Sodas You Probably Didn't Know Existed

The soda market is awash with crazy mixologists, fierce competition, and constantly emerging new flavors. It's truly a sink-or-swim environment. And while some carbonated drinks thrive, taking up permanent residence on grocery store shelves, others succumb to pressure—that is, external pressure, not the kind that comes from inside a can of soda.

After brief moments of fame or notoriety—or even longer careers as a beloved beverage—these recipes either failed or simply faded away, joining the ever-expanding graveyard of past soft drink experiments.

This article will summarize for you the types of soda that were once famous but have been discontinued and will probably never appear again .

Coca-Cola Spiced

Maybe spicy Coke isn't what people want. You'd think the company would have learned from the release of Coca-Cola Cinnamon, but it didn't quite work out. Instead, the company went ahead with the launch of Coca-Cola Spiced in February 2024. Poured into a swirly red and pink can, the refreshing flavor is supposed to combine raspberry and spice flavors with traditional Coke. But after being on the market for just a few months, a brand spokesperson told Eat This, Not That! that " we're planning to phase out Coca-Cola Spiced to introduce an exciting new flavor in 2025. " In the same soda pop "dismissal" round, Cherry Vanilla Coke and Diet Coke with Splenda were also eliminated.

Pepsi Nitro

When it bubbles up in 2022, after three years of development, Pepsi Nitro is a revelation in soda. It's being hailed as the first nitrogen-infused cola, meaning it's made with nitrogen gas instead of carbon dioxide, creating smaller bubbles and a smoother texture than the original Pepsi. Guinness stout and some cold brew coffees are made using a similar technique. Like those two drinks, Pepsi Nitro is likely to taste a little off, as the company has decided to discontinue it starting in 2025. Both the regular and vanilla versions will soon be just a faint memory, like Pepsi Blue or the controversial Pepsi AM, which are spiked with caffeine to help you wake up quickly in the morning.

Sierra Mist

You're probably familiar with the story of how the sun set on Sierra Mist in January 2023, allowing Starry to rise. After Sierra Mist failed to make headway in the lemon-lime soda category, PepsiCo decided to make drastic changes, pulling it from store shelves and introducing a brand-new formula with a fantastic name. Now, Starry replaces it, competing with Coca-Cola's Sprite and can be found in the hands of major endorsers like NBA stars Giannis Antetokounmpo, Zion Williamson, and rapper Ice Spice. But Sierra Mist will live on in the memory, alongside a group of beloved flavor variations that include Cranberry Splash, Undercover Orange, and Ruby Splash.

OK Soda

Lesson for soda marketers: a mediocre name can be unpopular. OK Soda was actually created by Coca-Cola in 1993 in an effort to appeal to the younger demographic of Generation X. It featured a stark black-and-white can design and a grunge aesthetic, despite its ironic slogan of 'Everything's gonna be alright.' Flavor-wise, the soft drink was supposed to have a more fruity or citrus flavor, and after trying it for the first time, many customers agreed that it fit the name perfectly, as it was underwhelming. As such, it was discontinued in 1995.

Snapple Tru Root Beer

Did you know Snapple had a brief stint in the soda business? Yes! From around 1983 to the mid-1990s, the brand experimented with flavors like Cream D'Vanilla, Cherry Lime Rickey, and Tru Root Beer. The latter was lightly carbonated, less sweet than other root beers, and, according to nostalgic customers on Reddit, was quite tasty. But, interestingly, it wasn't caramel brown. Instead, it was clear and resembled a similar-style drink, Crystal Pepsi. Snapple Tru Root didn't last long. It was eventually phased out in favor of Snapple's current line of teas and juices.

Samuel Daniel

Update 12 December 2024