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Pepsi Perfect from 'Back to the Future' gets real this month

Taste the flavor of 2015 with a limited release of Pepsi Perfect, a soft drink made famous as the beverage of the future in "Back to Future: Part II."

Amanda Kooser
Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET. When not wallowing in weird gear and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto.
Amanda Kooser
2 min read

Pepsi Perfect
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Pepsi Perfect
The future is (almost) now. Pepsi

Marty McFly's technicolor hat? Check. Working hoverboard? Sort of. Self-lacing Nike Mag shoes? Not quite.

The future world of 2015 envisioned in 1989's "Back to the Future: Part II" hasn't quite come true like we hoped it would. But at least we'll all be able to enjoy a cold, sugary, futuristic soda. Pepsi Perfect, a beverage featured in the film, is going from fiction to reality.

So you don't have to fast-forward through the whole film looking for the reference, here's the quick rundown:

Marty enters an '80s-themed diner in the future, where he's faced with a pair of talking heads on a video screen relaying a complicated menu. He waves his hands in frustration and says, "All I want is a Pepsi." What he gets is a bottle of Pepsi Perfect. We know it's the Pepsi of the future because it comes in a bottle shaped more like a weizen beer glass, but with a blue top.

Pepsi Perfect goes on sale on October 21, made famous as the day Marty McFly arrives in 2015 in the movie. Limited quantities of 6,500 bottles in collectible cases will be sold online, meaning you can't just pop into your local '80s cafe and order one.

Getting a bottle of your own could be a complicated endeavor. Certain fans will get the chance at an early release. Pepsi will set up shop at New York Comic Con (October 8-11) and give a Pepsi Perfect bottle to the first 200 fans dressed as Marty McFly who come to the booth each day. Costume requirements include a puffy vest or future-jacket, blue jeans, high-top sneakers, a watch and an optional hoverboard.

The rest of us will get a shot at buying a 16.9-ounce bottle of Pepsi Perfect for $20.15 (about £13, AU$28). According to promo images of the bottles, the beverage will pack 210 calories, though most fans probably won't even touch the drink inside, instead keeping it as a rare collectible.

You may be wondering what Pepsi Perfect tastes like. It certainly looks like regular Pepsi, with a dark carmel color. A hint can be found in a catchy theme song from a Pepsi Perfect promo video: "The taste of a 2K generation. Carrying on a long tradition. Pepsi Perfect, the future is now. You better drink fast or you might miss it. Same great taste, can't resist it. Pepsi Perfect, the future is now."