Even though they’re a hugely successful company, like pretty much all successful businesses, PepsiCo’s history is littered with products that were discontinued, rebranded, sold off, or just plain failed.
Here’s a look back at eight long-gone sodas Pepsi doesn’t make anymore — many of which you might not have even heard of, let alone remember drinking.
1. Teem soda
Before Sierra Mist was even a gleam in some Pepsi executive’s eye, the company launched Teem — a bubbly-lemon lime soda that debuted in 1960 to counter Sprite and 7-Up.
The brand lasted all the way up until 1984, when it was discontinued in the US and Canada to make way for Slice (which you can see below).
You can read more about it here: Teem soda: Remembering Pepsi’s lemon-lime soft drink before Sierra Mist
2. Patio sodas
In 1960, Pepsi a new product line, and they named it Patio. Patio. It was a line of non-cola sodas, available in orange (seen here in the cans from 1974), grape and root beer flavors.
“Once you and Patio have met — you’ll know which drink has the brightest flavor yet… flavor you’ll never forget.”
The soft drinks were discontinued by Pepsi in the mid-1970s.
3. Patio Diet Cola
Pepsi debuted their first diet cola in 1963, and parked it under the existing Patio brand.
Sugar-free Patio Diet Cola didn’t last long, though — just a year later, it was rebranded as Diet Pepsi.
4. Tropic Surf soda
Tropic Surf was a bottled and canned diet soft drink Pepsi launched in the late 60s. A citrus-flavored soda, it was called “a vacation in a bottle” with just 9 calories.
The vacation didn’t last long, though: We can’t find any mention of the product after 1969.
5. Retro Pepsi Light soda
Debuting in the mid-1970s, Pepsi Light was a low-calorie cola soda with a lemon flavor.
Around 1979, the formula was tweaked a little to make it a “one calorie” soft drink, but the drink was ultimately phased out in the 1980s.
6. On-Tap Draft Style Root Beer
On-Tap was launched in 1977 to replace Patio Root Beer. Nine years later, it, too went away, to make way for PepsiCo’s purchase of Mug Root Beer.
7. Pepsi Free soda (1983)
Pepsi Free, a no-caffeine cola, was introduced in 1982. It stuck around until 1987, when it just became Caffeine-Free Pepsi.
We think its ultimate claim to fame came from the movie Back to the Future, seen in this clip here:
8. Slice sodas
Slice fruity sodas were introduced in 1984. The original lemon-lime flavor was intended to replace Teem, and to compete against Coca-Cola’s Sprite and 7-Up.
Other flavors — Cherry Cola, Mandarin Orange and Apple — were introduced in 1986 (along with diet versions).
Originally made with 10% fruit juice, over the years, the juice content was reduced, and by 1990, was at zero percent. Other flavors were introduced, but the Slice brand faded away around 2010.
