Coca-Cola and Tic Tac Collaborate on Limited-Edition Mints

I like Tic Tacs, but they send mixed messages. They come in a lot of minty flavors: Freshmints, Wintergreen, Spearmint Mix, Mint Evolution, and Frosty Mint. But sometimes these “mints” pose as candy: Apple Mix, Strawberry Fields, Fruit Adventure, and Orange. As a kid, I loved the Orange Tic Tacs and could easily eat an entire pack in one sitting. Because they’re candy—you wouldn’t do that with mints. Now, Tic Tac is releasing a new flavor with a huge cross-promotional partner, and the mint-versus-candy question is as up in the air as ever.

Tic Tac Coca-Cola is billed as “a unique collaboration between two iconic brands.” It’s certainly a coup for Tic Tac: Though brand collaborations have become the norm, Tic Tac isn’t known for partnerships, but landing the global soft drink king is a big deal. Meanwhile, as Tic Tac maker Ferrero boasts, this new collab “brings Coca-Cola into the Sweet Package Food market.” And not only are the labels emblazoned with a Coca-Cola logo, each tiny white mint also sports the red cola logo, keeping Coke’s branding front and center. The limited-edition product “will be available in the next few months in more than 70 countries all around the world.”

But what should we expect out of Tic Tac Cola-Cola? The brand suggests that this is “the first mint with the refreshment of Coca-Cola.” But, uh, OK? That sentiment sounds a bit archaic. And does it taste minty or does it taste like cola? The answer may already exist: Tic Tac currently offers Tic Tac Mixers Cherry Cola. It’s not bad: It tastes like Cherry Cola—but that places it firmly on the candy side of Tic Tac’s mint-to-candy spectrum.

Assuming this new product is similar to that existing product, it’s safe to guess that Tic Tac Coca-Cola will taste like little cola candies. And frankly, that’s fine. It might even be good. Tic Tac likes to boast about its low calorie count, and so next time you’re craving a Coca-Cola, instead of cracking a 12-ounce can, you can eat a tiny candy. It’s almost futuristic. But let’s not go around pretending Tic Tac Coca-Cola is a refreshing mint. As enjoyable as all those Orange Tic Tacs were, I’m fairly sure they didn’t help my breath.