Old-Fashioned Sodas You Can Hardly Find Anymore, Beverage Experts Report

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The Mysterious Moxie: America’s First Mass-Produced Soda

First released in 1876 in Lowell, Massachusetts, Moxie is considered one of the first mass produced sodas. This peculiar beverage has a wild backstory that’s as unique as its taste. Moxie was first created in Maine by Dr. Augustin Thompson, and it was originally marketed as a medicinal drink, more specifically as a nerve tonic that promised to cure whatever ailed you, including a “loss of manhood” and a “softening of the brain.”

The drink gets its distinctive bitter flavor from gentian root extract, which gives it a medicinal taste that’s definitely an acquired one. Think of it like drinking liquid history with every sip. The official soda of Maine (yes, really!), Moxie was created in the state in 1885 and you can still try the sweet and faintly bitter soda today.

Finding Moxie today requires some detective work, though it’s easier in New England. In 2005, Moxie Elixir Soda was named the official soft drink of the State of Maine. Today, you can still find this distinctive drink in New England supermarkets, where it maintains a passionate following among those who appreciate its unique, acquired taste.

Tab: The Diet Pioneer That Couldn’t Keep Up

Long before Diet Coke became a household name, there was Tab. This pink-canned pioneer of the diet soda world had a devoted following that lasted for decades. Tab pioneered calorie-free beverages and had a dedicated cult following for an impressive 57 years.

However, times changed and so did consumer preferences. Over the years, it became increasingly difficult to find TaB in stores, and Coca-Cola finally pulled the plug in 2020. The company explained they were streamlining their beverage portfolio, but that didn’t soften the blow for Tab’s loyal fans.

The passionate fanbase hasn’t given up hope entirely. Still, this news rocked TaB’s small but vocal fanbase, sparking a movement to bring their beloved soda back. However, despite a Change.org petition with over 7,500 signatures, Coca-Cola has not budged on its decision. Unfortunately, In 2022, a company spokesperson told CNN Business, “there are no plans to bring [Tab] back.” Unfortunately for fans, this one seems to be a lost cause.

Josta: The Energy Drink Before Energy Drinks Were Cool

Picture this: it’s 1995, and PepsiCo just launched something revolutionary. When PepsiCo launched Josta in 1995, it made history as the first energy drink introduced by a leading U.S. beverage brand. This innovative soda featured both caffeine and guarana, a plant from the Amazon that’s naturally high in caffeine.

Josta was way ahead of its time, arriving on the scene years before Red Bull would popularize energy drinks in America. Fans have said this drink tasted similar to cola but had a stronger, fruitier flavor, reminiscent of berries. The drink had a distinctive taste that set it apart from anything else on the market.

Sadly, being ahead of the curve didn’t guarantee success. While ads for the drink urged customers to “better do the good stuff now,” Josta failed to sell as well as PepsiCo hoped. In 1999, PepsiCo announced it was discontinuing Josta, blaming a shift in corporate strategy. The dedicated fans haven’t forgotten, though. Fans of the beverage started www.savejosta.org, and the soda most recently made a cameo in Marvel’s “Loki” series on Disney+.

Surge: The Extreme Citrus Comeback Story

Surge, introduced by Coca-Cola in the mid-1990s, was more than just a soda; it was an adrenaline rush in a can. This citrus-flavored beverage aimed to compete with Mountain Dew and quickly became a symbol of extreme sports and youthful energy. Everything about this neon-green soda screamed the decade it came from.

The discontinuation hit fans hard in the early 2000s. Unfortunately, due to declining sales and changing consumer preferences, Surge was discontinued in the early 2000s. But here’s where the story gets interesting – this is one of the rare success stories in the world of discontinued sodas.

After being discontinued in 2003, devoted Surge enthusiasts organized online campaigns and petitions that eventually convinced Coca-Cola to bring back their beloved citrus soda. Social media activism actually worked! Today, you can find Surge in select stores and online, proving that sometimes fan power really can make a difference. It’s a testament to what passionate consumers can achieve when they band together.

Slice: The Fruit Soda That Lost Its Way

Slice was once everywhere in the 1980s and 1990s, offering a refreshing alternative to traditional cola flavors. The brand started strong with its natural fruit juice marketing angle, which was revolutionary at the time. However, success bred complexity, and that became its downfall.

Eventually, Slice offered 15 fruit flavors to choose from, which muddied the brand’s voice and contributed to a decline in sales and discontinuation. Sometimes having too many options confuses consumers rather than attracting them. While the original Slice is gone as we know it, a completely different-looking Slice soda returned in 2018 with a new recipe and design (though that also appears to be gone as of February 2024).

There’s some hope on the horizon for Slice fans. Additionally, there are rumors now circling that a revival part two is on the horizon for 2025, following an acquisition by Suja Life. Whether this new version will capture the magic of the original remains to be seen.

Coca-Cola Spiced: The Flavor That Fizzled Fast

Not all discontinued sodas are vintage classics – some are surprisingly recent casualties. But instead, it kept the ball rolling with the launch of Coca-Cola Spiced in February 2024. Poured into red and pink swirled cans, the fresh flavor was said to mesh together tastes of raspberry and spices with traditional Coke.

The name was misleading, though. The main issue with Spiced was its misleading name. Instead of a spicy beverage, Spiced combined the classic Coke taste with a raspberry twist. The soda received mixed feedback from consumers, with some enjoying its pronounced raspberry flavor and others comparing it to cough syrup.

While the flavor, launched in February 2024, was advertised as a permanent offering, it had a surprisingly short run. After only six months on the market, Coca-Cola decided to cut its losses. “we’re planning to phase out Coca-Cola Spiced to introduce an exciting new flavor in 2025.” In this same round of soda pop layoffs, Cherry Vanilla Coke and Diet Coke with Splenda also got the boot.

OK Soda: The Anti-Marketing Marketing Campaign

OK Soda was not just a beverage but a cultural statement. Launched by Coca-Cola in 1993, it was known for its unusual marketing and quirky packaging that resonated with the Gen X crowd. The entire marketing approach was deliberately unconventional, almost anti-corporate in its messaging.

The taste was as unconventional as its marketing. The taste was a mix of cola and fruit flavors, which some found surprisingly refreshing. The packaging featured abstract art and philosophical musings that were supposed to appeal to the cynical, alternative culture of the early 1990s.

Despite its creative approach, OK Soda couldn’t maintain momentum. Despite its artistic appeal and cult following, OK Soda was short-lived, disappearing two years after its launch. Its avant-garde approach remains a fascinating chapter in soda history, remembered as much for its marketing as its taste. Interestingly, While the original OK Soda is not likely to come back, it did inspire Evan Nied to launch the similarly stylized OK Energy drink in 2024.

Pepsi Nitro: The Nitrogen-Infused Innovation

When it bubbled up in 2022, after three years of development, Pepsi Nitro was a soda revelation. It was heralded as the first-ever nitrogen-infused cola drink, meaning it was made using nitrogen gas instead of carbon dioxide, giving it smaller bubbles and a smoother texture compared to original Pepsi.

The technology behind Pepsi Nitro was genuinely innovative. Guinness stout beer and certain cold-brew coffees are created using a similar technique. This created a creamy, almost velvety mouthfeel that was completely different from traditional sodas.

However, innovation doesn’t always guarantee longevity. And, like these two beverages, Pepsi Nitro is probably also somewhat of an acquired taste since the company has decided to pull it from production starting in 2025. The unique texture that made it special may have also made it too niche for mainstream success.

