5 Discontinued '90s Sodas That We're Happy To Leave In The Past

Sprite, Diet Coke, Vernors Ginger Ale, Barq's Root Beer — these are all sodas that have stood the test of time. You can enjoy them on their own or poured over ice cream for a delicious float. There are also unconventional ways to enjoy them. You can add a dash of bitters to your soda to add a more complex flavor to the sparkling beverage, for example. 

Unfortunately, a few ideas weren't as lucky. In fact, some sodas got discontinued and are never coming back. Oftentimes, fans of a defunct product nostalgically long for its return. However, there are a few discontinued sodas the public is happy to leave in the past.

From a crystal-clear soda without much going on to a failed attempt to connect with a generation of self-styled misanthropes, these five sodas debuted in the 1990s but have since been taken off the shelves. 

In 1992, PepsiCo set out to find the perfect middle ground between Pepsi and Diet Pepsi, subsequently releasing Crystal Pepsi. The product was advertised as a healthier version of its signature cola with one big twist: It was clear. The product was a major flop and removed from the shelves within a year, leaving people to wonder: Whatever happened to Crystal Pepsi? Then, about two decades later, Time Magazine placed the soda on its list of worst product fails of all time. 

Along with being lower in sugar, Crystal Pepsi was also advertised as caffeine- and preservative-free. But it was basically regular Pepsi with modified cornstarch in place of the caramel coloring, which in addition to coloring the beverage and providing a signature burnt sugar odor is an emulsifier and stabilizer. 

In addition to being less sweet, it was slightly lower in calories, but it also just tasted like a slightly brighter cola. It wasn't too different from regular Pepsi other than being clear, and ultimately, people grew tired of the gimmick, and the original won out. It seems it's best if Crystal Pepsi stays in the past.

We've all looked at a lava lamp and thought, "Huh, I wonder what that tastes like?" right? It appears the Clearly Canadian Beverage Corporation thought so, given its wacky creation of Orbitz, which is made up of a clear fruit-flavored beverage with floating gel balls. The drink was first introduced in 1996 and was sold for a few years before being discontinued in 1999. But during its short lifespan, the drink developed a passionate cult following. Unfortunately, those who long for the return of Orbitz face one serious obstacle: the expensive equipment used to make it is no longer available.

But should the drink make a comeback? More than one person has likened their thick texture to melted Jell-O and they had a very artificial-tasting fruit flavor. Also, while the orbs were a fun addition, they were gimmicky and did not have an enjoyable flavor. Maybe those who miss Orbitz are romanticizing it.

Cola and coffee are two caffeine sources that are best uncombined. PepsiCo discovered this the hard way through the 1996 release of Pepsi Kona, a beverage that incorporated the tastes of a classic cup of joe and a bubbly sip of Pepsi. The drink was discontinued the following year due to its lack of appeal to audiences. However, the beverage company has continued trying to make the product work. 

Strangely enough, despite its short lifespan, a handful of people seemed to enjoy the Pepsi Kona. The controversial drink carried an unmistakable coffee flavor, though the added signature cola taste resulted in unique flavor devotees adored and an unusual coffee-soda hodgepodge no one else could tolerate. Fans of the discontinued beverage held out hope in 2019 when it was announced that PepsiCo would debut a new coffee-infused soda drink, Pepsi Cáfe, in April 2020. But the drink was indefinitely delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pepsi Kona is gone but never forgotten, it appears. 

Is Surge discontinued or not? This citrusy, highly caffeinated soda has been on and off the shelves since its debut in 1996. The beverage developed a large following from 1996 to 2003, when it was first discontinued. Then it came back briefly in 2014, when it was sold in limited batches on Amazon. At the same time, Surge could be purchased in slushy form at 7-Eleven and Burger King. However, the drink promptly disappeared again, leaving its fans craving more.

The year 2018 marked another revival for the beverage as it began an exclusive stint at Burger King locations as an option on the Coca-Cola Freestyle machine. However, over the last few years, fans have noticed that's no longer an option at the burger chain, and there are a couple of similar soda flavors, like Mello Yello and Mountain Dew. It's evident that the brand needs more than its hardcore rocker branding to stand out. Rather than create more fuss, at this point, just pour a shot of Monster energy drink into a can of Mountain Dew, and call it a day.

"Hello, fellow youths!" When Coca-Cola noticed it wasn't appealing to young demographics in 1994, the company decided to launch a drink called OK Soda to appeal to the nihilistic sensibilities of Generation X. The beverage was an acquired taste with unique notes of orange peel, cinnamon, and clove. But despite its uniqueness and a multimillion dollar marketing budget, the drink was taken off the market in about seven months.

The beverage traded in Coca-Cola's signature bright red can and teach-the-world-to-sing advertising for a black-and-white, comic book-inspired design and dark commentary on life's meaninglessness right on the can. However, it seems that nobody wanted a dose of existential dread with their pop. While the humor might ring true, there's nothing less grunge than mega-corporations raking in millions pretending they know why your life sucks (or not realizing you wear black ironically), so Coca-Cola should just stick to the sparkly beverages it knows well and leave this one in the past. To each their own, of course, but this drink was rather forgettable.