The Limited-Edition Breakfast Pepsi Flavor We Totally Forgot About
PepsiCo is known for combining its flagship soda with flavors like vanilla, cherry, and even mango. It also launches limited edition options, such as Pepsi Peach and Pepsi Lime. However, you might have forgotten about Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola. This cola was introduced in 2022 in partnership with IHOP. This makes sense — IHOP is responsible for some of the best chain restaurant pancakes around, after all. Breakfast fans were quick to take notice.
Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola was only available to 2,000 fans through a campaign on Instagram and X, known then as Twitter. The giveaway saw Pepsi and pancake lovers post pictures and videos of pancake stacks on their social media profiles with the required tags. One lucky participant was selected to receive a custom Pepsi Spout, which was allegedly the ideal device to pour this drink. The cola was shipped in a uniquely designed box resembling a stack of pancakes. The can itself even had a distinct look, which mimicked syrup dripping down the sides. But did people actually enjoy the soda? Some did — but some didn't.
Some liked maple Pepsi, but others found it lacking
Soda and pancake lovers who missed out on the very exclusive release of Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola in 2022 had a limited chance in April 2024 to try it out for themselves. Collaborating again, the companies made the beverage available at participating IHOP locations, but only for the month. Customers were even able to order the drink as a float with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
With the new cola flavor made accessible to the masses, many customers took to social media to review it. The results were mixed. The first thing that everyone seemed to notice was the intense smell of maple syrup before drinking it. Upon sipping, most could definitely taste the maple flavor, which brought the caramel notes in the Pepsi to the fore. Some customers enjoyed Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola and said that it paired well with the IHOP food they ordered. Others, however, thought it was too sweet or gimmicky. However, some of those naysayers also believed it was better as a float. All in all, it was a mixed bag — but some will surely hope for its return for years to come.