If your personality has been “person who still talks about Diet Cherry Coke” for the last five years, congratulations: your moment has arrived. After fans have campaigned for years, Coca-Cola has confirmed that the cult-favorite soda will return to shelves in early 2026 and, this time, the company swears the move is permanent.
The news first popped up via Snackolator, the Instagram oracle of snack gossip, which shared new artwork for the 20-ounce bottles and cans. A Coca-Cola rep confirmed at a trade event that the flavor is being classified as a “sustain” item (rather than a seasonal fling), which means it’s meant to stick around. While the flavor did have a brief retro-style comeback at Kroger stores this summer, the 2026 revival will roll out nationwide, including 20-ounce bottles and 12-packs. (No word yet on 2-liters.)
Diet Cherry Coke’s timeline is a roller coaster: it first launched in 1985, rebranded as Diet Coke Feisty Cherry in 2006, was discontinued, then revived in 2018 as part of a flavored Diet Coke lineup, slowly phased out again and now—finally—headed for the forever home fans always wanted. The flavor already returned in the UK earlier this year, part of a push tied to cherry trending as “flavor of the year.”
For Coca-Cola, the decision has roots in the company’s business success. The Street reported that CEO James Quincey acknowledged “a complex operating landscape” on the company’s recent earnings call, citing inflation pressures, unseasonal weather and geopolitical uncertainty. Despite all that, Coke still turned in a solid quarter: sales grew at the higher end of the company’s usual targets and profits rose 6% even though currency swings—something that normally drags down global brands—were working against it. Pair that with the ever-growing crowd of competitors (Ben Stiller literally introduced a soda brand in 2025) and resurrecting a proven crowd-pleaser starts to look like a savvy play.
Nostalgia clearly works. Researchers from Worcester Polytechnic Institute studied past Coke revivals and found that discontinuing beloved products can provoke “nostalgic brand love” strong enough to rally entire online communities—exactly the sort of consumer devotion most brands would kill for. Now, the beverage giant is betting that Diet Cherry Coke superfans will turn that energy into actual sales.
Bottom line: Diet Cherry Coke is finally coming home for good. Stock your fridge accordingly.