18 Discontinued Sodas You'll Never See Again—From Slice to Tab
The soda market is a bubbly one. Full of mad scientist mixologists, intense competition, and new soda flavors popping up left and right, it truly is a sink-or-swim kind of environment. And, while some fizzy drinks rise to the occasion, becoming permanent residents on grocery store shelves, others fail to stand up to the pressure–outside pressure, that is, not the kind found inside soda cans.
After brief moments of fame or infamy—or even longer careers as a beloved favorite—these recipes flop or simply fizzle out, joining the ever-growing graveyard of past soft drink experiments.
Today, we're dredging up a few of these pop blasts from the past, giving them a spark of life after years, or in some cases mere months, on the discontinuation list. Prepare for tales of candy-infused sodas, atypical flavors, marketing campaigns gone awry, and even nostalgic picks that some sweet tooths would give anything to sip on again.
These soda spectacles may be gone, but they're never forgotten–proof that even in the land of carbonation, the stories are as enduring as the fizz.
Coca-Cola Spiced
Maybe spicy Coke just isn't what the people want. You might have thought the company would have learned this after the release of Coca-Cola Cinnamon, which didn't exactly take off. But instead, it kept the ball rolling with the launch of Coca-Cola Spiced in February 2024. Poured into red and pink swirled cans, the fresh flavor was said to mesh together tastes of raspberry and spices with traditional Coke. But, after being on the market for mere months, a spokesperson from the brand told Eat This, Not That! "we're planning to phase out Coca-Cola Spiced to introduce an exciting new flavor in 2025." In this same round of soda pop layoffs, Cherry Vanilla Coke and Diet Coke with Splenda also got the boot.
Pepsi Nitro
When it bubbled up in 2022, after three years of development, Pepsi Nitro was a soda revelation. It was heralded as the first-ever nitrogen-infused cola drink, meaning it was made using nitrogen gas instead of carbon dioxide, giving it smaller bubbles and a smoother texture compared to original Pepsi. Guinness stout beer and certain cold-brew coffees are created using a similar technique. And, like these two beverages, Pepsi Nitro is probably also somewhat of an acquired taste since the company has decided to pull it from production starting in 2025. Both the regular and vanilla versions will soon be but a faint memory just like the controversial Pepsi Blue or Pepsi A.M. which was laced with an extra boost of caffeine to get you through the morning.
Sierra Mist
You're probably familiar with the saga of how the sun went down on Sierra Mist in January 2023, so that Starry could rise. After Sierra Mist failed to make headway in the lemon-lime soda category, PepsiCo decided to make drastic changes, pulling it from shelves while simultaneously introducing a brand-new, celestially named recipe. Now, Starry alternatively competes with Coca-Cola's Sprite and can be found in the hands of major endorsers like NBA stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Zion Williamson and rapper Ice Spice. But, Sierra Mist will live on in memories, in addition to its troupe of beloved flavor variations including Cranberry Splash, Undercover Orange, and Ruby Splash.
OK Soda
Tip for soda marketers: a name dripping in mediocrity might not fare well. OK Soda was actually created by Coca-Cola in 1993 in an attempt to engage the younger Generation X demographic. It stood out for its bleak black-and-white can designs and grunge aesthetic, though its slogan ironically stated, "Things are going to be OK." Taste-wise, the carbonated bevvie was said to be more of a fruity or citrusy cola and after trying it for the first time, many customers agreed that it matched its name perfectly, as it was less than impressive. Because of this, paired with negative campaigns with a narrow target audience, things did not end up OK for the brand and it was abandoned in 1995.
Snapple Tru Root Beer
Did you know Snapple had a brief stint in the soda-making business? That's right! From around 1983 to the mid-1990s, the brand took a walk on the bubbly side with tastes like a Cream D'Vanilla soda, Cherry Lime Rickey, and its Tru Root Beer. The latter was lightly carbonated, less sweet than other root beers, and according to nostalgic customers on Reddit, it was pretty darn good. But, the kicker was it didn't come in a caramel brown color. Instead it was crystal clear and, just like the similarly styled drink Crystal Pepsi, it didn't last long. The root beer was eventually snapped from the lineup to be replaced by Snapple's current lineup of teas and juices.
