RIP Sierra Mist: You Were a Real One
Let’s come together and offer a hearty RIP Sierra Mist. PepsiCo has discontinued the lemon-lime soda in favor of a new offering.
The news broke last month, and NBC10 reported on it:
“At PepsiCo, we are hyper focused on consumer centric innovation, and we know there’s a strong demand for lemon lime flavored soda with the category continuing to accelerate,” said Greg Lyons, chief marketing officer of PepsiCo Beverages North America, in a press release. “With one product dominating the category, consumers deserve another option….one that hits different. Starry is bright, optimistic, and rooted in culture and fun.”
Translation: Sprite, owned by Coca-Cola, has been kicking Sierra Mist’s ass in the arena of clear, citrusy, carbonated beverages. So out with Sierra Mist and in with Starry, I guess?
https://twitter.com/PepsiStarry/status/1614169732634103813
Wow. That’s cold. Literally.
RIP Sierra Mist: You Were a Real One
Sierra Mist debuted in 1999, just as I was graduating from Northeastern University. From the jump, it was a head-scratcher to me. I already had Sprite and 7-Up in the cooler at my local convenience store. Why would I need a third lemon-lime soda option? I was never much of a lemon-lime soda guy to begin with. Soda was a fast-food thing for me, and it was always either a Coke or a Dr. Pepper to go with my burger and fries.
But then Sierra Mist started popping up at some of the fast food joints I frequented. So I tried it. It was all right! Paired well with chicken sandwiches to my underdeveloped, early-20s, junk food palate. So it was good to have a third alternative after all. I have a feeling that the death of Sierra Mist will hit Gen-Y and Gen-Z harder than it’s hitting me, as there’s that 2000s nostalgia tied in to the brand. But hey, now we have Starry, right? Might have to give that one a try.
