In case you've been living in a cave and haven't seen it on store shelves, the fine folks at Pepsi Cola have crafted what I'm sure they hope to become the next perennial favorite amongst consumers: Holiday Spice Pepsi. A.K.A. Subtle Potpourri Pepsi.
I have a theory that the bottle label is not just to tell you what it is - I think it is also used to mask the pine cones, cinnamon sticks, and orange rinds floating around in the bottle. It is a red, white and blue label (Heaven forbid they go the red and green route and offend people) with a woodcarved image of an old Pepsi Cola bottling plant on it. Here's my favorite part: the label says L I M I T E D E D I T I O N. You know what that means - some idiot somewhere is going to buy a bottle and not open it thinking he's gonna send the kids to college with it someday. You laugh, but take it from someone who sat next to a co-worker that would buy 5 Happy Meals at a time only to throw the food out and keep the Beanie Babies that they came with, all to "send the kids to college" some day. Been there, done that, rolled my eyes in disbelief.
As far as the flavor of this new beverage, I wasn't sure what to expect. I was sure it would be cinnamon flavored Pepsi. But after cracking the bottle open and taking a chug, it tasted more like potpourri. Not necessarily in a bad way, but in a "grandpa left this Pepsi next to the potpourri in the basement for 6 months and it sort of tastes like potpourri now... but we're thirsty and we'll drink it anyways" kind of way. Is it orange? Cloves? Nutmeg? I don't know what the hell the "Holiday Spice" flavor is, but I don't think egg nog manufacturers should feel at all threatened that their product will soon be overthrown by Holiday Spice Pepsi in years to come.
Nope.
I guess I would try it again, but maybe only at a Holiday party or something... Perhaps you need presents and sweater-clad people around in order to get the full Holiday Spice effect. Or maybe it needs to be served in a punch bowl with a ladle. Or while outside building a snowman.
Nice try, Pepsi, but I think this one will end up in the inevitable "Whatever happened to..." water cooler conversation spiral in a few years.
Speaking of: Whatever happened to Clear Pepsi?
