Discontinued Soda Flavors That Should Be Brought Back

By Juliet Smith 1 year ago

The gloriously gothic Coca-Cola Blak

Image Source/ Reddit
Coca-Cola Blak was the first attempt by the Coke business to combine coffee with Coke, but not surprisingly it wasn't as successful as other Coke flavors. It originated in France, with an initial release in 2006, and was pulled from shelves in 2008. In 2021, Coca-Cola tried a similar product called Coca-Cola With Coffee.

The classic 80s "New" Coke

Image Source/ BuzzFeed
In 1985, Coke unveiled its reformed recipe under the brand name New Coke. It was rebranded as Coke II in 1990 before being phased out entirely the following year (not fair). Some might only recognize from that scene with Eleven in Stranger Things now!

Remember the prestigious 7-Up Gold?

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Another popular 80s unforgotten soda was 7-Up Gold. Its special caffeine kick came from its blend of apple cinnamon and ginger ale. Apparently, some customers were unimpressed with the new 7-Up because they were used to the original clear, non-caffeinated variety. Bores!

It's like Pepsi... but Blue

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In 2002, Pepsi introduced Pepsi Blue, a fluorescent blue soda with a berry flavor that proved a huge hit with customers until it was discontinued after just one year. Twenty-one years later, in 2021, to mark Independence Day and Memorial Day, Pepsi Blue was thankfully re-released.

OK Soda was OK I guess

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OK Soda was founded in 1993, and from the start, the company took some great steps in terms of both product design and marketing. It tastes a little like Coke but with a fruit punch taste, and was marketed towards Generation X buyers. Although, it died a terrible death in 1995.

Orbitz was the 90s answer to Boba Tea

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In 1997, Orbitz was released in Canada and the world hasn't been the same since. It had a delicious fruity flavor and edible gellan gum beads that floated. Drinkers said the bottle shape and floating edible pearls made the beverage look like a lava lamp.

The short stint of Coca-Cola Lime

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Coca-Cola Lime was only available for two years, from 2005 to 2006, before being unfairly yanked from shelves. The classic Coke taste was given a tangy twist with the addition of lime. Together with its lower-calorie counterpart, Diet Coke with Lime, it was eventually made available as a taste on Coca-Cola freestyle machines in 2009.

Crystal clear Crystal Pepsi

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In the years between 1992 and 1994, Crystal Pepsi was all the rage around the world. It was a clear, caffeine-free alternative to the original Pepsi and in 2017, there was a Crystal Pepsi Throwback Tour to honor the 30th anniversary of the beverage.

Short and simple... TaB

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TaB was first introduced in 1963 as Coca-Cola's first diet soda variety and its distinctive pink can helped launch the craze for low-calorie carbonated drinks. The soda was eventually taken off the market in 2020, but not before devoted fans formed the SaveTabSoda Committee to try to bring it back. Too damn right!

Remember when Coca-Cola released Vault?

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Coca-Cola's Vault came out in 2005 and had a delicious citrus flavor, similar to the Surge beverage, which was phased out just two years before. Coke promoted it heavily and internet petitions have appeared demanding that grocery and convenience shop shelves restock Vault.

Pepsi but with a Twist

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Pepsi Twist was around for a longer period of time than others, managing to stay put on the shelves from 2000 all the way to 2006. It was another citrus-based drink, similar to Coca-Cola Lime but with a lemon twist. In 2008, it returned for a short time under a new name—Pepsi NFL Kickoff.

Olden but golden... Aspen Soda

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In 1978, Pepsi introduced Aspen Soda, however by 1982, the soda was disappointingly no longer available in stores. Apparently, the soda tasted like 7-Up with an apple aftertaste. Apple soda was revived by Pepsi two years later with the introduction of their Slice soda.

dnL really turned soda on its head... literally

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The best name for a sofa definitely goes to dnL. It was a version of the 7-Up concoction from way back in 2002. But they shot themselves in the foot due to bad advertising! Unfortunately the company were too dedicated to their Plus range so discontinued it three years later.

Hubba Bubba Soda was the stuff of dreams

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If you were a fan of the Wrigley Hubba Bubba gum from the 1980s, you may have given the Hubba Bubba beverage a try when it came out in 1988. It was a fizzy drink flavored with the first-ever Hubba Bubba bubblegum taste. What a treat! Although, it didn't even make it to shelves for a full five years before production was halted.

Jolt Cola left a wicked sting

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In 1985, Jolt Cola became the first carbonated energy drink to be sold in the United States. Everyone from sleepy college kids to stressed-out CEOs and late-night hobbyists preferred this sour take on the classic Coke. The caffeine just made it taste worse, unfortunately.

