Following the release of Coca-Cola’s new “out of this world” flavor, Coke Starlight, the world has been pleasantly surprised with both its taste and creativity; however, what does it taste like? 

Available for a limited time starting on Feb. 21, 2022, offering both regular and zero sugar versions, the project, Coca-Cola Creations, is now offering the public the unique flavor of space, whatever that may be. 

In terms of ingredients, the label doesn’t offer much to go off of. It simply lists the typical ingredients you would find in a regular can or bottle of Coke, with exception of a few outliers. Aside from the listed ingredients, it would seem that Coca-Cola has left the flavor intentionally vague, as there is not much in terms of flavor description. 

After trying the flavor, both regular and zero sugar, myself, I have made a few mental notes on the taste, color, and overall “accuracy” of the product, meaning how much does it actually taste like space. 

First off, the color is quite unique for a Coca-Cola beverage. It’s a very visually appealing red color, almost like that of cherry coke but with a much stronger red tint. When taking into account both the starry label of the bottle and the reddish tint of the drink, it really is as though you’re staring into space. 

In terms of taste, there is definitely a lot going on. It tastes sweet like candy with hints of fruit flavor, almost like that of raspberries. While some have compared the taste to cotton candy or marshmallows, I would have to disagree. For those looking for something sweet, this is definitely the drink to have; however, I would steer away from the zero sugar version if that is what you are looking for, as it doesn’t have that “spacey” flavor it is supposed to be known for and just tastes like regular Coke. 

Finally, how accurate is it? After doing some research on what stars taste like, surprisingly, Coca-Cola wasn’t far off. “In 2009, astronomers were able to identify a chemical called ethyl formate in a big dust cloud at the center of the Milky Way” (Rubin). Interestingly enough, this is the same chemical that gives raspberries their flavor, and it smells like rum. 

Overall, while a little too sweet for my taste, I do think that Coca-Cola was able to sufficiently and creatively offer the taste of space. For those looking forward to another sweet edition to Coca-Cola’s Creation Portal, mark your calendars for May 2, 2022 for the release of Coca-Cola Byte, which will supposedly taste like pixels.