Mr. Pibb Is Making a Comeback—With More Caffeine And A Spicy Twist
If you grew up during the 1990s or earlier, you know how popular Mr. Pibb soda was. The spicy cherry soda with a touch of caramel and a kick of caffeine was originally released in 1972 by Coca-Cola.
It was discontinued in 2001 and relaunched with a new recipe as “Pibb Xtra,” much to the disappointment of long-time fans, who considered the reformulation inferior to the original flavor, despite being marketed as a bolder reinterpretation. Unfortunately, Pibb Xtra never reached the success of Mr. Pibb and has become increasingly harder to find in recent years.
Well, that’s about to change. Coca-Cola is bringing Mr. Pibb back with a new flavor reformulation and modernized can design. This go-round, it’s designed to deliver a robust cherry flavor and hints of caramel with a spicy aftertaste. It also has 30% more caffeine than Pibb Xtra, though technically, it isn’t considered an energy drink.
The new Mr. Pibb will begin arriving in stores in late October, along with a Mr. Pibb Zero Sugar, both available in 12-ounce/12-packs and 20-ounce bottles. Both will hit the West Coast, Midwest, and Florida first, and expand to other regions at the top of 2026.
Some recent news may have influenced Coca-Cola’s decision to relaunch Mr. Pibb. A Texas court order brought an end to Dr Pepper’s long-held distribution agreement with Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling, which supplies areas along the West Coast. Keurig Dr Pepper now has full distribution rights to Dr Pepper, per Bloomberg.
As a result, retailers with soda fountains that traditionally offer Dr Pepper will lose their access to the flavoring syrup needed to make it, and typically, in those cases, Coca-Cola swaps Dr Pepper with Mr. Pibb. This time, however, it looks to be a permanent swap.