Aspen Soda
Unfortunately, you can no longer hit the slopes armed with a refreshing can of Aspen. The soft drink had a good run from 1978 to 1982. It was marketed in congruence with more of an active and elegant lifestyle and stood out during this era's wave of lemon-lime sodas as an apple-flavored beverage. It's not entirely clear why it was discontinued. Some venture to guess that its apple taste, the very thing that made it unique, was its Achilles heel, as people were still hooked on citrus. Others think it was simply replaced by other PepsiCo products, namely Apple Slice.
Sprite Remix
You've likely seen plenty of Sprite adaptations in your day. Even right now, the brand is touting interesting ones like Winter Spiced Cranberry and Sprite Chill with hints of cherry and an icy cooling effect. But dialing back the clock, one of the beverage's earlier spin-offs was the Remix series. Like original Sprite, these were caffeine-free sodas but sporting fruitier flavors like Tropical, BerryClear, and Aruba Jam with tastes of cherry and lime.
This line was dumped in 2005 after just three years in production–possibly related to the drinks' high sugar content, standing at over twice the amount of regular Sprite, or just a sign that the fad had run its course. However, a few glimpses of the collection have popped up since, such as the similar Sprite Tropical Mix and in Wendy's Coke Freestyle machines where Aruba Jam was featured for a limited time in 2024.
Slice
Before Starry, there was Sierra Mist, and before Sierra Mist there was Slice–yet another blip in PepsiCo's lemon-lime timeline. This original soda pop gushed onto the scene in 1984 quickly to be joined by other fruit variants including Orange Slice, Apple Slice, Cherry Cola Slice, Strawberry Slice, and Grape Slice. It sounds like the makings of the perfect upbeat girl's pop group–the brand really missed out on a great marketing opportunity there. Despite its army of avid fans, Slice was eventually phased out and supplies dried up by around 2005.
Since then, the brand did experience a resurgence in 2018, thanks to New Slice Ventures. But, don't expect that familiar 80s flavor. The new drinks still come in a range of fruit flavors but now take the form of sparkling water rather than soda. Additionally, there are rumors now circling that a revival part two is on the horizon for 2025, following an acquisition by Suja Life. Only time will tell how it compares to the original.
Life Savers Soda
Sometimes candy is best left in wrappers. Life Savers had to learn this the hard way after failing to make a splash in the soda market back in the 1980s. Looking to expand its reach, the brand attempted to turn its ring-shaped candy into drinkable beverages, coming out with flavors of Fruit Punch, Pineapple, Orange Punch, Grape Punch, and Lime Punch in rainbow-splashed cans and bottles. Supposedly, the beverages fared well in test runs. However, they didn't last long in stores–not because the soft drinks contained no life-saving qualities as promised, but mostly because, according to customers on Reddit, they were cavity-inducing saccharine bombs.
RELATED: I Tried 7 Prebiotic & Probiotic Sodas and The Best Was Fruity and Not Too Sweet
Jolly Rancher Soda
Another hard candy soda gone sour. Apparently, the execs at Jolly Rancher, owned by the Hershey Co., didn't learn from the mistakes made by Life Savers and released a sparkling refreshment infused with its confection's tastes anyway in 2005. Surprisingly, they reaped a starkly different outcome, though, as the brand's soft drink enjoyed a 17-year spurt of action in the aisles. In a fit of nostalgia, novelty, and sugar cravings, shoppers guzzled down the bubbly beverage's 14 different flavors including all your Jolly Rancher favorites like Watermelon, Green Apple, Blue Raspberry, and Grape until it was finally discontinued in 2021.
Barq's Floatz
You probably know that a chilled Barq's root beer poured over a few scoops of vanilla ice is a match made in heaven. But, did you know that at one point the brand attempted to combine the two into one bottle? The drink dessert fusion, appropriately named Barq's Floatz, was launched in 2003 but had a short shelf life, only sticking for a few years. However, described as tasting like a perfect mix between root beer and cream soda, this is one soft drink relic you might be sad to have missed. Guess you'll have to continue to make do with DIY floats.
