Cherry Coke was launched in 1985 as Coca-Cola’s first officially branded cherry-flavored cola.
Before the product’s nationwide launch, some consumers and soda fountains had mixed cherry flavoring with Coca-Cola. The company turned that informal serving tradition into a packaged product with a standardized cherry flavor.
Cherry Coke debuted during a major year in Coca-Cola history, when the company was also introducing and then withdrawing its reformulated cola. Despite that unusual timing, Cherry Coke established a separate identity and became one of the company’s best-known flavored colas.
The product is sometimes confused with later cherry versions of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar or with competitors’ cherry colas. “Cherry Coke” refers to the branded Coca-Cola product introduced in 1985. Availability and packaging have differed across countries, but the flavor concept remains consistent.