Pepsi to make new hot chocolate-inspired drink ‘Cocoa’ Cola

The new fizzy pop flavour will be available from early 2021

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With a similar name to rival brand Coca Cola, Pepsi's new drink "Cocoa Cola" will infuse chocolatey flavours with its signature pop.

Pepsi's classic soda will get a "delicious blend of cocoa (and hint of marshmallow!)" to taste like hot chocolate. Only it won’t be served hot.

Pepsi “Cocoa” Cola, complete with quotemarks, will be available from early 2021.

“There is nothing more classic than hot cocoa on a winter day, but this year has been anything but typical,” Todd Kaplan, Pepsi’s vice president of marketing, said in a statement.

"What’s sweeter than saying ‘bye; to the worst year ever? Pepsi 'Cocoa’ Cola – the latest concept from the Pepsi Test Kitchen," wrote the brand on Twitter, urging social media users to retweet it 2,021 times, in order for the company to actually produce a batch.

After the post on Thursday, the company got the tweets it requested in no time. Currently on 6,000 retweets, the post has comments from soda fans the world over, who are keen to try the new concoction. 

"Please please please let me have this," said one user. "Sounds like the best flavour ever!!," said another user named Chocoholic. "I’ve dreamt of a marshmallow flavoured soda," said another.

"Well, it looks like you’re all pretty thirsty for some Pepsi “Cocoa” Cola. Stay tuned for details coming in 2021!," the company responded in a tweet.

"It will be the first delicious thing in 2021 and that's a promise," Pepsi confirmed.

Soft drink brands have had a strange year during the pandemic, as carbonation and aluminium can shortages threatened the production of sodas in some places, causing certain pops to go out of stock.

In October, Coca-Cola announced it would scrap half of its portfolio, some 200 brands, after falling sales during the pandemic. The brand will focus on its biggest sellers, but drinks like Tab and Coke Life will no longer be made in the future.