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A fan favorite Diet Coke flavor is coming back for a limited time.
Retro Diet Cherry Coke will be available for purchase for a limited time starting later this summer, a Coca-Cola spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY.
The soda will be available exclusively at the Kroger family of stores beginning in mid-July.
Diet Cherry Coke was first introduced in the United States in 1986, according to Coke Solutions, a website run by Coca-Cola. By 2018, it was wiped from retail stores, according to an archived page on Coca-Cola’s website.
Fans of the flavor were quick to share their excitement at the news on social media − one user said they will be “purchasing it by the case.” Another user chimed in: “LET THEM COOK.”
Here’s what to know about the return of the line, including how to get it.
How to get Diet Cherry Coke
Soda fans can get Diet Cherry Coke starting in mid-July.
The flavor will only be available at supermarkets in the Kroger family of stores, according to Coca-Cola.
In addition to the namesake brand, Kroger’s family of stores includes Fry’s, King Soopers, Ralphs and more. See the full list here.
It will also only be available for a limited time, but final date to purchase it has not yet been announced.
What happened to Diet Cherry Coke? History of the flavor
Diet Cherry Coke was first sold in 1986 − four years after the original Diet Coke hit store shelves, according to Coca-Cola. The flavor built on the success of the regular Cherry Coke, which launched in 1985.
In 2018, Coca-Cola announced the launch of four new Diet Coke flavors, including Diet Coke Feisty Cherry, which was intended to “offer a bolder taste experience” than Diet Cherry Coke, according to the company.
With the release of Diet Coke Feisty Cherry, Coca-Cola announced that Diet Cherry Coke would be taken out of retail stores but still available to purchase on Amazon. It eventually went out of circulation online.
Two years later, in 2020, the company discontinued Diet Coke Feisty Cherry, according to The New York Times, marking the end of the most recently available cherry-infused Diet Coke flavors.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.
