New York (CNN) — Typically, Pepsi is best with a hot dog … not on a hot dog. But maybe that’s changing.
The beverage brand is making its first-ever condiment — called “Pepsi Colachup” — that is actually infused with Pepsi. The special sauce is being launched in celebration of July 4, when baseball and hot dogs are aplenty, and is enforcing the company’s belief that hot dogs are best paired with its soda.
Pepsi’s Colachup might sound foul (ball) at first, but it actually has culinary credibility. It was developed with the Culinary Institute of America, a prestigious cooking school, to “craft a revolutionary new type of condiment enhanced with the rich caramel notes and citrusy pop of Pepsi-Cola,” according to Jenny Danzi, a senior director at Pepsi.
Beginning with a Pepsi reduction, the sauce is infused with a variety of ingredients such as smoked tomatoes; a blend of spices including cinnamon, thyme, oregano and paprika; plus onions and ketchup. That results in a “sweet, citrusy taste” of a crisp-tasting Pepsi, created to bring out the spicy flavor notes of a hot dog, Danzi told CNN.
The limited-edition sauce is available for one day only on July 4 at four US ballparks: Chase Field in Phoenix, Yankee Stadium in the Bronx in New York City, Target Field in Minneapolis and Comerica Park in Detroit. Taste testers should look for “sampling carts,” the company said.
The sauce is part of Pepsi’s two-year-old “Better with Pepsi” ad campaign, which ultimately hopes to chip away at Coca-Cola’s drink dominance. In addition to cheeky stunts like this, the company has aggressively invested in zero sugar beverages, sports drinks and partnerships, including with Starbucks bottled drinks.
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