Pepsi Says Goodbye to Sierra Mist and Introduces New Sprite Rival

Imagine Coca-Cola kissing Sprite goodbye. Sure, it's not as popular as Coke, but fans of the lemon-lime flavored soda might raise an uproar if it was suddenly axed. PepsiCo, on the other hand, has voted its lemon-lime flavored soft drink, Sierra Mist, off the island and so far no protests have ensued. The beverage giant has replaced it with Starry, a lemon-lime flavored beverage packaged in bright yellow and green cans and bottles marketed with the slogan, "Starry Hits Different."

There's been little public outrage aimed at Pepsi over Sierra Mist's cancellation, and we have yet to spot a petition circulating to bring it back. Perhaps, it's because too few fans know about Pepsi's decision. Or — and this is what we're leaning toward — it's because Sierra Mist never delivered the balance of flavors that Sprite mastered.

Sprite tingles from the moment it taps your tongue until it lands in your tummy. It's got the kick of carbonation, the bite of lemon, and the sweet zest of lime — everything is in equilibrium. Sierra Mist tasted like a flat Sprite knock-off that leaned too far into lime and left lemon behind. Though Pepsi is marketing Starry as an entirely new lemon-lime flavor, some of those who have tried it have taken to social media to say it tastes the same as Sierra Mist. So, if you loved Sierra Mist, you might be happy to hear that, and if you were hoping Pepsi would get a lemon-lime leg up on Coke, our condolences. 

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Starry has already hit the market, so you may be able to get your hands on both regular and sugar-free versions of the caffeine-free beverage at stores, restaurants, or a Costco food court near you. As for Sierra Mist, you may still see bottles and cans of it hanging around, at least until it fizzles out.