Brownie Caramel Cream: The Regional Root Beer Star

The late 1920s and early 1930s were a great time for soda. This period saw a bunch of new soda brands hit the market, and Brownie, a caramel cream root beer soda, was undoubtedly one of the cutest. First produced by the Atlas Beverage Company around 1929, this Michigan-based drink was well-known throughout the state, partly due to its bright, colorful label and cartoon mascot.

The brand expanded beyond its signature flavor over time. While Brownie started with caramel cream root beer soda, the flavor that undoubtedly made its name, it soon branched out into other varieties such as cream, strawberry, and bulldog ginger beer. Each flavor maintained the playful branding that made Brownie special.

Like many regional sodas, Brownie couldn’t survive the consolidation of the beverage industry. Brownie remained a family affair until 1996, when the founder’s sons closed the original plant and shut up shop. However, there’s been a resurrection of sorts. It seemed like that was the end for Brownie, until vintage soda company Orca Beverage came along and revived the soda as part of its portfolio. It’s not cheap to purchase these days (a case of 12 bottles costs a whopping $55 online), but if you want to try a blast from the past, it’s the soda for you.

Coca-Cola Blak: The Coffee-Cola Experiment

While Coca-Cola pairs nicely with many things, coffee might not be the first one that comes to mind. Yet when Coca-Cola Blak hit stores in 2006, the potential allure of a Coke and coffee mash-up was too good for the soda company to pass on. The drink represented Coca-Cola’s attempt to break into the growing coffee market.

The beverage packed a serious caffeine punch. Given it contained twice the caffeine of a regular Coke, it was expected to be a big hit. The combination seemed perfect for consumers who wanted both the familiar taste of Coca-Cola and the energy boost of coffee.

Unfortunately, execution didn’t match expectations. However, the beverage failed to jolt Coke’s fanbase, and it disappeared from store shelves in a mere 16 months. There are several likely reasons why Coca-Cola Blak fizzled out, including its off-brand packaging and niche marketing strategy. The experimental and energizing drink was rumored to have an unusual taste, as well, with a creamy coffee consistency that frothed when poured.

Sprite Remix: The Tropical Twist That Couldn’t Last

The early 2000s were all about remixes – in music and apparently in sodas too. But dialing back the clock, one of the beverage’s earlier spin-offs was the Remix series. Like original Sprite, these were caffeine-free sodas but sporting fruitier flavors like Tropical, BerryClear, and Aruba Jam with tastes of cherry and lime.

The Remix series was Sprite’s attempt to capture the tropical flavor trend that was popular during that era. Each variant offered something different from the classic lemon-lime formula that had made Sprite famous. The marketing was energetic and youth-focused, targeting the same demographic that was embracing remix culture in music.

However, the tropical twist came with a catch that may have contributed to its downfall. This line was dumped in 2005 after just three years in production–possibly related to the drinks’ high sugar content, standing at over twice the amount of regular Sprite, or just a sign that the fad had run its course. However, a few glimpses of the collection have popped up since, such as the similar Sprite Tropical Mix and in Wendy’s Coke Freestyle machines where Aruba Jam was featured for a limited time in 2024.

The Hunt for Liquid History

Finding these discontinued sodas has become something of a treasure hunt for beverage enthusiasts. Many are serving hard-to-find rare sodas to inject old-fashioned fun into get-togethers. Vintage soda is gaining a major following, with fans hunting everywhere for a flavor they have yet to try. Vintage soda tasting parties are also quickly becoming a trend. Best of all, every age group can participate.

The scarcity has created an entire market for these forgotten flavors. Some specialty soda companies like Orca Beverage have made it their mission to revive discontinued brands, while others remain lost to time. Though the specialty and regional soda sipping experience is rare, more and more candy shops, convenience stores and specialty food stores are carrying specialty soda than ever before.

Online marketplaces have become the go-to destination for soda collectors, though prices can be shocking. Empty vintage soda cans command high prices among collectors, with some rare examples selling for thousands of dollars. Values would likely be in the $5,000 to $7,000 range for a clean can for certain vintage brands.