Coca Cola is going to introduce a 120-flavor choice dispenser … that’s right, not 8 or even 16 flavors but 120!

“The device uses higher-concentrate ingredients to serve up to 120 beverages in the same amount of space as the current eight-valve machine. Consumers will be able to choose from a wide variety of brands — still, sparkling, calorie and no-calorie.

During a presentation at the Consumer Analyst Group New York conference in Boca Raton, Fla., on Friday, Coca-Cola President and CEO Muhtar Kent will spotlight a prototype of the new proprietary fountain system being piloted this spring. The new dispensers will be tested in 2009 before a wider introduction as early as next year.”

FROM THE K.C. PITCH

“Currently, fountains work through syrup bags. The restaurant buys a bag (actually, a bag in a rectangular box) from Coke or Pepsi, hooks it up to a soda line and then the fountain combines the carbonated water with the syrup to create your soda. The machines are limited by soda lines, which tend to gunk up with sugar mold, and by bulky soda bags that weigh 30 pounds or more.

The new Coke machine is completely different. The new fountain is like an ink printer with space for hundreds of cartridges. Each cartridge contains a concentrated formula of ingredients. When you press your choice, say Diet Coke, the machine will tell cartridge 12 to release three squirts, cartridge 81 two squirts and so on, then it combines it with carbonated water and viola! The same drink as old machines.

The new fountains can hold a lot more of these little cartridges, so they can handle a lot more flavors. Coca-Cola promises 120 different drinks, but there could be even more as the technology gets better and the company gets more confident. Hypothetically, the machine should be able to act as a bartender too, allowing customers to get a Shirley Temple or Roy Rogers in addition to regular drinks. All it would take is a cherry syrup cartridge.”

It even looks cool. I wonder if I can get one installed in my house? They are testing it in SoCal & Atlanta right now.

And if you thought – do they even have 128 flavors … try 2,800 …

“With more than 2,800 beverage products, from diet and regular sparkling beverages to still beverages such as 100 percent fruit juices and fruit drinks, waters, sports and energy drinks, teas and coffees, and milk-and soy-based beverages, our variety spans the globe.”

The only two grayed out letters are X and Z …