A new strawberry-flavored variant of Royal Tru is generating buzz among Filipinos—not just for its taste, but for its eye-catching color.
The fruit-flavored soda brand launched Royal Tru Strawberry in June, featuring a red-colored carbonated drink that clearly distinguishes it from the iconic orange variant.
Some Filipinos jokingly likened its appearance to a car fluid, such as gasoline or coolant, especially since Pinoys are known for repurposing plastic bottles and containers, much like ice cream cans for meat or fish and tin cans for sewing items.
In some cases, large soda bottles are repurposed as containers for other liquids, mostly non-consumable kinds.
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“Luh, parang gasolina nga! Royal Strawberry pala. Premium Gas [cross emoji], Royal Premium [check emoji],” a Facebook page said, sharing pictures of the new soda flavor.
“Nakakatakot inumin [‘yung] bagong flavor ng Royal, baka bigla kang umandar,” another Facebook page joked.
“Parang kakulay ng mga binebentang gasolina sa probinsya,” a Filipino in Reddit commented.
“Atin-atin Lang:” May bago flavor pala si Royal softdrinks Tru Strawberry
byu/GoodHalf8993 inAtinAtinLang
Others also shared their verdict on what the new soda flavor tastes like.
Some claimed it tasted like “medicine,” while others commented that it had a “bubble gum-like” taste.
Others believe it has a similar flavor to a strawberry-flavored energy drink.
“I’m drinking it right now at isang sip pa lang, Sting agad pumasok sa isip ko. Basically, fizzy Sting siya. Pero I think Sting is better, lol,” a Filipino on Reddit wrote.
On June 11, Royal hinted at releasing a new flavor.
“Strawberry moon daw ngayong June 11? Pero teka… baka hindi lang ‘yan basta moon, baka sign na ‘yan to treat yourself to something berry mwah-sarap! Abangan…” it said before.
It eventually confirmed the new strawberry flavor.
“Ang ROYAL na gustong gusto mo, pero with a berry mwah-sarap upgrade. Royal Tru Strawberry — fruity, fizzy, and berry tasty!” it said in a Facebook post.
Apart from orange, Royal also carries flavors of lemon and grape.
The brand is owned by The Coca-Cola Company, which produces the famous Coke, a dark-colored sweet soda with hints of caramel flavor.