Pepsi Releases ‘Softer Than a Soft Drink’ Cola For People Who Don’t Like Heavy Carbonation
Nitro Pepsi boasts smaller bubbles, a creamier consistency and a frothy, foamy head.
Photo courtesy of Pepsi
Will tiny bubbles in your cola make you happy and feel fine? Pepsi is banking that the answer is yes. The soda brand is set to launch Nitro Pepsi, billed as “the first-ever nitrogen-infused cola” and an ambitious “reimagining” of “the cola experience with a massive innovation.”
Nitro Pepsi basically promises to be a cola with the “smooth” and “creamy” consistency of a nitro beer or coffee — “actually softer than a soft drink,” the brand boasts — with tiny bubbles cascading throughout, culminating in a frothy, foamy “head” at the top of your glass.
And yeah, like nitro beer or coffee, it will leave you with a post-sip foam mustache, if you’re not careful, so maybe keep a drink napkin handy. But don’t bother with a straw.
“While soda has been a beverage of choice for so many consumers over the past century, some people still cite heavy carbonation as a barrier to enjoying an ice-cold cola. With this in mind, we wanted to come up with a new way for people to enjoy delicious Pepsi cola, but with a new experience around the bubbles,” Todd Kaplan, Pepsi’s vice president of marketing, said in a news release.
In development since 2019, Nitro Pepsi’s smooth, creamy, foamy consistency is created by a nitrogen-infusing “widget” that sits in the bottom of each can, which creates the smaller bubbles. (Think: Guinness.) Pepsi says the widget, frequently used in beer and coffee products, has never before been used for cola.
Nitro Pepsi doesn’t just look and taste different from other colas, the brand says; it should also be consumed a bit differently.
Suitable for drinking directly from the can, Nitro Pepsi is best served cold, without ice; should be “hard poured,” meaning you tip the can upside-down into a tall glass; and is optimal when sipped straight from the glass. (Again: no straw; yes, frothy foam mustache.)
“Nitro Pepsi is a first-of-its-kind innovation that creates a smooth, creamy, delicious taste experience for fans everywhere,” Kaplan said. “Much like how nitrogen has transformed the beer and coffee categories, we believe Nitro Pepsi is a huge leap forward for the cola category and will redefine cola for years to come.”
Nitro Pepsi will launch nationwide on March 28 and will be available in two flavors, Draft Cola and Vanilla Draft Cola, in both single-serve cans and four-packs.
Oh, and if you happen to be in Las Vegas anytime from March 25 on, you can be among the first to try Nitro Pepsi “on tap” at the Sky Lounge at The High Roller Observation Wheel at THE LINQ Promenade on the Strip.
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