One of my ultimate favorite dates with my husband happened years before our wedding. It was a Wednesday night, and the two of us actually crossed state lines in order to test out a Coca-Cola Freestyle Machine. They were still very new back then — hence why a mini road trip was involved. It was just fascinating to us that we could choose any soda flavor we wanted. And there were more than just ten or so selections — the possibilities were endless.
These days, those machines are almost expected in your favorite dining and entertainment venues. I never get too adventurous with it (a Cherry Vanilla Coke Zero is good enough for me), but it’s still cool to think up unlimited combinations. Some are gross, some are interesting, and others may be good enough to actually be manufactured in cans and bottles someday.
Perhaps that’s how Orange Vanilla Coca-Cola got its start.
The latest soda in the Coke lineup tastes just like a creamsicle, and even though it admittingly doesn’t go well with every dish the way regular soda does, it’s still a treat.
Throughout time, there have been plenty of discontinued sodas that people still miss. Either it was a promotional flavor or something that regionally just didn’t hit the mark. Here are some of the most extreme that have since gone extinct.
1. Pepsi Blue
Even though it only lasted for two years, between 2002 and 2004, Pepsi Blue still made a splash. The problem is that when people thought of Pepsi, they didn’t think of a refreshing berry-flavored drink. While the color was impressive, this soda sadly lacked staying power. The good news is that it’s still available in select countries overseas, so if you’re thinking of booking a flight to Indonesia, you may be in luck.
2. Mountain Dew Sangrita Blast
Mountain Dew has been known for creating some wacky flavors throughout the years, but Sangrita Blast was special.
So special, in fact, that it was only found in Taco Bell upon its debut. The flavor can best be described as cherry pomegranate. It hasn’t been seen since 2017, but who knows? It could always make a shocking comeback someday.
3. Sierra Mist Strawberry Kiwi Splash
This is another drink that, at first glance, seems too sweet to be refreshing. Introduced in 2012 as a seasonal flavor, it used real sugar. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been seen in seven years. But thankfully, there are many, less polarizing Sierra Mist flavors out there for fans to enjoy. Thankfully.
4. Hi-C Ecto Cooler
Okay, so this is more of a juice than soda, but it deserves a little recognition on a list of discontinued beverages.
In fact, if you look at literally any nostalgia-based article about foods from the ’80s and ’90s that are missed, Ecto Cooler will be on there. They brought it back only once — in 2016 after the Ghostbusters reboot came out. Hopefully, 15 more years won’t go by until fans see it once again. If you’ve never tried it, it’s sweet and fruity.
5. Coca-Cola Black Cherry Vanilla
Thanks for your interest in Coca-Cola Black Cherry Vanilla! Many factors go into the decision to stop selling a particular product. As of now, there are no plans to re-launch this product but we will be sure to share your comments.
— Coca-Cola (@CocaCola) March 16, 2019
Remember when Coca-Cola unveiled the black cherry vanilla flavor? It’s a surprise this one wasn’t a huge hit since both cherry and vanilla are timeless soda flavors, and ones people go back to time and time again. It came out in 2006, but then quietly disappeared in 2007. Not cool.
6. Pepsi Tropical Chill
Back in 1991, Pepsi Tropical Chill came out along with two other flavors (which we’ll get to next).
The new arrivals were called “The Wild Bunch” and literally didn’t last longer than a year. Between you and me, anything with “tropical” in the title seems like it’d be a citrus mix, which has already been overdone in the soda world.
7. Pepsi Strawberry Burst
Say, anybody got an old Pepsi Strawberry Burst laying around? pic.twitter.com/nDfh7XBfR0
— Gabe (@925mlbfan) October 22, 2017
The second “Wild Bunch” member was Strawberry Burst, which sounds pretty terrible.
Listen, strawberry is usually the best flavor when it comes to most snacks and treats. But soda? No thanks. No way. I know this came out in the early ’90s, but even the can design looks dated and unappealing.
8. Raging Razzberry Pepsi
Raging Razzberry is the last member of the “Wild Bunch,” and it’s so wild that it can’t even be spelled correctly. As you can see, it also came in Diet. According to Mental Floss, the Wild Bunch came in a three-pack, so you had to get all three flavors — not just your favorite one.
9. Dr. Pepper Berries and Cream
Cream soda? Good. Berries? Not terrible. Dr. Pepper? Excellent. A combo of all of the above? No thank you. This flavor lasted just over a year, calling it quits in 2007. Probably because soda, berries, and cream is just too much for any one palette. We love our cream soda and all, but…
10. Coca-Cola Blak
What do coffee and soda have in common?
They’re both drinks that contain varying amounts of caffeine. But unless you’ve been a desperate college student who’s up at 3 a.m. cramming for a test, you probably haven’t thought of combining the two. That’s why it’s almost shocking that Coca-Cola Blak, which is coffee-flavored soda, even existed. Apologies if you want to give it a try, as it was officially discontinued in 2008.
11. Apple Slice
[fm_youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07AIp97ie6E"]When you’re a kid, you’re drinking a lot of apple juice.
When you get older, that switches to cider on cold winter days. You have to give it props for its clever name, but Apple Slice — an apple-flavored version of the Slice beverage — seems like its target market would fall between tweens and teens.
12. Pepsi Holiday Spice
Okay, so Pepsi has a lot of entries on their list.
It’s good that they’re experimental, but some of their decisions are just a bit odd. I totally understand having a holiday soda, since plenty of foods try hard to push products for Christmas and Hanukkah. But, do you really want a spicy soda?
13. Fudgsicle Soda
Looking up my childhood on http://t.co/fzFHCxmW and um...there was a Fudgsicle soda?! I can't even fathom that.
— Jen 🐧 (@kinkyturtle) January 3, 2012
Chocolate sodas aren’t the worst thing in the world.
In fact, they make for a pretty good dessert drink if you’re really trying to cut down on calories. But this soda will likely just make you want to eat a Fudgsicle. It’s just not the same! And honestly, it’s probably a treat you only want every once in a while.
14. Pepsi Fire
Yep, another Pepsi.
This one was actually released more recently than you think. Debuting in 2017, Pepsi Fire was a cinnamon-flavored drink that initially had an eight-week release period. But most people felt it should have been even less, since it was almost universally hated.
Again, I drink soda to be refreshed. I figure cinnamon would have a reverse effect on that.
15. 7-Up Gold
7-Up Gold came out in the late ’80s and lasted until… the late ’80s.
Unlike standard 7-Up, this one included caffeine. But one of the downfalls of this soda was the fact that it had a really confusing marketing strategy behind it. Also, what made it gold? We have a lot of questions here.
16. Cactus Cooler
Now, Cactus Cooler may still be available in very, very small markets in California — but nationwide, it’s more or less discontinued.
The drink was reportedly inspired by Fred Flintstone, and had notes of orange and pineapple in it. It’s also sweet and lightly carbonated. The reason for its disappearance may be because pineapple-flavored soda just isn’t a huge hit with the majority of the country, who also seem to be against pineapple on a pizza for some strange reason.
17. Orbitz
Ever feel like drinking a lava lamp before?
Then Orbitz might have been right up your alley. The discontinued drink was dreamed up by the same people who brought us the also-discontinued beverage Clearly Canadian. The fruity drink contained edible balls, which was unlike anything else on the market. The oddest flavor of them all was Pineapple Banana Cherry Coconut — seems to be a bit much.
