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One of the many awesome things about vending machines in Japan is the huge variety of beverages they sell. For example, aside from water, soda, and juice, just about any vending machine you’ll come across will also have a selection of canned coffees.
One of the most popular canned coffee brands is Georgia, which is part of the Coca-Cola family and gets its name from the company’s home state. Coca-Cola Japan recently decided to meld its coffee know-how with its soda expertise and created the brand-new Coca-Cola Coffee Plus, which just went on sale this month.
The name is similar to the health-focused zero-calorie Coca-Cola Plus that went on sale last spring in Japan. But while Coca-Cola Coffee Plus does have half the calories of ordinary Coca-Cola, the main selling point here is that the beverage comes pre-mixed with coffee extract powder, making it a hybrid of two of modern society’s favorite carbonated beverages.
We spotted Coca-Cola Coffee Plus in a vending machine near SoraNews24 headquarters in Tokyo’s Shinjuku neighborhood, where it was priced at 130 yen a can. That’s a bit on the expensive side for cola, especially in cans of this size, but not out of line with canned coffee prices, so we fed some coins into the machine and brought three servings back to the office.
While you can, of course, drink it straight out of the can, we decided to pour it into a glass to check its color. Actually, because of the visual similarities between ordinary cola and black coffee, we can’t say it looks definitively like one more so than the other, but the heavy carbonation creates a head of frothy foam.
Moving on to the smell test, Coca-Cola Coffee Plus smells exactly like a cup of coffee. If you covered your eyes (and also your ears, so that you couldn’t hear the fizzing of the bubbles) and took a sniff, you’d think this was pure coffee.
Oddly enough, the taste test goes the opposite way. Despite the pronounced coffee aroma, the flavor isn’t all that different than normal Coca-Cola, though it does have a slightly richer flavor than the standard soda.
The new beverage also has 50 percent more caffeine that regular Coke, so if you’re looking for a pick-me-up, but on the fence between cola and coffee, keep your eyes peeled for Cola-Cola Coffee Plus, which is only available in vending machines.
Reference: Muuseo
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- External Link
- http://en.rocketnews24.com/2017/09/12/in-japan-you-can-now-get-coca-cola-pre-mixed-with-coffee%E3%80%90taste-test%E3%80%91/
12 Comments
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Luddite
Why?
afanofjapan
I didnt know that Coffee was a popular carbonated beverage. Last time when they released "Espressoda" i nearly gagged and couldnt finish the bottle (something quite rare for me).
However, i am keen to try this, as i am for any new beverage flavor. Will go for a hunt at lunchtime.
smithinjapan
"the main selling point here is that the beverage comes pre-mixed with coffee extract powder, making it a hybrid of two of modern society’s favorite carbonated beverages."
I think if "carbonated" were not included in that line, it would be okay, and true.
However, that does not make what Japan is doing here, right. Nor was the tomato/cherry and orange/carrot flavored ice cream, not to mention cucumber pepsi. The most interesting thing about this is seeing where it will rank on the "Japanese bizarre combinations" websites that are good for a laugh.
Kobe White Bar Owner
Kind of like orange juice and milk! blaaaa
mukashiyokatta
Does not qualify as "food."
Tony Gates
Have you seen the price of a 500mL bottle of Coke lately? Especially if you live in/near a major US city!? And look at Chicago; in Cook County they've enacted a beverage tax!
sensei258
Coke came out with a coffee-flavored version years ago in the states. I was all excited, loving both drinks. But, I never bought another bottle after the first one. I would try this version just to know. Maybe it's better.
pacint
Bring in more cherry-cola, few stores here sell it.
J-Dake
Pepsi tried this about 2 decades ago. It was an incredible bomb. The reaction was so strongly negative that they pulled them rapidly and they are now like hen's teeth. Can you imagine why?
I suspect that all the crazy flavors introduced by the 2 soft drink giants in Japan are done so with the expectation that people will be curious try it once, spit it out and never try again as none ever seem to stick around. Shiso cucumber Pepsi anyone?
J-Dake
Sorry "Pepsi Kona" was the name of the coffee cola
afanofjapan
Well i finally found a vending machine selling it this morning, 120 yen. I have to admit, it actually does taste good. Kind of reminds me of the Chinotto bitter italian Cola, but it isnt so bitter. In fact i think it was quite a good balance of flavors, not so sickly sweet like regular cola. I would drink this again.
However, it only has 18mg of caffeine per 100ml. So, barely 34mg for the 190ml can. Thats only 1/3 of a regular coffee, and completely pales in comparison to a nice 400ml can of Tully's black (240mg!!). So for me it didnt really have any pick-me-up effect. So, i think i will stick to my regular cup of black coffee in the mornings...