20 Discontinued Beverages You Forgot You Loved

From neon-colored sodas to fruit juices that probably contained no actual fruit, the ‘80s, ‘90s, and early 2000s were a golden era for weird and wonderful beverages. Unfortunately, many of these drinks disappeared, either because they were too sugary, too artificial, or just too ahead of their time. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and remember 20 discontinued beverages you probably forgot you loved.

1. Ecto Cooler

heriheri on Wikimedia Commons

A Ghostbusters-themed drink that turned every kid into a sugar-fueled maniac. This bright green citrus drink looked radioactive, which only made it cooler. Over the years, it made a few comebacks, but nothing beats the original juice box version. If you had one in your lunch, you were instantly the coolest kid at the table.

2. Crystal Pepsi

Mike Mozart on Wikimedia Commons

It’s Pepsi, but make it clear. This caffeine-free soda looked like sparkling water but tasted like regular Pepsi, which confused and fascinated everyone. It had a brief comeback, but its weirdly futuristic vibe never really stuck. Still, it remains one of the most iconic failed sodas of all time.

3. Orbitz

Candeadly on Wikimedia Commons

Was it a drink? Was it a lava lamp? No one really knew, but those little floating jelly balls made it feel like a science experiment. The fruity flavors were questionable, but the novelty factor was off the charts. Turns out, people don’t actually like chewing their drinks, and Orbitz disappeared as quickly as it arrived.

4. Squeezit

ZolHaj on Wikimedia Commons

A juice drink that required brute strength to enjoy. These plastic bottles had faces molded into them, giving each flavor a creepy little personality. The best part was crushing the bottle flat once you were done, proving your sugar-fueled dominance. If your fingers didn’t hurt after drinking one, you weren’t squeezing hard enough.

5. Fruitopia

Acabashi on Wikimedia Commons

Marketed as the “cool” alternative to boring fruit juice, Fruitopia was basically liquid candy disguised as something vaguely healthy. The psychedelic branding and bizarre flavor names (like Strawberry Passion Awareness) made it feel like an experience. It was huge in the ‘90s but eventually got replaced by Minute Maid. Some flavors still exist, but the vibe is gone.

6. Jolt Cola

Sharkface217 on Wikimedia Commons

The original “extreme” soda, Jolt Cola had twice the caffeine and twice the sugar of regular soda, making it every kid’s dream and every parent’s nightmare. It was basically an energy drink before energy drinks were a thing. Teachers probably rejoiced when it disappeared. It still makes occasional comebacks, but it’s never quite the same.  

7. Pepsi Blue

Fieldafar on Wikimedia Commons

This bright blue soda looked like it belonged in a science lab. It had a weird berry-cotton-candy flavor that people either loved or hated. It disappeared in the early 2000s, then briefly returned in 2021, only to vanish again. It’s a true ‘00s relic that we may never fully appreciate.

8. Surge

Surgeenergydrink on Wikimedia Commons

Coca-Cola’s answer to Mountain Dew, but with even more caffeine and a marketing campaign that screamed “EXTREME.” It was beloved by ‘90s kids, especially those who thought regular soda wasn’t chaotic enough. It disappeared in the early 2000s, but fans begged for its return. Coke gave in for a while, but the hype didn’t last.

9. Kool-Aid Bursts

Dmitri Popov on Wikimedia Commons

It’s Kool-Aid, but in a weird plastic bottle that made drinking it feel way cooler. Twisting off the little cap and squeezing the juice out was half the fun. They still exist in some places, but they’re nowhere near as popular as they were in the ‘90s. If you never shot one straight into your mouth, did you even have a childhood?  

10. Mystic

Johnl4th on Wikimedia Commons

A fruit drink that was everywhere in the ‘90s but slowly faded into obscurity. It was like Snapple but more tropical and slightly fancier. The glass bottles made it feel premium, even if the flavors were mostly just sugar water. Finding one today is nearly impossible, but the memories remain.  

11. Tab

lokate366 on Wikimedia Commons

Tab is the original diet soda, known for its aggressively artificial taste and pink branding. It had a cult following, but most people just tolerated it because it was the only diet option before Diet Coke. After decades of barely surviving, Coke finally pulled the plug in 2020, and some fans are still mourning.

12. Snapple Elements

Keurig Dr Pepper on Wikimedia Commons

It’s a Snapple spinoff with flavors like Fire, Earth, Rain, and Sun. They came in glass bottles with cool designs that made you feel like you were drinking something mystical. The flavors were unique but apparently not unique enough to last. Snapple still exists, but Elements are a distant memory.

13. Coke Blak

Josh Hallett on Wikimedia Commons

If Coca-Cola and coffee had a baby, it would be weird. Coke Blak was a short-lived attempt to mix cola with a coffee kick, but the result was confusing. It disappeared quickly, but with today’s obsession with caffeine, it might have been ahead of its time. Maybe it just needed better branding.

14. Hi-C Orange Lavaburst (McDonald’s Version)

TaurusEmerald on Wikimedia Commons

McDonald’s Hi-C Orange wasn’t just juice—it was a childhood experience. For years, it was the go-to drink for kids’ meals, pairing perfectly with Chicken McNuggets. Then McDonald’s cruelly discontinued it, causing widespread outrage. They finally brought it back, proving some things are too iconic to stay gone forever.

15. Pepsi Holiday Spice

Lord Reset on Wikimedia Commons

A cinnamon-flavored Pepsi that made absolutely no sense. It was released for the holiday season, but most people were too confused to buy it. If you did try it, you probably regretted it immediately. Some things just aren’t meant to exist.  

16. 7UP Gold

Carlosmarkos2345 on Wikimedia Commons

A strange attempt to make 7UP into a spiced, slightly cola-like drink. It tasted nothing like regular 7UP, which is probably why it failed spectacularly. If you remember it, congratulations—you have a very specific memory. The world was not ready for a brown-colored 7UP.

17. Vault

Ugawa on Wikimedia Commons

Another Mountain Dew wannabe, but this one was marketed as both a soda and an energy drink. It was like Surge’s slightly more responsible cousin, but it still had too much caffeine. It eventually faded away, probably because no one knew what it was supposed to be. However, some fans still beg for its return.

18. Apple Slice

Vinoth offl on Wikimedia Commons

It was a crisp, apple-flavored soda that actually tasted good. It had a strong apple taste without being too sweet, making it unique among fruit-flavored sodas. However, it disappeared in the ‘90s, leaving apple soda lovers with few options. It is a truly underappreciated gem.

19. Tropical Sprite Remix

Jstrathman on Wikimeda Commons

It’s Sprite, but make it fruity. This tropical twist on Sprite was a favorite in the early 2000s before vanishing without warning. It briefly returned but never stayed long enough to fully reclaim its throne. The people demand justice.  

20. Hubba Bubba Soda

Magnus Manske on Wikimedia Commons

Yes, a bubblegum-flavored soda existed. It tasted exactly like liquid bubblegum, which was either amazing or completely disgusting. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t last long, but the fact that it even existed is a testament to the chaos of ‘80s and ‘90s beverages. Would we drink it again? Probably not. Do we miss the absurdity of it? Absolutely.

• Tags:
• Nostalgia
• Discontinued
• Soda
• retro
• drinks