1. Pepsi Free
If you grew up in the ’80s, you probably remember Pepsi Free as the cola you could drink late without getting jittery. The red cans looked so classic, and the name felt almost futuristic at the time. Kids thought it sounded special, parents liked that it skipped the caffeine, and everyone recognized it in commercials. It even earned a little pop culture moment in Back to the Future, which sealed it into our memories.
Then one day the name just started fading from shelves, almost like it had been a phase. Pepsi did not ditch the idea, they just quietly swapped the branding to Caffeine Free Pepsi. Shoppers kept buying the same cola, only the label had changed. The result was that Pepsi Free slipped into the past, and most of us only remember it when we rewatch old movies.
2. 7UP Gold
For a brief moment, 7UP decided to try something bolder than clear lemon lime. 7UP Gold showed up with an amber color and a spicy, almost cola like vibe. It felt exciting, because this was not the 7UP you poured at birthday parties. It was grown up, different, and a little mysterious.
But it never quite matched what people expected from 7UP, and the novelty wore off. Shelves started to skip it, and the regular green bottle kept the spotlight. If you blinked, you missed its entire run. By the end of the decade, 7UP Gold was already a memory.
3. Pepsi AM
Pepsi AM was the caffeine lover’s breakfast plan in a bottle. The pitch was simple, why brew coffee when you could drink your morning cola with extra zip. It sounded outrageous and very ’80s, which is probably why so many people tried it at least once. For a year there, it felt like soda was crossing into a new territory.
Then the coffee habit proved hard to beat, and the experiment quietly wrapped up. Convenience stores stopped ordering it, and fridges moved back to the usual lineups. It did not get a dramatic farewell, it just slipped away as quickly as it appeared. If you remember it, you were definitely there for peak cola curiosity.
4. Slice
Slice made fruit soda feel a little more grown up by bragging about real juice on the label. Mandarin Orange Slice was the standout, but the whole lineup felt bright and fun. Those cans lived at every pizza party, and you could spot them from across the room. It was a brand that felt totally in step with neon clothes and boom boxes.
Over time, the shelf space shrank as new citrus options showed up. The brand changed, got shuffled, and eventually drifted from most stores. You might find a regional one off now and then, but the ’80s Slice era is what people miss. It is the taste you remember when someone mentions fruit soda and arcades.
5. Hubba Bubba Soda
If you ever wanted your soda to taste like bubble gum, the ’80s granted that wish. Hubba Bubba Soda was sweet, pink, and proudly candy like. Kids loved it because it felt like getting away with something at lunch. Parents gave it a skeptical look, then usually took a curious sip anyway.
The fun, of course, was the whole point, but novelty drinks tend to come and go. Once the first wave of excitement passed, shelves moved on to safer flavors. It did not get a long goodbye, it just slowly stopped showing up. Now it lives in that part of your memory with scratch and sniff stickers and jelly shoes.
6. Life Savers Soda
Turning a candy aisle favorite into a drink felt like a brilliant idea on paper. Life Savers Soda leaned hard into those familiar fruit flavors, and the colors popped like a rainbow. The first sip was pure sugar rush nostalgia, and kids begged to try every flavor. It showed up at sleepovers, birthday parties, and convenience store runs.
But candy as a drink can be a tough habit to keep. Sales cooled after the initial thrill, and stores made room for simpler choices. In the end it disappeared without much fuss, leaving only the story behind. If you mention it now, people squint and say they can almost taste it again.
7. New Coke
In the middle of the ’80s, Coke made one of the boldest moves in soda history and changed the flavor. For a while the new formula led the lineup and tried to reset the classic. Some liked it, many did not, and the conversation never seemed to stop. It became the kind of debate that took over office break rooms and kitchen tables.
When the original recipe returned, the new name quietly lost ground. Bottles shifted, signage changed, and the experiment moved into the rearview mirror. The rebrand that had been everywhere just faded from stores. Today it is a trivia answer, and a reminder that taste buds can be very loyal.
8. Jolt Cola
Jolt Cola was the soda that sounded like it came with its own drum solo. It leaned into the idea of more energy, and it quickly became the insider pick for all nighters. College students, gamers, and late shift workers kept a stash in the fridge. The can had a certain swagger, and the name did the rest.
But shelf space is unforgiving, and energy drinks multiplied. Over time Jolt slipped off most mainstream lists, even if it popped up now and then. For many people it just stopped being easy to find, which is how things disappear. Mention it today and you will get a smile from anyone who crammed for exams in the ’80s.
9. Hi C Ecto Cooler
If you watched slimer antics, you probably begged for this neon green juice box. Hi C Ecto Cooler launched at the end of the decade and instantly became a lunchroom trophy. It tasted like sweet citrus, and it looked like a science experiment, which kids loved. Tie ins rarely felt this perfect, and this one became the star of the cooler.
Then the promotion ran its course, and the calendar moved on. Without the tie in heat, the flavor quietly retreated from stores. It made a few brief comebacks, then slipped away again, which only boosted the legend. Now it is a nostalgia lightning bolt, especially for fans of Ghostbusters.
10. Original New York Seltzer
Tiny glass bottles, clean bubbles, and simple flavors made Original New York Seltzer feel cool before seltzer was cool. It arrived with a downtown attitude that felt very ’80s. You could grab vanilla cream one day and black cherry the next, each one crisp and light. It was the drink you brought to a party when you wanted to be different.
Then the ’90s hit and shelves shifted to bigger brands and new fads. The little bottles became harder to spot, then vanished in many places. For years it was something you only talked about in memory. That quiet disappearance made the brand feel like a secret handshake among ’80s kids.
11. Like Cola
From the folks behind 7UP came a surprising swing at cola. Like Cola promised cola taste without the caffeine, which sounded very modern at the time. It was smooth, a little sweet, and clearly trying to carve its own lane. For a brief window, it felt like the soda aisle had a brand new voice.
Shoppers kept reaching for the classics, and momentum stalled. Stores gave it a try, then gave its spot to faster sellers. The name faded without a lot of ceremony, which is how most products bow out. If you remember it, you probably also remember where it sat on your corner store shelf.
12. Pepper Free
Imagine Dr Pepper, only without the caffeine, and you have Pepper Free. It was the same quirky flavor profile, just gentler for late nights. Fans were curious, and households that loved the taste gave it a chance. For a while, it was easy to spot next to the regular bottles.
Then the branding shifted to a straightforward caffeine free label, and the Pepper Free name slipped away. The drink lived on in spirit, but the identity disappeared from most signs. That is how a product can be both there and gone at the same time. In the nostalgia files, Pepper Free is the can you almost forgot you used to grab.