The Coca-Cola Company Finds a Way to Take Even More of My Money

I'm embarrassed to admit that I have a little bit of a coke problem. Diet Coke, that is.

That this is my worst vice tells you exactly how dangerous a life I lead.

Generally, the first thing I ingest each morning is a can of Coke Zero. Diet Coke with Lime when I feel like going wild. (Yes, this is healthy living at its best.)

My stash -- hey, Wegmans had a really good sale...!

So forgive me if I got a little excited when I saw the four-packs of new Coca-Cola Blak stacked in the center of the supermarket aisle the other day. (There's a little squiggly line over the "a" in Blak, but honestly I don't know how to reproduce that character with my keyboard.)

A "Carbonated Fusion Beverage"! I didn't have a clue as to what that meant, but it got my heart racing...

...and there was a coupon attached. Well, the combination of coke and coupon was too much for this gal to resist. (I told you that I live a dangerous life.)

A perusal of the label told me that the fusion was Coke fused with coffee fused with lots of high fructose corn syrup with a dash of aspartame (Nutrasweet). 45 empty calories, but I can deal with that.

The next morning, I can hardly wait to unscrew the plastic cap from the Blak. As the bottle slides into my hand, I am pleasantly surprised to find that this is an ACTUAL GLASS BOTTLE. A little measly 8-ounce bottle shrink-wrapped in plastic, but it's glass. Holy retro childhood memories Batman! (Yeah, I'm old enough to remember when Coke routinely came in glass bottles.)

I brace myself -- figuring this is a beverage meant to provide a serious caffeine jolt, but maybe not the best of tastes -- and take a sip.

And well...it is GOOD. Kind of like a carbonated Black Russian, but that Coke flavor adds a spicy zip.

I can't vouch for exactly how much caffeine is in the Blak's eight ounces, but I did feel motivated enough to drag the Hoover SteamVac in from the garage and clean a room-sized rug. And that should tell you something.

All this excitement is pricey -- I think the four-pack cost about four bucks. And for that price I can drink an entire 12-pack of Coke Zero and get an even better caffeine buzz (and probably end up scrubbing the grout in my shower with a toothbrush.)

But I can see Blak as an alluring alternative to the occasional malt beverage when we're on vacation down the shore, or at a family picnic -- and who knows, the caffeine might even motivate me to have a conversation with my relatives.