Mr. Pibb

Mr. Pibb

Type	Soft drink
Manufacturer	The Coca-Cola Company
Origin	United States
Introduced	June 8, 1972 (as Mr. Pibb) June 27, 2001 (as Pibb Xtra) October 30, 2025 (as Mr. Pibb, second era)
Color	Caramel
Flavor	"Spicy cherry"
Variants	Mr. Pibb Mr. Pibb Zero Sugar
Related products	Dr Pepper Dr. Wells Dr Thunder

Mr. Pibb, formerly Pibb Xtra, is a soft drink created and marketed by The Coca-Cola Company. It is similar to and considered a competitor to Dr Pepper.

As of 2025, Mr. Pibb is sold in bottles, cans, and two-liter bottles, and is available in most Coca-Cola Freestyle machines, and a zero sugar version is available.

History

File:Mr. Pibb.jpg

Mr. Pibb advertisement

The Coca-Cola Company introduced Peppo, marketed as a "pepper-type soda", in early 1972. The beverage, then only contained to the Memphis, Tennessee market, drew ire from The Dr Pepper Company, who sued The Coca-Cola Company for trademark infringement in June of that year. As this litigation continued, Coca-Cola modified the Peppo formula and introduced the new Mr. Pibb to Jackson, Mississippi and Waco, Texas (the birthplace of Dr Pepper before the company moved to Dallas) in the same month. A sugar-free variety of Mr. Pibb would be introduced in late 1973. Peppo would continue to be produced in limited quantities as the case continued through August 1975, when after PepsiCo filed its own suit concerning the drink's name, Coca-Cola would agree to abandon the Peppo name and sell off the remaining stock. In 1980, Mr. Pibb was reformulated and marketed with the words "New Taste" printed prominently on the products.

In 2001, a cinnamon-forward "spicy cherry" flavor replaced the original formula in many parts of the United States, marketed as a bolder version of original Mr. Pibb. Diet Mr. Pibb would be discontinued with this rebrand, and a replacement, Pibb Zero, would only be introduced in 2005. As recently as 2020, Pibb Xtra has been marketed as a "refreshing, spicy cherry alternative to regular cola".

In October 2025, the Mr. Pibb name was restored along with a reformulation that includes more caffeine. The brand relaunch was in response to the loss of distribution rights to Dr Pepper by Reyes Coca-Cola, the bottler and distributor of Coca-Cola Company products in much of the Midwestern and Western United States.

Variations

Standard flavors

Mr. Pibb was reintroduced in 2025, replacing Pibb Xtra. The rebranding also included a reformulation, with additional caffeine.

Mr. Pibb Zero Sugar replaced Pibb Xtra Zero.

Coca-Cola Freestyle flavors

Mr. Pibb is now available in some Freestyle machines at restaurant chains that do not serve Dr Pepper or regions where Dr Pepper is not bottled by a local Coca-Cola distributor, which introduced the brand to new countries exclusively through the machines. In 2011, Pibb Xtra expanded to two new flavors: Pibb Xtra Cherry and Pibb Xtra Cherry-Vanilla. Released for Coca-Cola Freestyle machines, both new flavors were also released for Pibb Zero. Pibb Xtra Strawberry was released in 2018, along with Dr Pepper and Coca-Cola Strawberry.

Ingredients

Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, phosphoric acid, potassium sorbate and potassium benzoate, artificial and natural flavors, caffeine, monosodium phosphate, lactic acid, polyethylene glycol.

Mr. Pibb

Nutritional value per 12 fl oz (355 ml)
Energy	140 kcal (590 kJ)
Carbohydrates	38
Sugars	40
Dietary fiber	0
Fat	0
Saturated	0
Trans	0
Protein	0
Vitamins and minerals Vitamins Quantity %DV† Vitamin A equiv. 0% 0 μg Vitamin C 0% 0 mg Minerals Quantity %DV† Calcium 0% 0 mg Iron 0% 0 mg Potassium 0% 0 mg Sodium 2% 40 mg
Other constituents	Quantity
Cholesterol	0
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.

External links

• Official website
• Pibb Xtra at the Wayback Machine (archived April 27, 2002)
• Mr. Pibb at the Wayback Machine (archived November 11, 1998)