Pepsi 1893

Info

Pepsi 1893 was originally launched in March of 2016, with two flavors. Original Cola, and Ginger Cola.

These are the two flavors I was familiar with, but the line up was joined by two additional flavors that had a soft launch sometime in Feburary of the following year. Citrus Cola and Black Currant Cola.

Unfortunately, all four flavors were discontinuned sometime in late 2017. At the time I first tried these flavors I was largely a Coke person, so these two craft sodas (Original and Ginger Cola) were my first dip into trying something outside of my brand preferences! This release was also around the time Mountain Dew Black Label came out, so it seems as 2016 PepsiCo was dipping into the craft soda game to try and get a feel for the market, at least in my opinion :P Described by PepsiCo here Orignal can be described as a "a blend of premium kola nut extract, real sugar and sparkling water." The back of the can describes it as "Boldy blended colda made with Kola nut extract, Dark brown malt flavor, A touch of aromatic bitters, Sparkling Water & Real Sugar". The back of Ginger sates largely the same, swapping the bitters and malt flavoring with "Real Ginger".

The line was only available in a 12oz (355ml) can size, with it being either individually or in packs of 4 or 12.

Review/Retrospective

Overall I remember the cans having a really premium feel to them. The choice to make the cans taller than your standard 12floz can really opens up the label to a great use of vertical movement. There's no huge, overstated logo or branding going on. It's got the line name right on the top, and a little bit under that the classic "PepsiCola" logo. The bottoms of the front of the can are left empty, and I really enjoy how the use of the negative space kind of "understates" the drink in a way.

You pick up one of these slender, beautifully colored cans and get everything you need to know. It's a new spin on that classic Pespi formula. That empty space under the flavor description leaves the impression that it feels like it doesn't need to oversell itself. It's simple, refined, classy. All tied together with a nice matte finish. It feels nice in the hand, and that last touch of a slightly different texture to your average canned drink leaves an impression in the back of your mind.

Original was a crisp, lighter tasting cola compared to it's modern counterparts. I remember it being a lot smoother than expected, which was a nice surprise. It had these little pockets of a fresh, somewhat herbal taste in my opinion. Overall I'd describe it as a really refreshing spin on Pepsi, with a surprising amount of depth in the aftertaste. I liked it for what it was, and was a good enough introduction to both Pespi as a brand and the concept of a craft soda for me personally! It was the sort of drink that you could share with someone who, like myself at the time, didn't have the words there to describe how it was different, but still walk away with an enjoyable, new expereince.

Ginger, on the otherhand...

Ginger was the real star of the show, for me at least. I had tried my fair share of ginger ales and colas, so like most I assumed I knew what I'd be in for. I did not! I remember trying it for the first time, and it genuinely surprised me at how complex the flavors in a drink, particularly a soda, could be! Looking back, it probably wasn't as fantastic as I remember it, but it being a real jolt to my palate at the time is probably why I'm still so fond of it to this day. It started off largely the same as Original. A nice, bright variation on your regular cola. Then comes the feeling it created in the mouth. Texturally, I'd desrcibe Pepsi's 1893 Ginger Cola as the only soda I could call "silky". The way the ginger and kola extract interacted with eachother also brought about this subtle, vanilla like taste. Then finally, you're met with that characteristic slight burn that consuming ginger can give you. It's really mild here, never really going from a "slight tingle" to that full on "burn" that a lot of ginger ale seems to go for. It's one of those few drinks that still has its' place in my mind fairly often. For me it was a bit more than a fun flavor, but a gateway into trying all manner of drinks!