# Pepsi Holiday Spice (?!!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 19, 2004, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepsi-holiday-spice/264976 "2004-09-19T11:29:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepsi-holiday-spice/264976/1 "2004-09-19T11:29:06Z")
> [@](#): > > Just in time for the holidays, Pepsi will launch Pepsi Holiday Spice - Pepsi-Cola with a spicy finish of ginger and cinnamon - to give consumers a new seasonal treat during a time of celebration. Testing revealed that the spice concept fits with Pepsi’s image as “new,” “different,” and “innovative,” while the flavors have a strong connection with cola. Featuring nostalgic package graphics, Pepsi Holiday Spice will be available in the U.S. for an eight-week period (November 1 - December 31) in 20-ounce bottles, 2-liter bottles and 12-packs of 12-ounce cans. > > [http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040805/nyth079\_1.html](http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040805/nyth079_1.html) Cinnamon and nutmeg cola? What the hell? Something tells me that this will be on the level of Crystal Pepsi and Berry Blast Pepsi. What the hell is up with all these new soda mixes anyway? I love trying new drinks… what I lack in excitement in relation to food, I make up for in beverages but, really, do we need to have a dozen different varieties of Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, and Dr Pepper? It just reeks of desperate money-grubbing to me. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepsi-holiday-spice/264976/2 "2004-09-19T12:29:53Z")
Actually, y’know? Berries ,ixed with Pepsi was just a gross combo like mayo on ice cream. Invisible Pepsi tasted wrong…off…somehow, like the syrup containers hadn’t been cleaned or had been cross-connected. But there’s already hints of that sort of spice flavor in colas–this actually sounds good. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepsi-holiday-spice/264976/3 "2004-09-19T12:40:44Z")
If I were still allowed to drink fizzy stuff, I would give it a try. It sounds interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepsi-holiday-spice/264976/4 "2004-09-19T14:32:06Z")
Oooh, no. That sounds really good. And you know what’s going to happen? They’re going to test market it this Christmas, and I’m going to get completely hooked on it, and then they’re going to take it away, those _bastards_. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepsi-holiday-spice/264976/5 "2004-09-19T14:36:30Z")
There is already a very strong note of cinnamon in Coke. This would be like that, only in Pepsi and with a much stronger spice flavor. I’d love to try it. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepsi-holiday-spice/264976/6 "2004-09-19T14:47:17Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > It just reeks of desperate money-grubbing to me. As opposed to all the other instances when new soft drinks are created, soley for the betterment of mankind… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepsi-holiday-spice/264976/7 "2004-09-19T16:55:39Z")
Sounds like it would be great to baste ham with! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepsi-holiday-spice/264976/8 "2004-09-19T17:06:18Z")
This sounds good to me, too, provided that by “ginger” they mean like gingerbread, and not like the stuff you use to cleanse your palate at a sushi place (the latter always tastes like dish detergent, to me). But then, I liked Crystal Pepsi, too, and look what happened to that. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepsi-holiday-spice/264976/9 "2004-09-19T17:11:52Z")
> [@](#): > > Sounds like it would be great to baste ham with! That was my first thought. I’ll have to give that a try this year. ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepsi-holiday-spice/264976/10 "2004-09-19T17:15:38Z")
According to _Big Secrets_ by William Poundstone, the cola flavor is a “fantasia flavor”, composed of a balance of cinnamon, citrus and vanilla. The kola nut doesn’t really add any flavor of its own. So, in that cola flavor is basically two spices and citrus, I don’t think that upping the ratio of cinnamon and adding another couple of spices could really foul things up that much. Of course, I’ll reserve final judgement for when I can find the stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepsi-holiday-spice/264976/11 "2004-09-19T22:03:10Z")
You people are insane; it sounds horrible. Cinnamon soda? Bleh! I, of course, will still try it like the little consumer sheep that I am. I just won’t like it! ---
**Author:** ![sjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@sjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjc)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepsi-holiday-spice/264976/12 "2004-09-19T23:54:18Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > This sounds good to me, too, provided that by “ginger” they mean like gingerbread, and not like the stuff you use to cleanse your palate at a sushi place (the latter always tastes like dish detergent, to me). You know that the ginger you get at sushi places is _pickles_ ginger, not the fresh stuff. Whereas the Gingerbread flavor is usually dried ginger. In my opinion neither would be as good as good fresh ginger flavor, however I must agree that dried would be better than pickled. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepsi-holiday-spice/264976/13 "2004-09-19T23:58:20Z")
It sounds like it could be good to me. I mean, what are the spices in Captain Morgan Spiced Rum? They taste good in Pepsi… ---
**Author:** ![sjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@sjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjc)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepsi-holiday-spice/264976/14 "2004-09-20T00:17:15Z")
> [@sjc](#): > > You know that the ginger you get at sushi places is _pickles_ ginger, not the fresh stuff. Whereas the Gingerbread flavor is usually dried ginger. In my opinion neither would be as good as good fresh ginger flavor, however I must agree that dried would be better than pickled. Excuse me, “pickles” should be “pickled” and I’m not pickled, not in the slightest. ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_On\_My\_Sleeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/77aa72/32.png) [@Heart\_On\_My\_Sleeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_On_My_Sleeve)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepsi-holiday-spice/264976/15 "2004-09-20T00:24:00Z")
Sounds yummy to me! IMO, Crystal Pepsi had a hint of ginger. I thought it was good. ---
**Author:** ![JayElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@JayElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JayElle)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepsi-holiday-spice/264976/16 "2004-09-20T01:07:08Z")
Yummmmm, spicy cola! Can’t wait for it to hit the shelves. I’m already a fan of Lemon Diet Coke, Lime Diet Coke, and Cherry Seven Up. I love the new flavors of soft drinks. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepsi-holiday-spice/264976/17 "2004-09-20T01:57:11Z")
> [@Tentacle Monster](#): > > The kola nut doesn’t really add any flavor of its own. Largely due to its complete absence from the Black Fizzy Waters of Corporate Imperialism. Coca-Cola-- Coca- _and_ Cola-free for longer than anyone can remember. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepsi-holiday-spice/264976/18 "2004-09-20T03:15:40Z")
Ah, yes, from the folks who brought us Josta, best soda ever, and then promptly killed it. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepsi-holiday-spice/264976/19 "2004-09-20T03:24:25Z")
Aesiron, Coke and Pepsi both already have cinnamon in them. This is just more. I for one, am already drooling at the thought. I go to Burger King just for Coke because something about their mix or water or something has a stronger cinnamon flavor. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepsi-holiday-spice/264976/20 "2004-09-20T03:46:23Z")
Pepsi has water in it too but that doesn’t mean I want it to be watery. Or, to use the other two main ingredients as examples, I also hate vanilla pepsi and lemon pepsi. The current blend is just fine… one of the flavors dominating over the others hasn’t exactly enthused me in the past and I don’t expect this to be any different. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepsi-holiday-spice/264976.md?page=2)