Beverage Giants' Forgotten Flavors: What Happened to These Popular Soft Drinks?

The soft drink industry has seen its fair share of failures over the years. Despite initial popularity, many products were eventually pulled from shelves due to low sales or changing consumer preferences.

One such product was Crystal Pepsi, a clear cola launched by PepsiCo in 1992. Although it gained some traction, capturing about half a percent of the soda market within two years, it was ultimately discontinued in 1994. However, fan demand brought it back for brief limited runs in 2016 and again for its thirtieth-anniversary release in 2022.

Another product that gained significant following before being pulled from shelves was Surge, a highly caffeinated citrus-flavored drink launched by Coca-Cola in 1996. Although it sold well initially, sales slowed down enough that Coca-Cola discontinued the drink in 2003. However, due to grassroots fan campaign, Coca-Cola brought back Surge as a limited Amazon-exclusive release in 2014, and it has since appeared in intermittent limited runs.