Maple Pepsi Zero Sugar Just Hit Shelves Up North

While I tend to focus on stateside flavor innovations in the soda space, sometimes an international release is just too interesting to leave un-yapped about. Last month, I heard a few rumors that Pepsi would be releasing a zero-sugar maple cola up in Canada. Sure enough, it’s official: Pepsi Maple Zero Sugar Cola is on shelves now.

Is maple actually a big deal to Canadians?

Yes, but that isn’t the only reason this flavor flavour was selected. Per Pepsi, maple was chosen for both national pride and the increasing popularity of maple-infused foods and drinks. Considering Canada has to spend this whole year above a very loud, very patriotic country celebrating a big birthday, I think Pepsi picked a good time to remind Canadians they should be proud (through commerce), too. Maple Pepsi Zero Sugar will be available in cans and bottles on Canadian shelves through mid-February; I’ll be keeping an eye out for importers who might be able to send one over for a review here on Sporked.

And before you ask when we’ll get our equivalent of Maple Pepsi here in the States, remember that Pepsi has already produced a few terrifyingly American flavors. Lucky giveaway winners over the past few years got to try Cracker Jack and Apple Pie flavored colas from Pepsi. (The most recent re-release of Pepsi Blue was given a patriotic rebrand as well.)

Will we ever see Maple Pepsi in the United States?

Believe it or not, we actually had it first! Pepsi released a maple syrup-flavored cola in collaboration with IHOP a few years ago—first in cans as an online giveaway, then as a fountain drink exclusive to IHOP restaurants. In a post-OREO Coke world, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the IHOP collaboration hit shelves eventually. Peepsi hit shelves; anything is possible.

Speaking of Pepsi’s eternal rival, Coca-Cola has offered a maple cola in Canada for years now. Since 2020, bottles of “Quebec Maple” Coke mixed with real maple syrup have been stocked on shelves in the Great North. Coca-Cola actually offers regionally inspired flavor variants in both the United States and Canada; the stateside “Local Flavors” line includes Georgia Peach and Califofrnia Raspberry, while the Canadian “Origins” line includes Quebec Maple and British Columbia Raspberry.