Diet drink Cola placed an announcement in an Atlanta newspaper in 1958 announcing a diet product, Diet Rite. In 1962, Dr Pepper released a diet(etic) version of its soft drink, although it sold slowly due to the misconception that it was meant solely for diabetic consumption. In 1963, The Coca-Cola Company joined the diet soft drink market with Tab, which proved to be a huge success. Tab was originally sweetened with cyclamates and saccharin. Tab, Diet Rite, and Fresca (a grapefruit-flavored drink introduced by Coca-Cola) were the only brand-name diet refreshments on the market until Pepsi released Patio Diet Cola in 1963
Tab (drink) million cases of Tab that year (in contrast to the 885 million of Diet Coke). John Sicher, editor of "Beverage Digest", commented in 2013: The product is also available in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Southern African Customs Union, Norway (Under the name Tab X-Tra), and Spain. Tab was available in Australia in the 1960s to 1980s. It was also sold in the United Kingdom from the late 1970s to mid 1990s. Tab (drink) Tab (stylized as TaB) is a diet cola soft drink produced by The Coca-Cola Company, introduced in 1963. Coca-Cola's first diet drink, Tab was notably popular