We Tried the New K-Pop Inspired Coca-Cola

Another day, another new Coke flavor to review. How did we get here? I swear, I’ve tried more new flavors of Coca-Cola in the last few weeks than Coke’s own creator did in his entire life. This time around, we’re trying a flavor named and themed after the rising global popularity of K-pop. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar K-Wave launched late last month exclusively in the Coca-Cola online store, where it is still available for purchase at the time of writing. While this flavor’s release wasn’t nearly as flashy as a lockable briefcase containing branded tissues, it’s still worth going over here for posterity.

Title

K-pop coca-cola zero

New Coke Zero Flavor!

Coca-Cola Zero Sugar K-Wave

As someone adjacent to a lot of K-pop through other projects, I think the theming of this release is on point. Many of my less-soda-minded friends are very excited about the upcoming livestream concert Coca-Cola is putting on in celebration of this new flavor. Plus, according to my records, this is the first soda release in a long time with a theme song and incomprehensibly-expensive music video?

Pros: K-Wave is “Fruity Fantasy Flavored,” which is somehow the most specific Coca-Cola Creations flavor to date. Unlike “Futuristic” and “Transformation,” this release actually includes a word that refers to at least a spectrum of flavors. The taste definitely has a “fruity” element, and since it’s a “fantasy,” maybe it’s a type of fruit that doesn’t exist in our current reality! It’s fitting that the packaging is covered in shiny chrome symbols—the UFOs (Unidentified Fruity Occurrences) in this cola are undeniable. And, finally, this sounds like a backhanded compliment, but I promise it’s a sincere positive: This new Coke Zero flavor is the least flat-tasting Coke Zero Sugar flavor I’ve had in a while. 

Cons: While this new Coke Zero flavor has more of a unique flavor than the last Coca-Cola Creations Zero Sugar flavor I reviewed, it’s still not different enough from normal Coke Zero Sugar to warrant all the celebration. I’ve seen some chatter online about this flavor being similar to any number of Japanese marble sodas. Considering those sodas are all based on different fruits, I don’t think I can co-sign that theory. It tastes good enough, but it seems like the marketing is outshining the soda at the center of it all. Call me a cynic, but I was hoping Coca-Cola K-Wave would make a bigger splash.

Credit: Liv Averett / Coca-Cola

Rating:

7/10

Sporks


About the Author

Griffin Parker

Griffin Parker is a writer, award-winning charity auctioneer, and "influencer in the beverage space" according to a few PR agencies. Please do not ask him about the cotton candy business he started right out of high school. When he's not contributing to Sporked or running the @SodaSeekers news pages, you can find Griffin espousing the virtues of Dayton-style pizza, Cincinnati-style chili, and Dolly Parton's Fabulously Fudgy Brownie Mix.