Not to mention Lifesavers own soda too!

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More than a century ago, a spherical hard candy known as a "Lifesaver" was created and was tastefully turned into a popular soda in the 1980s but was forcefully phased out due to poor sales. Apparently it was "too" sugary for some people which is upsetting.

Mountain Dew but make it Pitch Black

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Although most cans of Mountain Dew are a bright green, the 2004 Halloween edition, Mountain Dew Pitch Black, introduced a new dark side to the tasty beverage. It was a fizzy, purple drink with hints of black grape and lemon. It was brought back for a limited period in 2023 alongside the Zero Sugar variant.

Pepsi's infamous still energy drink Josta

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In 1995, Pepsi introduced the world's first still energy drink to the US market with Josta. To give customers that extra boost of energy they craved, they incorporated both coffee and guarana. Due to concerns that its chemicals were overstimulating, production was ultimately halted in 1999.

Pepsi Holiday Spice was the best Christmas drink

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In 2004, during the holiday season, Pepsi introduced a Christmas-themed soda with hints of cinnamon and ginger called Pepsi Holiday Spice. It lasted through the 2005 holiday season and then returned the following year for the 2006 season. A petition with 285 signatures was sent to Pepsi in 2014 requesting the return of the original flavor.

Surge was short but sweet

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From 1997 until 2003, Surge soda was the King of the shelves. Relaunches occurred in 2014 on Amazon, in 2016 at some stores in the East Coast, and in 2018 at the Coca-Cola freestyle machines in McDonald's and Burger King. Apparently it's making another return this year too!

The good old Sprite Remix

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While regular Sprite is a refreshing rush of lemon and lime, the tropical peach version was called Sprite Remix and was definitely something else. After its initial release in 2002, production was halted three short years later when profits fell short.

Bacon Soda was much better than it sounds

Image Source/ Reddit
You won't believe it, but there was a time when bacon soda was a thing. It can't have been a widely popular drink as it was stolen from the shelves by the makers, but we see where they were going with concept and want them to bring it back for us please!

Thanksgiving Dinner Soda was the gift that kept on giving

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This Jones Soda Thanksgiving drink might have been exactly up your alley if you ever wished you could have Thanksgiving dinner, complete with turkey and side dishes, in one bottle. I mean, what's better than washing your dinner down with a drink that tastes of your dinner?

Black Cherry Vanilla Coke was like crack

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The Black Cherry Vanilla Coke flavor was only available from 2006 to 2007, and Coca-Cola's website currently returns a 404 error when you try to access its official page, an indication that it wont be brought back in the near future. Nonetheless many people like us continue to hunt for it.

It didn't get better than Snapple Elements

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In the 1990s, Snapple Elements introduced dragonfruit as one of its spectacular flavors. Devoted followers continued to be so enthusiastic about the flavor that they occasionally start internet petitions to get it back on the shelves. It doesn't look like it'll becoming back anytime soon sadly.

Dr. Pepper's own Berries and Cream was to die for

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The combination of Dr. Pepper's signature flavor with raspberries and cream resulted in the creation of Dr. Pepper Berries & Cream (naturally), which, in the opinion of some die-hard fans, was an overlooked triumph. However, production of this particular flavor ceased in 2007.

Diet Pepsi but Wild Cherry flavor

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When it was first introduced in 2006, Pepsi Jazz was offered in three distinct flavor combinations: caramel cream, black cherry and french vanilla, and strawberries and cream. When Pepsi stopped producing their zero-calorie cola in 2008, it was a disappointing development for the company's loyal customers.

The very limited edition Gatorade Lemon Ice

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Fans were aware that they needed to move quickly if they wanted to get their hands on the Gatorade Lemon Ice because it took to the shelves fleetingly! Following its disappearance in 2015, fans continued to look for it only to be told by Gatorade that it had been discontinued.

Dr. Pepper Red Fusion was as cool as it sounds

Image Source/ Reddit
Cherry was added to Dr. Pepper with the introduction of Dr. Pepper Red Fusion in 2002 and fans couldn't get enough. Yet, by 2004, it was no longer on the market. The news was devastating, with many taking to social media to start petitions begging for the drink's return.

The rise and downfall of Hi-C Ecto Cooler

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The Hi-C Ecto Cooler was reintroduced to the market in connection with the release of Ghostbusters II, and it later made a comeback for the Ghostbusters reboot that was released in 2016. But we've been disappointed since it doesn't look like it'll be coming back for good.

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