Coca-Cola files trademark for possible spicy Sprite drink
It's rare these days for me to feel anything but frantic. I cover AI for a living, after all.
But sometimes I just want to let loose, and apparently that means cracking open a can of Coke and eating some fried chicken.
Yes, Coke, as in the dark soda loaded with sugar. So, to the GLP-1 crowd and fitness guys: sue me.
What Coca-Cola fans like me appreciate is that it's built an empire on giving the people what they already know and love. That makes its latest move especially interesting.
The beverage giant is revisiting an idea that proved a clear misfire at the time, but the market may have evolved dramatically since then.
What fell flat on its face the first time could now land in a much friendlier environment, particularly as Gen Z chases bolder flavors and social-media-driven drink trends.
Coca-Cola may be betting the market is ready for spicy soft drinks
Coca-Cola seems as if it isn't done experimenting with heat after all.
The beverage giant filed a trademark application on July 9 for the name "Spricy," saying it has a "bona fide intention" to use it for soft drinks, according to FoodDive.
Whether the name suggests a product equivalent to Coca-Cola Spiced 2.0, or a possible spicy Sprite-related drink, remains to be seen.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is expected to review the application within five to six months.
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Trademark attorney Josh Gerben said the filing gives Coca-Cola a priority date that can prevent competitors from adopting the same or a similar name.
As he explained in a blog post, even if Coke receives conditional approval, "the company would ultimately need to begin selling products under the ‘Spricy' name before the trademark can be fully registered."
And it seems the market might be a lot more receptive this time.
According to Keurig Dr Pepper's 2026 State of Beverages report, 58% of Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers are interested in unexpected flavors, while 57% favor globally inspired options, and 56% are drawn to limited-edition drops.
Additionally, social media is also shaping what younger consumers are willing to try. An Attest survey conducted in early 2026 found that 56% of Americans ages 18 to 27 use TikTok daily, while the same percentage said social media content influences their food and beverage purchases.
That's why Coca-Cola might be reviving an idea for an audience that now appears far more willing to embrace strange, limited-time, and social-media-ready flavors.
Why Coca-Cola Spiced fell flat
Coca-Cola Spiced was a bold attempt at the time to make the 140-year-old beverage giant feel new, but the product appeared to move faster than consumer demand.
Coca-Cola developed the raspberry-flavored soda in just seven weeks before discontinuing it later in 2024, according to The Food Institute.
Though that speed helped Coke reach shelves more quickly, it also left the business little time to build a clearer identity around the drink.
"What's the brand promise between Coca-Cola and its products? It's trust. People know Coke, it's established, and people just want it to keep doing what it does best," Matthew Herbert, co-CEO of brand analytics firm Tracksuit, told The Food Institute.
The bigger issue was likely a mismatch between what consumers expect from Coca-Cola and what the company tried to sell them.
Interestingly, Coca-Cola Spiced disappeared just as TikTok's "swicy" trend was taking off.
It was around that time, a couple of years ago, when Dua Lipa's viral Diet Coke mix with pickle juice and jalapeños drew millions of views, while Starbucks leaned into the same sweet-and-spicy craze with its Spicy Refreshers.
Nevertheless, despite interest from the younger demographic, Coca-Cola likely pulled the product before investing more heavily.
Coca-Cola might be changing how it innovates
Covering Coca-Cola's recent limited-time rollouts, it seems the beverage giant has learned from past missteps, such as Coca-Cola Spiced, by taking a more disciplined approach to innovation.
With Freestyle machines in particular, Coca-Cola can test out demand, create scarcity, and collect consumer feedback before placing bigger bets.
Essentially, Freestyle has become a test kitchen, marketing platform, and consumer-data machine, with Coke launching exclusive flavors recently at Wingstop and Universal Kids Resort.
So we could see a new spicy beverage being rolled out much more cautiously. A trademark filing does not guarantee a product launch, though it gives Coke room to test the idea without committing the way it did previously.
Nevertheless, the management has made it clear that innovation remains critical to growth. "Innovation contributed strongly to revenue growth," CEO Henrique Braun said during Coca-Cola's Q1 earnings call.
"We've been very consumer-centric about how to bring innovation to each customer," he clarified, however.
Braun also suggested the company has learned from earlier misses, saying Coke is bringing "more insights and discipline on managing innovation and the success rates over time."
Related: Coca-Cola's new flavors reveal larger strategy
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This story was originally published July 15, 2026 at 12:33 PM.