10 Discontinued Drinks From the 1980s and 1990s People Still Miss

The 1980s and 1990s were a wild time for the soda aisle. Beverage companies were locked in fierce “cola wars,” and they rolled out one bold experiment after another to grab attention. There were clear colas, drinks with floating balls, sodas aimed at Generation X and juice boxes tied to Saturday morning cartoons.

Many of those drinks were gone almost as quickly as they arrived. Some flopped because people didn’t like the taste, while others simply couldn’t find a big enough audience to survive. But for those who grew up with them, they still bring back strong memories, and fans continue to ask for their return. Here are 10 discontinued drinks from the 1980s and 1990s that people still miss.

1. New Coke

In April 1985, Coca-Cola made one of the most famous decisions in marketing history by changing its classic formula. The sweeter “New Coke” did well in taste tests, but loyal fans were furious. According to the company’s own history of the marketing blunder, its consumer hotline was flooded with calls.

Within a few months, the original formula returned as Coca-Cola Classic. New Coke was later renamed Coke II and eventually faded away. It made a brief, limited comeback in 2019 as part of a promotion with the TV show “Stranger Things,” but it isn’t sold today.

2. Pepsi A.M.

In 1989, Pepsi tested a breakfast cola called Pepsi A.M. in parts of the Midwest. The idea was to offer soda drinkers a morning caffeine boost as an alternative to coffee. It contained more caffeine than regular Pepsi, though still less than a typical cup of coffee.

The idea of drinking cola with breakfast didn’t catch on, and Pepsi A.M. was dropped after a short test run. It never made it to a full national launch. Today, it’s mostly remembered as one of the stranger experiments of the cola wars.

3. Hi-C Ecto Cooler

Hi-C Ecto Cooler was a bright green citrus drink tied to the animated series “The Real Ghostbusters.” It launched in 1987, and the juice boxes featured the ghost Slimer on the package. For many kids, it was the most exciting thing in their lunchbox.

Ecto Cooler stayed on shelves for years before fading away in the early 2000s. It made a short return in 2016 to tie in with the new “Ghostbusters” movie, as CBS News reported when Ecto Cooler came back to stores. It’s no longer sold, but fans still talk about it with plenty of nostalgia.

4. Crystal Pepsi

Crystal Pepsi was introduced in 1992 as a caffeine-free, clear cola, riding a wave of interest in “clear” and “pure” products. The launch was huge, but many people found the taste confusing, since it looked like a lemon-lime soda but tasted like cola. Sales dropped quickly, and it was off the market within about two years.

Crystal Pepsi has made several brief comebacks thanks to fan demand, including a limited summer run in stores in 2016. In 2022, Pepsi brought it back only as a contest prize to celebrate its 30th anniversary, as CNN reported when Crystal Pepsi returned. It isn’t a regular product today.

5. Tab Clear

Coca-Cola answered Crystal Pepsi with its own clear soda, Tab Clear, in late 1992. Unlike Crystal Pepsi, Tab Clear was a diet drink, and it contained caffeine. It was sold under the Tab name, which many people associated with diet soda.

Tab Clear didn’t last long and was gone by early 1994. Some business writers have suggested it was never meant to be a long-term hit. Today, it’s remembered as one of the shortest-lived drinks of the clear soda craze.

6. OK Soda

In 1993, Coca-Cola launched OK Soda, a fruity soda aimed squarely at Generation X. It came in gray cans with quirky artwork and ironic slogans, and its marketing was deliberately strange and offbeat. The company even set up a phone hotline where callers could hear odd messages.

OK Soda was sold only in test markets and never got a full national rollout. It was discontinued by the mid-1990s after sales fell short. Today, OK Soda cans are collector’s items, and the brand has a small cult following.

7. Zima

Zima was a clear malt beverage made by Coors and introduced nationally in the early 1990s. It was marketed as an alternative to beer, and it became a big hit for a few years. Many people remember dropping a Jolly Rancher candy into the bottle to add flavor.

Sales declined over time, and production in the United States ended in 2008. MillerCoors brought Zima back for limited summer runs in 2017 and 2018 to tap into ’90s nostalgia, but those releases were temporary. It isn’t regularly sold in the U.S. today.

8. Josta

In 1995, PepsiCo launched Josta, one of the first energy sodas from a major American soft drink company. It contained guarana, a caffeine-rich plant from South America, and had a unique fruity, spicy flavor. It never became a giant seller, but the drink quickly built a loyal fan base.

Josta was discontinued in 1999, despite efforts by fans to save it. Many people believe it was ahead of its time, since energy drinks became hugely popular a few years later. Fans still post online about wanting it back.

9. Orbitz

Orbitz was one of the strangest drinks of the 1990s. Introduced by the maker of Clearly Canadian around 1997, it was a non-carbonated fruit drink with small, colorful gel balls suspended in the liquid. The bottle looked a little like a lava lamp.

Many people bought Orbitz just to see what it was like, but the texture turned off a lot of drinkers. It disappeared after a short run. Today, it often shows up on lists of the weirdest drinks ever sold.

10. Tab

Tab first hit shelves in 1963, but it was one of the defining diet sodas of the 1970s and 1980s, with its distinctive pink can. Many women in particular counted on it as their go-to diet drink. It held on to a loyal following even after Diet Coke arrived in 1982.

In October 2020, Coca-Cola announced it would discontinue Tab by the end of the year as part of a plan to cut underperforming brands. ABC7 reported that Coca-Cola is discontinuing Tab after nearly 60 years. Devoted fans stocked up on the last cans they could find.

Why These Drinks Disappeared

Many of these drinks were part of the intense competition between Coca-Cola and Pepsi during the cola wars. Companies were willing to take big risks to stand out, and not every experiment worked. Some drinks had unusual flavors or textures that didn’t appeal to enough people, while others were simply overshadowed by bigger brands.

Still, these drinks left a lasting impression on the generation that grew up with them. Fan demand has even pushed companies to bring some of them back briefly, proving how strong nostalgia can be. They’re as much a part of ’80s and ’90s memories as these home habits many kids grew up with.

A Taste of Nostalgia

For many people, these drinks are tied to memories of childhood, school lunches, first jobs and road trips. Just seeing an old can or bottle can bring back the taste. Some collectors even keep unopened bottles on display, much like the things your parents had in their house that you never see today.

While most of these drinks are gone for good, there’s always a chance that a company will revive one for a limited time. Until then, they live on in memories and online fan groups. Which discontinued drink from the 1980s or 1990s do you miss the most?