Cherry use a similar approach with cherry flavoring rather than fruit juice.

Yes, a zero-sugar (diet) version of Coca-Cola Cherry has been available in various forms, previously as Diet Cherry Coke and more recently under the Coca-Cola Cherry Zero Sugar name. The zero-sugar version uses artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and acesulfame potassium to replicate the cherry-cola flavor without the calories. Availability varies by market and has changed over time as Coca-Cola has restructured its diet/zero-sugar product lines.