Diet Coke Cherry Is Back…But Is It Back for Good?

Good news, fridge cigarette fans: One of the most popular discontinued Diet Coke variants is returning to shelves. Yes, Diet Coke Cherry is returning nationwide and in Canada this month. It’s been a minute since this soda was on shelves; let’s get into all the details we do (and don’t) have.

How long has it been since Diet Coke Cherry was on shelves?

That depends on where you live! If you’re lucky enough to live near a Kroger-owned grocery store, this might seem like old news. Back in January 2025, I broke the news that Diet Coke Cherry would return exclusively to the Kroger family of grocery stores for a limited time with a retro look inspired by the original 1986 can design. Sure enough, summer 2025 brought the long-awaited return of this diet soda killed by pandemic-era aluminum shortages.

Is Diet Coke Cherry back for good?

I wish I knew, folks. In that initial article from last year, I mentioned that my sources believed the limited-edition return to Kroger stores was being looked at as a litmus test to determine whether the soda was worth bringing back nationwide in the future. If that was the case, the test must have gone well; the previously discontinued soda is now returning in multiple countries. We’ll all be able to enjoy Cherry Diet Coke in 12-packs and bottles for the foreseeable future.

That said, Coca-Cola has been very careful to not state affirmatively whether this soda is back for good or not. Considering Coca-Cola Cherry Float is here for a 12-month run, I wonder if Diet Coke Cherry is in the same boat. Hell, maybe we’re looking at another “Year of Baja Blast” situation where sales success will translate to future permanence.

What’s with all the cherry sodas now?

The Coca-Cola Company at large is considering 2026 the “Year of Cherry.” Alongside the return of Diet Coke Cherry, we’ll also see the new Coca-Cola Cherry Float hit shelves across the U.S. and Canada in both full and zero sugar. Beyond the namesake brand, the upcoming Sour Cherry Fanta and the reformulated revival/expansion of Mr. Pibb both loudly signal that Coca-Cola thinks cherry is the flavor of the year. (Stay tuned for a few more articles about those sodas from yours truly in the next few days.)