Diet Cherry Coke is back on sale. Coca-Cola withdrew the drink from the United States at the end of 2020, then returned it to shops across the US and Canada in February 2026 under the name Diet Coke Cherry. Great Britain got it back permanently on 5 January 2026.
Why Coca-Cola Dropped Diet Cherry Coke in 2020
It was cut to protect supply of bigger sellers during the pandemic. Coca-Cola announced the withdrawal in October 2020 and the drink left American shelves at the end of that year.
The timing matters. Aluminium cans were in short supply through 2020 as people stopped drinking out and started stockpiling at home, and Coca-Cola narrowed its range so that its core brands stayed in stock. Slower-selling flavour extensions were the first to go, and the cherry version of Diet Coke was one of them.
The company never published a detailed explanation for this particular flavour, which is part of why the question kept circulating for five years. It followed the same route as other drinks brands quietly trimmed from shelves in the same period.
Diet Cherry Coke, Diet Coke Cherry and Feisty Cherry: What Changed
All three names describe roughly the same idea: Diet Coke with cherry flavouring. The naming has shifted by decade and by country, which is why searches for the drink turn up three different products.
- Diet Cherry Coke: the original American name, launched in 1986 as the first flavour extension of Diet Coke, a year after Cherry Coke itself.
- Diet Coke Cherry: the name Coca-Cola uses today in the United States, Canada and Great Britain, and the one on the 2026 packaging.
- Diet Coke Feisty Cherry: a bolder-tasting variant introduced in 2018 as part of the Diet Coke relaunch, sold in Britain until it too disappeared around 2020.
The 2025 and 2026 relaunches leaned on the oldest of the three. The retro cans revived the 1986 artwork, even where the modern name was printed on the front.
How a Kroger Test Run Turned Into a Full Comeback
The return happened in stages, and the first stage was one American supermarket chain. Coca-Cola brought the drink back in summer 2025 as a limited edition sold at Kroger stores, in packaging modelled on the original 1980s design.
Britain got its own version of the same test in October 2025, a limited-edition retro run sold through Tesco. Both sold well enough to change the plan.
The permanent return was then confirmed in an unusual way. Company representatives told the National Association of Convenience Stores trade show in Chicago in late 2025 that the flavour would come back as a standing product, describing it internally as a “sustain” item rather than a seasonal one, while Coca-Cola itself declined to make a formal announcement at that stage.
Where Diet Coke Cherry Is Sold Now
As of 11 September 2026 the drink is on sale in the United States, Canada and Great Britain, and no further withdrawal has been announced.
- United States and Canada: released nationwide from February 2026 in 12-ounce 12-packs and 20-ounce bottles, with the flavour also available through Coca-Cola Freestyle machines.
- Great Britain: on sale from Monday 5 January 2026 in 300ml cans, 500ml and 2-litre bottles, and multipacks of eight and 24 330ml cans.
Coca-Cola launched it alongside two new drinks, Coca-Cola Cherry Float and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Cherry Float, as part of a wider push behind cherry flavours. That makes this a portfolio decision rather than a one-off revival, which is a different kind of move from the Minute Maid frozen juice line the company retired in the same period.
Is the Return Permanent?
In Britain, yes, and Coca-Cola has said so directly. Tara Byrnes, senior brand manager for Diet Coke in Great Britain, said in the January 2026 announcement that “Diet Coke Cherry will be joining the Diet Coke family permanently” and that fans “loved the retro limited edition launch while it was here”.
In the United States the wording has been looser. The company’s own launch announcement described the nationwide release without calling it permanent, and the “sustain” classification came from representatives at a trade event rather than from a formal statement. The practical difference is small while the drink is in production, but it does mean the American return has never been guaranteed in writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Difference Between Diet Coke Cherry and Cherry Coke Zero?
They start from different drinks. Diet Coke Cherry is Diet Coke with cherry flavouring, while Coca-Cola Cherry Zero Sugar is the no-sugar version of Coca-Cola Cherry, which is built on the Coca-Cola recipe. Neither contains sugar, and they do not taste the same.
When Was Diet Cherry Coke First Sold?
In 1986, one year after Cherry Coke launched. It was the first flavour added to the Diet Coke line, and it stayed on American shelves for more than three decades before the 2020 withdrawal.
What Is Coca-Cola Cherry Float?
A separate new product launched at the same time as the Diet Coke Cherry relaunch, sold in a regular and a zero sugar version. It is a cherry drink with a cream soda character, not a reissue of anything discontinued.
Does Diet Coke Cherry Have Calories?
It is sold as a diet drink, sweetened without sugar in the same way as standard Diet Coke. Nutrition figures are printed on the pack and vary slightly by market, so check the label rather than assuming the American and British versions are identical, as explained in our guide to whether Diet Coke is genuinely zero calories.
