15 Discontinued ’90s Fruit Drinks You Can’t Find Today
Here's a nostalgic list of discontinued '90s fruit drinks that once dominated lunchboxes and vending machines but have since vanished from store shelves.
- Alyana Aguja
- 5 min read
The 1990s saw a burst of creativity in the fruit drink market, with brands experimenting with bold flavors, quirky packaging, and cartoon mascots to win over kids and teens. This list highlights 15 fruit drinks from the era that have since been discontinued, from cult favorites like Hi-C Ecto Cooler to obscure blends like Snapple Tru Root. Though long gone, these drinks remain vivid in memory, capturing the flavor of a unique decade in beverage history.
1. Surge Tropical
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Originally launched by Coca-Cola in the late ’90s, Surge Tropical was a citrus-forward fruit drink with a jolt of caffeine. Though it resembled Mountain Dew, its fruitier punch and electric green color gave it a unique edge. It was briefly revived due to fan demand, but the tropical variant remains lost to time.
2. Hi-C Ecto Cooler
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This neon green citrus drink was a marketing tie-in with the Ghostbusters franchise and became a lunchbox legend. It had a sweet tangerine-lime flavor and featured Slimer on the packaging, making it a pop culture icon. After a short comeback in the 2010s, it disappeared again, leaving fans yearning for its slime-green goodness.
3. Squeezit
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These colorful fruit drinks came in clear plastic bottles that kids would squeeze to squirt the liquid into their mouths. With flavors like Chucklin’ Cherry and Grumpy Grape, they appealed to kids through fun bottle designs and cartoonish mascots. Squeezit faded out by the early 2000s, but ’90s kids still remember the satisfying pop of squeezing one open.
4. Fruitopia
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Coca-Cola’s answer to the growing new age beverage market, Fruitopia had vibrant flavors like Strawberry Passion Awareness and Citrus Consciousness. It was heavily marketed during the ’90s with psychedelic ads and a hippie-esque vibe. Eventually, it was pulled from shelves in the U.S. but lives on in limited form in Canada.
5. All Sport Body Quencher – Fruit Punch
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Though marketed as a sports drink like Gatorade, All Sport had a much sweeter, fruitier flavor profile. Its Fruit Punch flavor stood out with a bold taste and sugary afterkick. Eventually, the drink disappeared from mainstream markets after fading in popularity by the late ’90s.
6. Capri Sun Mystic Dragon
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Part of a short-lived fantasy-themed lineup, Mystic Dragon was a tropical blend of kiwi and dragonfruit flavors. It offered a unique twist compared to the usual Capri Sun options and was memorable for its otherworldly flavor and packaging. This flavor was quietly phased out and never returned.
7. Minute Maid Juice Bars in Liquid Form
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Before they became frozen treats, some Minute Maid flavors like Cherry and Grape were available as chilled fruit drinks. Kids loved their bright flavors, and they were often seen in school lunch coolers during the early ’90s. The drinkable versions quietly vanished as frozen juice bars became the primary form.
8. Snapple Tru Root
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Snapple briefly launched a line of fruit and root-infused drinks in the late ’90s called Tru Root. Flavors like Berry Root Blend mixed fruit juices with earthy ginseng and ginger elements. The niche line was ahead of its time and failed to catch on, disappearing quickly from store shelves.
9. Citrus Cooler Hi-C
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This fan-favorite Hi-C flavor had a tangy mix of orange and tangerine. Though not as famous as Ecto Cooler, it had a loyal following who loved its bright citrus taste. It was quietly discontinued and never made a comeback.
10. Mondo Fruit Squeezers
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These small, vibrantly colored bottles looked like mini versions of Squeezit and came in flavors like Chillin’ Cherry and Global Grape. The twist-top caps and sugary fruit flavors made them a hit during recess or after-school snacks. Mondo faded into obscurity by the early 2000s, with no sign of revival.
11. Kool-Aid Bursts – Tropical Punch
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Though Kool-Aid itself lives on, the plastic-bottled Kool-Aid Bursts flavors like Tropical Punch were a distinct ’90s staple. With their rocket-shaped bottles and twist-off tops, they offered a fun and fruity experience. Some flavors remain, but Tropical Punch disappeared from most markets.
12. Fruit Wrinkles Fruit Drinks
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Based on the fruit snack of the same name, these drinks were marketed as fun, fruity beverages with a kid-friendly appeal. Their cartoon-style branding and intense berry flavors made them stand out in the juice aisle. Unfortunately, they were discontinued as competition in the kids’ beverage market intensified.
13. Veryfine Fruit Punch (Original Recipe)
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Veryfine’s original fruit punch blend was a staple in convenience stores and vending machines. It had a classic red fruit punch flavor that balanced sweetness and tartness. Over time, the brand reformulated or pulled some flavors entirely, and the original fruit punch was lost.
14. SoBe 3C
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SoBe’s 3C flavor stood for “Cranberry, Carrot, Citrus,” blending unusual fruits and vegetables into a health-forward fruit drink. It had a surprising tangy kick and marketed itself as part of the ‘clean living’ trend before it was popular. Eventually, it was discontinued as SoBe pivoted toward more mainstream flavors.
15. Minute Maid Tropical Blend
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This juice blend combined pineapple, orange, and guava into a smooth, slightly creamy fruit drink. It had a mellow sweetness and was often seen in school cafeterias or family fridges. It faded quietly in favor of simpler, single-fruit juices from the Minute Maid lineup.