Pepsi Introduces Cola-Flavored Ketchup Just in Time for Independence Day

As summer kicks in to high gear, Americans are gearing up for a holiday weekend filled with barbecues and fireworks. This year, Pepsi wants to shake up your hot dogs and hamburgers with a unique new condiment called "colachup." And it's exactly what it sounds like: ketchup flavored with the company's signature cola.

"Stop the condiment wars, the undisputed champ is here," the soda brand declared on Twitter this week. "Sweet, salty, and ready to try at select baseball stadiums on July 4." When one user replied saying they'd love to try it, the company implored them to "stay tuned." Could an expansion be on the horizon?

The limited-edition sauce will be available only on July 4 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Yankee Stadium in New York City, Target Field in Minneapolis, and Comerica Park in Detroit. If you're interested, skip the line at the concession stand and instead keep an eye out for branded sampling carts around the stadiums.

While it may seem like a silly stunt, colachup actually had a team of experts behind the scenes to concoct the one-of-a-kind flavor. Jenny Danzi, a senior director at Pepsi, told CNN that it was developed in conjunction with the Culinary Institute of America, a prestigious cooking school. The end result was "a revolutionary new type of condiment enhanced with the rich caramel notes and citrusy pop of Pepsi-Cola."

The recipe also goes beyond simply infusing regular ketchup with Pepsi-Cola flavor. Using a Pepsi reduction, the sauce is made with a variety of flavorful ingredients like smoked tomatoes and onions and enriched with spices including cinnamon, thyme, oregano, and paprika. The final "sweet, citrusy taste" resembling that of a Pepsi soda is meant to complement the spicy flavor notes of a hot dog.

If you're celebrating the holiday at a baseball game in one of the select cities, you might as well give the eyebrow-raising condiment a taste. At the very least, you'll have a great story to tell and bragging rights for trying a once-in-a-lifetime product. That is, unless it hits grocery store shelves in the future.