Pepsi Now Making Pepperoni-Flavored Soda
Pepperoni meets Pepsi in a brand new beverage from the soda distributor. Yes, this is actually happening and we have all the details.
This article is more than 2 years old
Pepsi is known for owning some of the most iconic soda brands in the beverage world. But now, the company is doing something unexpected to turn heads and generate interest. The cola brand recently released a product with their own pepperoni Pepsi to add to the company’s extending line of novelty items.
Aptly named the Pepsi-Roni, this actual pizza was topped with Pepsi-flavored pepperoni and distributed at a pizza shop in New York City. The pepperoni Pepsi product was released for one day last Friday, May 20th. The reasoning for this limited-edition product had to do with a survey filled out by pizza enjoyers months in advance. The survey asked people who enjoyed the beverage alongside a pizza if they believed it made the eating experience more enjoyable. 90% of those survey-takers said that Pepsi made eating pizza better, which spawned the idea for the beverage company’s out-of-the-box venture.
The pepperoni Pepsi idea was created by partnering with the Culinary Institue of America’s consulting wing. The beverage company wanted to make sure that the cola-flavored pepperoni had a distinguished, mild flavor for eaters to enjoy. A press release stated that the pepperoni was infused with the “rich caramel notes and brown spices” of the memorable cola drink. With that description, meat and Pepsi combined sound a little more appetizing.
The way the pepperoni Pepsi product is made is not dissimilar to how the standard Italian meat is produced. Instead of using water for the pepperoni composition, the manufacturers replaced it with Pepsi Zero Sugar reduction. This procedure encapsulated the signature Pepsi taste into the pizza topping without overpowering the intrinsic flavor.
David Kamen, director of the client experience for the Culinary Institute of America Consulting, elaborated on the natural pairing of pepperoni and Pepsi. Frequently, chefs will combine two ingredients that bring different tastes and textures like salty, crunchy, sweet, sour, etc. Kamen added that Pepsi’s citrus and sweet notes are a perfect pairing to the saltiness of the pepperoni. So while most people wouldn’t think the two ingredients should be combined, they actually complement each other considerably well.
Last Friday was the only time Pepsi lovers could try the new Pepsi-Roni dish. Not only was it available for one day, but it was one single location: the West Village location of Made in New York Pizza. Anyone who could make it to Manhattan before supplies ran out was able to taste test this bizarre pepperoni Pepsi treat.
For those who missed out on the pepperoni Pepsi product, the beverage company could release it more permanently in the future. Pepsi has already released a slew of other novelty products, so adding this pizza item to their roster more regularly wouldn’t be completely unheard of.
Many companies these days are attempting to partner with other brands to release some exciting, unorthodox products that the public had never imagined before. The pepperoni Pepsi dish is one of those concepts that generated a lot of attention online, with folks traveling far and wide to taste test the peculiar pizza. Stay on the lookout for more pizza and cola combinations since a significant portion of Pepsi’s consumer base loves that flavor union.