Mountain Dew Major Melon
Come 2025, the Major plans to hang up his boots for good–an honorable discharge after years of bravely safeguarding his watermelon patch from grisly invaders. This fluorescent melon drink was officially released by PepsiCo in 2021 as the first new permanent flavor added to the Mountain Dew lineup in decades. It initially won over sweet tooths with its liquified candy taste, bold can designs, and epic back story. but has fizzled out in more recent years. Thank you for your service, Major Melon, and enjoy your last few weeks of duty on the shelf.
Dr. Pepper Ten
Advertising a soft drink's diet qualities and low-calorie count of just 10 is a fine strategy. But promoting it as a male-focused product with the tagline, "It's not for women," is a great way to stamp your ticket to discontinuation town. Somehow, though, even with these bold tactics, Dr. Pepper Ten managed to outlast many other long-gone sodas on this list, running from 2011 to 2018. You might say that Dr. Pepper's 27 flavors minus the caloric guilt was enough to make people turn a blind eye to an otherwise questionable campaign.
New Coke
New Coke: the story of how a soda on the market for 79 days sent the entire world into a tizzy. In 1985, after feeling the effects of a stale market and losing share to Pepsi, Coca-Cola decided to make a drastic change. Following a 99-year run with its original formula, the company swapped it for a new one, which some say was sweeter and others say carried a diluted flavor. Either way, this replacement led to panicking, hoarding, and even protesting until classic Coke was returned to its rightful place just a few weeks later.
Surprisingly, the infamous reformulation did make a comeback in 2019 in partnership with the Netflix show Stranger Things. But, for the most part, it's a variation and marketing blunder Coca-Cola would like to keep deep in its soda graveyard.
Minute Maid Soda
When life gives you lemons, make soda? There was a time when the lemonade brand Minute Maid was living by this mantra. According to The Soda Wiki, the brand originally tested an orange soda in 1985 featuring 10% real orange juice. The product's rollout was slow but eventually, it was joined by other juicy flavors like Strawberry, Grape, Lemon-Lime, and Fruit Punch. These soft drinks received more than just 15 minutes of fame, lasting on the market for 20 years. But, by 2005, the juice was evidently no longer worth the squeeze, and the entire line disappeared for good, likely in lieu of other Coca-Cola-owned drinks like Fanta.
Pix Soda
While some generic store-brand products fly under the radar as boring yet cheaper alternatives, others are cherished by shoppers. One such example of this was Pix Soda, sold by southern grocery giant Publix and sadly swiped from locations in 1989. It came in recognizable and colorful striped cans and in nearly every core pop variety you could possibly need from basic cola and ginger ale to lemon lime and orange. If you're a fan of Wegmans, you may also know that the East Coast chain's private-label soda WPOP met a similar demise more recently in 2023, due to health concerns over its artificial ingredients.
Tab Soda
Today, you probably can't imagine a world without the luminescent silver cans of Diet Coke following you wherever you go. But, Tab soda walked so that Diet Coke could run. It was the original diet cola soft drink produced by the Coca-Cola Company, sweetened with saccharin rather than sugar. The idea was that people could keep "tabs" on their weight by drinking the light cola with hints of tart lemon-lime. The cheery red cans became a cultural icon in the 1960s and 1970s, but once Diet Coke was released in 1982, people began to turn their heads. Tabaholics kept it alive until 2020, though, until it was officially discontinued. Gone, but never forgotten and certainly worthy of a spot at the soda museum.
Hubba Bubba Soda
You've probably been taught not to swallow our gum, so a soda made by Hubba Bubba seems to contradict that age-old lesson. But, that didn't stop the brand from concocting the gummy refreshment in 1988. It was supposedly created by a film producer who mixed bubble gum-flavored snow cone syrup with soda, resulting in a cloyingly sweet product. There was also a Diet Hubba Bubba Soda variation, which sounds like an oxymoron. To candy lovers' dismay, both were chewed up and spit back out of the soda market by the early 1990s.
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