Coca-Cola Just Added a New Soda to Its Lineup

There’s nothing quite like that first sip of cold Coca-Cola on a hot day. Or is there? What if you could grab a glass bottle of something a little more interesting and feel just as refreshed?

The Coca-Cola Company has no lack of variety around the world. Whether it’s fruity Country Club Merengue in the Dominican Republic or bitter Beverly in Italy, the world’s largest soft drink manufacturer has something you may not have tried all across the globe. One such soda is Barrilitos, which is both bottled and produced in Mexico. 

Coca-Cola Is Bringing Barrilitos to the US

Since 1938, the Monterrey-born company has been quenching the thirst of the Mexican population with a variety of fizzy flavors. The Coca-Cola Company purchased it in 2008. In 2017, it expanded the Barrilitos portfolio by adding aguas frescas to the party. Now, Coca-Cola has the American market in mind. It’s poised to debut Barrilitos on our shores, starting with California and Texas.

“Made Con Much Flavor,” Barrilitos will be available in four different varieties to start. Mandarina is mandarin orange, noted for its balance of sweet and sour flavors. There’s also Manzana (apple), Piña (pineapple), and bright-red Ponche de Frutas (fruit punch). The last of those combines pineapple, strawberry, and citrus. In the near future, Tamarindo (tamarind) will join those with its sugary tang.

Photos seem to suggest that it pairs well with chips, ceviche, and esquites (or off-the-cob Mexican street corn). We’re not mad at any of those ideas.

Barrilitos flavors are available in 12-ounce glass bottles or family-sized 1.5-liter plastic ones. 

Though Barrilitos will make its initial push in California and Texas, Coca-Cola is already planning to introduce it to Oklahoma and Southern Nevada as well. 

The big question is how it compares to Jarritos, another glass-bottle Mexican soda that’s already available in the U.S. and boasts a similar, though larger, range of flavors. Jarritos launched in 1950, so Barrilitos certainly has age on its side. We see a pineapple versus pineapple and tamarind versus tamarind soda tasting in our future.