The Sodas We All Miss
Some sodas disappear so quietly that you don't realize how much you liked them until years later. Maybe you remember finding one at a convenience store, ordering it at a restaurant, or seeing it in the refrigerator during family gatherings. Plenty of discontinued sodas had unusual flavors, colorful branding, or simply a taste that today's lineup doesn't quite reproduce.
1. Surge
Surge was Coca-Cola's answer to the wave of citrus-flavored soft drinks that became especially popular in the 1990s. Its bright green appearance and intense citrus flavor made it impossible to mistake for an ordinary cola. The drink eventually disappeared from shelves, although devoted fans spent years asking for its return.
2. Pepsi Blue
Grab everyone’s attention before they take their first sip. Pepsi Blue was a berry-flavored Pepsi that gained a cult following during its unusually short lifespan in the early 2000s. Plus, it would add some much-needed flair to modern soda aisles.
3. Orbitz
Orbitz was one of the strangest drinks ever to appear in a supermarket refrigerator. The noncarbonated beverage contained tiny floating gelatin balls that gave every bottle a wonderfully bizarre appearance. It came in several fruit flavors and became memorable precisely because it looked nothing like a conventional soda.
4. Crystal Pepsi
Crystal Pepsi was like regular Pepsi, minus the coloring. This brave attempt at futuristic soda became one of the defining polar brews of the 1990s. Pepsi would bring it back every now and then for promotions, but fans dreamed of the day it would return to stores permanently.
5. Pepsi Twist
Pepsi Twist added lemon flavor to regular Pepsi, creating a citrusy version that was easy to distinguish from the standard cola. The combination worked particularly well when served cold, and the drink developed a following during its time on shelves. Its disappearance left a noticeable gap for people who preferred a little brightness in their cola.
6. Josta
Josta was an early energy-style soda from PepsiCo that stood out for its unusual flavor and higher caffeine content. It had a distinctive fruity taste that didn't fit neatly into the usual cola or citrus categories. Although it never became a mainstream giant, its fans still remember it fondly.
7. Vault
Citrus-flavored soda with a serious caffeine buzz? Sign us up. Vault was another early run energy-style soda from Pepsi that found an audience despite being far from vanilla. It disappeared from store shelves decades ago, but its fans haven’t forgotten.
8. Coke Blāk
Coke Blāk took Coca-Cola in a surprisingly sophisticated direction by combining cola with coffee flavor. The result was intended to appeal to people who enjoyed both beverages but wanted something different from ordinary soda. It disappeared after a relatively short period, although Coca-Cola has continued experimenting with coffee-infused products.
9. Pepsi Next
Pepsi Next was designed as a middle ground between regular Pepsi and lower-calorie alternatives. It aimed to reduce calories while maintaining a fuller cola flavor than traditional diet products. Although the concept didn't last, the idea of a more balanced-tasting reduced-calorie soda still has plenty of appeal.
10. Sprite Remix
Sprite fans can’t forget about Remix. This citrus-flavored cousin of Sprite was one of the few iterations of the lemon-lime soda that tasted remarkably different. Remix was so tropical and sweet that people still hold out hope for its return every time they catch sight of a limited release.
11. Tab
Tab was one of Coca-Cola's earliest major diet sodas and remained on shelves for decades. Its distinctive pink cans and unusual flavor gave it a loyal following that extended far beyond its original era. When Coca-Cola finally discontinued Tab, longtime drinkers lost a product that had been part of their routines for years.
12. Pepsi Holiday Spice
Pepsi Holiday Spice was a seasonal experiment that added warm spice flavors to the company's classic cola. The result was unusual enough that people either loved it or remembered it simply because they couldn't believe Pepsi had made it. Seasonal beverages are perfect for revivals because they don't need to stay around all year.
13. Citra
Citrus-flavored Cola was the name of Citra’s game, and it excelled at it. Citra existed in the clear soda space that allowed people to enjoy something similar to Sprite without ordering a lemon-lime soda. Citra was weird enough to stand out from its contemporaries, and its return would do the same today.
montatip lilitsanong on Unsplash
14. Mello Yello Melon
Mello Yello Melon took the familiar citrus soda in a fruitier direction with a melon-inspired flavor. Its limited availability made it particularly memorable among people who happened to catch it during its brief appearance. Specialty flavors can create strong nostalgia precisely because you can't find them whenever you want.
15. Dr Pepper Red Fusion
As if Dr Pepper needed another way to destroy our willpower, they introduced Dr Pepper Red Fusion. This fruit-flavored colossus came in a shocking red color that was sure to catch anyone’s eye. Dr Pepper hasn’t announced any plans to bring back Red Fusion, but a limited run would at least let people decide if it’s as good as they remember.
16. Sunkist Fruit Snacks Soda
Sunkist has experimented with plenty of unusual flavors and promotional beverages over the years, but some of its more limited fruit-forward varieties have become especially nostalgic. These releases captured the sweet, candy-like side of fruit soda rather than sticking closely to traditional orange. That kind of playful flavor would fit surprisingly well into today's interest in unusual soft drinks.
17. Pibb Xtra Cherry
Pibb Xtra itself remains available, but its earlier cherry-focused identity is remembered differently by some longtime fans. The richer cherry profile gave the drink a distinctive personality and made it particularly appealing to people who wanted something sweeter than ordinary cola. A stronger cherry-forward version could easily find an audience today.
18. Coca-Cola C2
Before C2 came and went, it was Coca-Cola’s answer to drinkers who loved soda but not the calories. Something about C2 just didn’t feel right. With all of the new spins on classic sodas, however, C2 could find a home in 2020.
19. OK Soda
OK Soda was one of Coca-Cola's most unusual marketing experiments, deliberately targeting younger consumers with irreverent advertising and a deliberately unconventional personality. The drink itself was a citrusy cola, but its identity was arguably even more memorable than its flavor. It developed a small cult following despite its short lifespan.
20. Clearly Canadian
Clearly Canadian wasn't technically a traditional soda, but its sparkling fruit drinks became an iconic part of the beverage landscape for many people. Flavors such as Wild Cherry and Mountain Blackberry were known for their clear appearance, fruit-forward taste, and distinctive glass bottles. The brand has returned at various points, showing that the nostalgia surrounding it never completely disappeared.
KEEP ON READING
The Most Popular Signature Dishes Around the World
