The Controversial Change Coca-Cola Made In 1985 That Caused An Uproar With Longtime Fans

Forty years ago, Coca-Cola did something that almost cost it the cola war against Pepsi. The brand did the unthinkable and changed its recipe. New Coke was introduced in 1985 as an attempt to remain competitive, as many cola connoisseurs seemed to prefer Pepsi's sweeter taste. However, the move backfired in a big way when longtime Coca-Cola drinkers realized that their beloved soda beverage was not the same, with some even saying it tasted flat. Time's then-food critic, Mimi Sheraton, described New Coke as "sweeter than the original formula and [with] a body that could best be described as lighter" in an issue of Time Magazine. 

She added that "It tastes a little like classic Coca-Cola that has been diluted by melting ice." The resulting uproar made it a top story for CBS Evening News (via YouTube). Coca-Cola drinkers were so upset about the change that they even started petitions asking for the original to return. Some even called for a class action lawsuit because they wanted their favorite drink back. It didn't take long for the company to course correct and offer up the original flavor, now called Coca-Cola Classic, alongside New Coke. Despite giving the people what they wanted, the company insisted the newest offering was actually successful and increased sales by 8%.

It's no secret that the first bottles of Coca-Cola had an eye-popping ingredient that inspired the name. The original version utilized coca leaf and kola nut as a part of its secret recipe, and those ingredients meant that early Coca-Cola contained a small amount of cocaine. The Coca-Cola Company switched to cocaine-free coca leaf and kola nut extracts in 1903 due to growing worries about how the stimulant could affect soda drinkers. It's worth noting that it wasn't actually outlawed until over a decade after that, in 1914.

Rival Pepsi, then a tonic known as Brad's Drink, was coming up around the same time, though Coca-Cola originated in Atlanta, Georgia, and Pepsi came from New Bern, North Carolina. The competition to become the top cola drink caused what became known as the "Cola Wars" between the two brands, and that war has continued ever since, with each one fighting to be the most popular soft drink. That has led to many additions to the Coca-Cola lineup, including new flavors such as Vanilla, Cherry, Lemon, Lime, and even Raspberry.

Some have become permanent flavors (we're looking at you, Cherry and Vanilla!), while others have not stood the test of time. In recent years, Pepsi revived the cola wars with one of its latest offerings, Pepsi Zero. The company claimed that it tasted better than Coke Zero, a very similar zero-calorie soft drink, as both use aspartame and acesulfame potassium as sweeteners.