This Fruity Version Of Coca-Cola Was Discontinued, And Fans Still Want It Back

Big brands giveth, and big brands taketh away. When a company is nearly 140 years old, it's bound to have some missteps in its history — and whether those include introducing products that failed or discontinuing those products when they still had a fan base depends on whether you're part of said fan base. Coca-Cola may be one of the best-selling brands in the world, but for every smash hit soda, it's got a dud on its resume. Coca-Cola Spiced, anyone? Or how about the caffeinated cacophony that was Coca-Cola Blak, with coffee? Of the discontinued Coca-Cola flavors we actually do miss, though, there's one that seems especially widely mourned: Diet Coke Twisted Mango.

Diet Coke has been one of the world's most popular diet soft drinks since 1982, but Coca-Cola wasn't about to just leave a good thing alone. In 2018, the company unveiled four flavored Diet Coke varieties: Twisted Mango, Ginger Lime, Zesty Blood Orange, and Feisty Cherry. The move was intended to freshen up Diet Coke's image on the heels of a rare sales drop. Some of these flavors instantly fell flat. It seemed confusing, for example, that Feisty Cherry joined a brand that already had Diet Coke Cherry, which itself was discontinued later in 2018. But Twisted Mango proved popular, with an intense, sweet tropical flavor that dominated the Diet Coke profile — it wouldn't replace your Diet Coke, but it was a fun alternative option. Sadly, Twisted Mango wasn't long for this world.

Of all the unique Coca-Cola flavors from around the world, Twisted Mango was a favorite here in the United States. Yet it was still yanked away from fans in 2020, just two years after its debut. The four-flavor lineup it belonged to, with the sleek, tall 12-ounce cans, was part of Diet Coke's mission to engage millennials with exciting varieties and modern design. Apparently, the company didn't see the mission as being successful enough to continue it. Coca-Cola doesn't seem to give its products much of a chance before scrapping them, as can be seen from other short-lived creations like Diet Coke Blueberry Acai or Diet Coke Strawberry Guava, which both only lasted a year.

Fans seem the most torn up about the loss of Diet Coke Twisted Mango even years later, though. "It makes me so sad they were there and then they weren't," remarked one Redditor. "Pepsi mango is great but can't compare." Another agreed: "I still think about a crisp Mango Diet Coke. They were so good." On other Reddit threads, some commenters ask if anyone knows where they can find Twisted Mango cans — we suppose one could hold out hope there's a stash in someone's basement somewhere. Others still rank Twisted Mango as their favorite Diet Coke flavor to have existed. If you're among the grieving Twisted Mango community, try upgrading your Diet Coke yourself, with a splash of mango simple syrup and a fresh mango garnish.