A Classic Alani Nu Flavor May Be Coming Back in 2026

New Alani Nu flavors are, by far, the buzziest category of news I cover. Many of my best-performing posts this year on Instagram have been Alani Nu-ws (behind Red Bull, but ahead of Monster); I’m sure my articles here on Sporked do similarly well, judging by how quickly they get approved. That said, this will be my last breaking-news piece on the bubbly energy brand for 2025—and it’s a doozy. Alani Nu is allegedly bringing back a very early flavor in 2026 with a new coat of paint.

What’s the new Alani Nu flavor?

Per a major retailer’s leaked energy drink release calendar, Cotton Candy Grape Alani Nu Energy will hit shelves for a limited time in June 2026. This calendar was sent over from a reliable source who’s shared tons of later-proven-accurate energy drink news this year—including two licensed soda flavors coming to a major brand in 2026, which I’ll be covering in just a few days.

Is this news real or just a rumor?

I have a whole throughline of articles referencing a specific Alani Nu 2026 calendar I was sent earlier this year. While I previously thought the “For Placement Only” limited-time slot in mid-June was where we’d see the rumored Pink Lemonade “Kimade” Energy revival, I’m now convinced that’s where we’ll find this new Cotton Candy Energy variant. As I learned from journalism class watching The Newsroom, two sources are the minimum for responsible reporting, and I’ve got them. (This development does, unfortunately, move that “Kimade” revival into the “unlikely” category of rumors. R.I.P. to an icon.)

Is this a new Alani Nu flavor or not?

While I fully expect the exact formula has been updated, calling this a “brand new” flavor wouldn’t be entirely accurate. Before nearly any of us knew what an “Alani Nu” even was, the brand was releasing very clinical-looking energy drinks to a very niche audience. Most of those original flavors like “Mimosa” and “Tropsicle” have been discontinued, and the few that survived have been reformulated in the years since. 
It’s safe to say the original slate of Alani Nu energy drinks is completely extinct…for now. One of those early flavors was “Carnival Candy Grape” which seems mighty similar to this upcoming Cotton Candy Grape. Per my comments section, C.C.G. was a very popular flavor in Alani Nu’s early days; if this news is accurate, I’m looking forward to trying it for myself.