After weeks of waiting for the whimsical-sounding Coca-Cola Strawberry to hit the shelves of 7-Eleven Singapore, 8days.sg finally got our hands on the “world’s first” strawberry cola, from Japan.

It comes in a cute pastel pink and red 500ml bottle, with pictures of fizzy strawberries printed all over it. However, it’s slightly more expensive in Singapore at $2.50, compared to Japan’s 40 yen (S$1.74). A quick look at the ingredients list reveals that the sparkling flavoured drink uses “natural strawberry flavour” but “does not contain strawberry juice”. This might explain the perfume of slightly artificial strawberries when we pop open a bottle. Inside, the drink looks like your typical brown coke.

On first sip, it tastes similar to Cherry Coke, but with an added tartness from the strong berry flavouring. In fact, it’s reminiscent of strawberry candy, and became cloyingly sweet after a few more gulps.

This tastes sweeter than regular Coke, and somehow, its slight tanginess from the berry clashes with the caramelly cola. Stick to the yummier cherry coke if you must have a fruity drink.