RIP Sierra Mist

Are brands just bad at gauging what people want lately?                   [View on web]( Out for 2023: Sierra Mist. In for 2023: Starry? | Shutterstock Welcome to Eater’s Weekend Special, an inside look at what our staff was buzzing about this week This week, soda giant PepsiCo quietly decided that 2023 was the end for Sierra Mist, the company’s citrusy analogue to Coca-Cola’s Sprite. It’s been an up-and-down couple of decades for Sierra Mist, which was introduced by the company in 1999 and briefly rebranded to “Mist Twist” a few years later before returning to its original name in 2018. Now, though, PepsiCo is hawking a brand-new lemon-lime soda called Starry, which it describes as made for “a generation of irreverent optimists.” According to a PepsiCo [press release](, the demand for citrusy sodas has never been higher, which led the company to develop a new lemon-lime-flavored beverage that is “easy-to-drink, optimally sweet, and delivers both an exceptional taste and flavor experience.” But isn’t that exactly what Sierra Mist did? Wasn’t it appropriately sweet and packed with tons of citrusy flavor, perfect for pairing with a quesadilla from the Taco Bell drive-thru? Did it simply lack the appropriate amount of irreverent optimism to appeal to Gen Z, or is this yet another example of companies getting rid of products that feel “uncool” but are still deeply beloved by those who buy them? The announcement of Starry was met with rage and derision on social media. Some said that they [preferred]( the “less-sweet” Sierra Mist, and that it was “crispier” than a Sprite. Others [made fun]( of the soda’s dumb name. (In fairness to them, as I write this, I can’t stop reading it as “Starry” as if it rhymes with Harry, which is objectively hilarious.) At least [one person]( was pissed because Starry is made with corn syrup instead of cane sugar, like Sierra Mist was. Mostly, though, people just talked about how dumb it is to introduce a new product because teens might think it looks cool on Instagram. PepsiCo isn’t the only company to wade into a similar quagmire in recent months. Chili’s fans were outraged when the chain announced that it [would no longer serve]( its iconic Original Chicken Crispers (read: chicken tenders) in an effort to “simplify” its menu. Pastina fans have been rioting online for weeks after Ronzoni announced that it would [no longer make the tiny star-shaped pasta](. Now, folks are selling boxes of pastina on eBay for upwards of $20, and [plenty of people]( have apparently been willing to pay egregious prices for a box of tiny noodles. Similarly, [a single can of Sierra Mist]( just sold for $11. It’s likely that these fanatics are simply an extremely vocal minority, and that folks really are over Sierra Mist and pastina and Chicken Crispers. But it’s also entirely possible that these brands are just extremely bad at gauging what their customers actually want. In 2022, [Klondike discontinued its Choco Taco]( until fans, with their “overwhelming support,” essentially bullied the company into bringing it back at some point in the future. Maybe, hopefully, Sierra Mist will soon get to make its triumphant comeback, too. — Amy McCarthy Further reading: - One brave Massachusetts reporter conducted a [citrus soda taste test](, comparing Pepsi’s new offering Starry with the two stalwarts in the lemon-lime game, Sprite and 7UP. - Soda brands have really been on their bullshit over the past year, including [Coke’s attempt to make a beverage that somehow tastes like space](. - Also in soda news, Dr Pepper [just debuted its new strawberries and cream flavor](. It seems excessive to add two additional flavors to a beverage that already allegedly contains 23 distinct notes. If you like this email, please forward it to a friend. If you aren't signed up for this newsletter, you can [do so right here](.   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Manage your [email preferences]( or [unsubscribe](param=today). View our [Privacy Notice]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 11, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved.