15 discontinued sodas you'll never drink again

Crystal Pepsi was one of the most ambitious soft drink launches of the 1990s. Introduced during the clear-food craze, the soda looked like sparkling water but tasted like cola. Pepsi marketed it as a cleaner, more modern alternative to traditional soft drinks, and curiosity helped drive strong initial sales. However, consumers struggled to reconcile the familiar cola flavor with its transparent appearance, and sales began to decline after the novelty wore off, until 1994, when it was officially discontinued.

Coca-Cola launched OK Soda in 1993 as an attempt to connect with Generation X. The citrus-flavored cola featured deliberately strange artwork, self-deprecating advertisements, and a marketing strategy that poked fun at traditional corporate branding. The soda never expanded successfully beyond a handful of test markets and was discontinued by 1995. Despite its short life, OK Soda remains a favorite among collectors and advertising enthusiasts.

Josta arrived in 1995 and became one of the first energy-oriented soft drinks sold nationally in the United States. Produced by PepsiCo, the beverage combined fruit flavors with guarana, a plant known for its natural caffeine content. Although it developed a loyal following among younger consumers looking for something different, it never achieved mainstream success and was discontinued in 1999.

Coca-Cola introduced Surge in 1996 to compete directly with Pepsi's Mountain Dew. The citrus-flavored soda was heavily marketed toward teenagers through extreme sports advertising and high-energy television commercials. Surge quickly became a recognizable part of late-1990s youth culture, but sales eventually slowed as consumer tastes changed, and Coca-Cola discontinued the brand in 2003.

Orbitz looked less like a soda and more like something from a science fiction movie. Released in 1997, the drink contained colorful edible gelatin balls suspended inside a sweet fruit-flavored liquid. The unusual appearance generated enormous media attention and helped Orbitz become one of the most talked-about beverages of the decade. However, many people found the texture off-putting, and sales quickly collapsed. 

Coca-Cola BlāK attempted to blend two popular beverages into one by combining cola and coffee flavors. Introduced in 2006, the premium soda was marketed toward adults looking for a more sophisticated soft drink experience. While some consumers appreciated the concept, many found the flavor difficult to categorize, and sales never reached expectations, so Coca-Cola discontinued BlāK just two years later. Today, many fans view it as a product that may simply have arrived ahead of its time.

Pepsi Blue debuted in 2002 with a vivid electric-blue color and a berry-flavored twist on traditional cola. The company targeted younger consumers and supported the launch with an extensive advertising campaign. While curiosity drove strong early sales, repeat purchases were less impressive, and within two years, Pepsi removed the drink from most markets. Although limited revivals have occurred since then, Pepsi Blue remains one of the most iconic discontinued sodas of the early 2000s.

7 Up introduced dnL in 2002 as a rebellious spin on its classic lemon-lime soda. Even the name reflected the concept, as "dnL" was simply "7 Up" spelled upside down. Unlike traditional 7 Up, dnL featured caffeine, a darker color, and a sweeter flavor. The experiment failed to gain long-term traction, and dnL was discontinued in 2005. Today, it is remembered as one of the more unusual soda rebrands ever attempted.

Vault entered the market in 2005 as a hybrid between a soft drink and an energy beverage. Coca-Cola promoted it with the slogan "Drinks Like a Soda, Kicks Like an Energy Drink." The citrus-flavored drink appealed to consumers seeking more caffeine than a traditional soda could provide. It quickly gained a dedicated following among teenagers and young adults. As energy drinks became their own booming category, Vault struggled to maintain its identity. Coca-Cola ultimately retired the brand in 2011.

Hubba Bubba Soda attempted to transform the experience of chewing bubble gum into a beverage. Released in the late 1980s, the drink replicated the sweet flavor of the popular gum brand. The novelty attracted plenty of attention from children and curious shoppers. However, many consumers discovered that drinking liquid bubble gum was far less appealing than chewing it, and it disappeared after only a few years.

Aspen was PepsiCo's attempt to create a mainstream apple-flavored soda. Introduced in 1978, the drink combined crisp apple notes with carbonation, offering something very different from traditional colas and citrus sodas. While it developed a loyal niche audience, it never achieved the widespread popularity of Pepsi's core brands, and PepsiCo discontinued Aspen in the early 1980s to make way for its Slice apple soda line.

7UP Gold was one of the most unusual products ever released by the makers of 7UP. Instead of a clear, caffeine-free lemon-lime drink, 7UP Gold was dark-colored, spicy, and contained caffeine. Unfortunately, consumers were confused by the product's flavor and branding. Many shoppers didn't understand why a drink called 7UP tasted nothing like regular 7UP, so sales fell far short of projections, and the soda was discontinued after less than a year on the market.

Released during the low-carb diet craze of the early 2000s, Coca-Cola C2 was marketed as a middle ground between regular Coke and Diet Coke. It contained about half the sugar and calories of the original formula while trying to maintain a familiar taste. Despite heavy advertising and strong initial curiosity, consumers never fully embraced the concept. As interest in low-carb diets faded, Coca-Cola quietly discontinued C2 and shifted its attention to other reduced-calorie options.

Pepsi Raw was the company's attempt to tap into growing demand for more natural ingredients. Sweetened with cane sugar and marketed as a less processed alternative to traditional soda, it arrived in select international markets with eco-friendly branding and a premium image. The product struggled to stand out in a crowded beverage market, and sales never reached expectations. Within a few years, Pepsi abandoned the experiment and removed it from store shelves.

In 2021, Suntory introduced a similarly styled "raw" cola called Pepsi Nama in Japan, though it was a distinct product rather than a true revival of the original.

Introduced as a lower-calorie cola sweetened with a blend of sugar and stevia, Coca-Cola Life arrived during a period when many consumers were looking for alternatives to both regular and diet sodas. Its distinctive green label made it easy to spot in stores, but the product found itself stuck between two audiences: those who preferred full-sugar soft drinks and those already committed to zero-calorie options. After several years of declining sales, Coca-Cola discontinued the brand in most markets.