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02/04/2007: New Article? Yes! About old soda!

There was a time, many, many years ago, when I wrote these things called “articles.” I was feeling nostalgic, so I decided, what the hey? Let’s use, a lot of commas, and see if it still feels, okay, to write articles.

Today’s feature chooses “eleven” as its arbitrary token number and examines “eleven” different soft drinks that are no longer with us, running the gamut from Surge to Strawberry Burst Pepsi and beyond. It’s my way of getting a return on the many thousands spent to amass a ridiculous collection of old, sealed soda cans.

I hope you find the article to your liking, because I gave up watching Wolf Creek to write it, and I really wanted to see that “head on a stick” part.

Posted by Matt. E-mail me!

Discussion Thread: 486 comments

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That there can caddy in the picture is right purdy, yuh-huh

Ghosted by Rhino @ 02/04/2007 6:06 PM EST

I have lousy timing.

Ghosted by Hoverbored @ 02/04/2007 6:08 PM EST

[...]see if it still feels, okay, to write articles.

okay ray smuckles

Ghosted by mark! @ 02/04/2007 6:10 PM EST

How could you forget Josta?

Ghosted by dave @ 02/04/2007 6:18 PM EST

Good article. Josta was where it was really at back then. If I could bring back any soda it would be that one.

Ghosted by Eddie Lightning Frog @ 02/04/2007 6:18 PM EST

I’ve tried not to post if I don’t have anything to post, lately? How’m I doing?

I have two stories:
1. In eleventh grade chemistry one of our labs was to figure out what the hell made the bubble guys in Orbitz float around like that. The teacher kept his bottles of Orbitz safer than he kept the various acids in the room because he liked doing the lab so much and it’s nigh impossible to find.

2. The local grocery store had a free Surge dispenser for, like, five years. It was awesome.

Ghosted by Katherine @ 02/04/2007 6:19 PM EST

I remember reading that Vault uses almost the same formula as Surge, only Vault has more caffeine than Surge did. The very first time I tried it I thought it was just like Surge.

Ghosted by PunisherBass @ 02/04/2007 6:35 PM EST

Let’s see I liked Crystal Pepsi and Pepsi Blue. Does that make me a Pepsi fanboy?

It warms my heart that, at least for a while, Heatmiser and Snowmiser had their own Pepsi variants. They could have used them to plug ‘em. That would have owned!!

American Science and Surplus and The Battle for Pepsi Blue for you to enjoy.

Ghosted by K- @ 02/04/2007 6:35 PM EST

Forgive my second post. Just as I placed a post on the last thread, I went back to the blog and found that a new thread had been published while I was preparing my comment on the last one. Oh, well. The weather is great where I live right now, very warm and sunny, so the soda theme seems very appropriate. I remember Crystal Pepsi(stank!), Pepsi Blue (liked), and Surge(kinda so-so). In case nobody reads my post on the last entry, why don’t we think of Valentine’s Day-themed episodes of 80’s/early 90’s tv shows? If he wants to, and if he hasn’t done so before, Matt could then write a review for one.

Ghosted by Hoverbored @ 02/04/2007 6:45 PM EST

Heh, I read Tropical Chill Pepsi as Tropical Chili Pepsi at first. That would be one hellauva failure……

Ghosted by Loneman1 @ 02/04/2007 7:12 PM EST

what about code red mountain dew i lived off that stuff

Ghosted by justin @ 02/04/2007 7:15 PM EST

Yayyyyyyyyyyy.

That’s all.

Ghosted by Mystie @ 02/04/2007 7:16 PM EST

I guess I was in 9th grade when Surge first came out, and while it was wildly popular at first, soon rumors started spreading that the yellow dye they used was actually a spermicide and that drinking it would drastically lower your sperm count (I’ve heard these same rumors attatched to Mountain Dew, but never on the level that they were with Surge, at least locally).

Naturally, this rumor eventually evolved into “Surge causes shrinkage of your genitals”.

Ghosted by Wukong @ 02/04/2007 7:18 PM EST

I absolutely hated Surge. and while I’m at it, I also hated Kick and Jolt and all those other fucking nerdy hacker drinks.

Ghosted by dohopoki @ 02/04/2007 7:21 PM EST

I swear Pepsi Clear tasted like soap. I remember being so excited to buy it and so disappointed to drink it.
I also remember watching Top Gun on VHS with the Pepsi commercial before the infomous Paramount intro. It was about this pilot that had a malfunction with his “Refreshment System” which would shoot a pepsi out between his legs. So instead of admitting defeat he inverted his plane and poured the drink via gravity into a coffee cup. Ah….the choice of a new generation. Good stuff.

Ghosted by Bill @ 02/04/2007 7:25 PM EST

I definately remember Surge, Orbitz, and Crystal and Blue Pepsi.

Orbitz just plain stunk, and the gel balls didn’t help. It was like they couldn’t decide if they were a soda or a flavored water.

Crystal Pepsi- Flat Pepsi sums it up.

Pepsi Blue- This was actually pretty good, if you’re a fan of plain fruit sodas (strawberry, grape, orange. Also, does anyone know you can’t find diet fruit sodas like every other flavor?) in general. Heck, MD Livewire still exists, no reason why this can’t be brought back under a new name.

Surge- MD on steroids. This was good, but you were hyper after drinking it. Maybe parental backlash was the reason it doesn’t exist anymore. BTW, does Vault still exist? I tried it when it first came out. It wasn’t bad but I haven’t seen it for a long time.

Justin- Code Red still exists, at least around here it does. I haven’t heard anything about it being discontinued.

Ghosted by JLAJRC @ 02/04/2007 7:27 PM EST

The Tropical Chill Pepsi brings back a very good childhood memory for me.
Sleeping in the backyard with the kiddie pool converted into the most awesome bed ever.
While the Strawberry Burst brings back a horrible one. Not traumatic, but not fun. Sitting in our old blazing hot Jeep herokee while my dad changed the tire in the parking lot of the world’s most ghetto ass shopping center.

Ghosted by Somethin' Funny @ 02/04/2007 7:30 PM EST

Man, I wish I had saved some of the 11,000 Pepsi Cool Cans I bought back in the day. I’d be rich now!

Ghosted by lara @ 02/04/2007 7:43 PM EST

Hah! I still have a bottle of Orbitz on my bookshelf. The floaters look like they’re starting to lose some cohesion, and the liquid is a bit more yellowy than it used to be, but otherwise it’s still in pretty good shape.

Surge and Jolt are the reason I’m alive today. They’re also the reason I’m going to have a massive heart attack at the age of thirty-two, but that’s all in the future. Oh, and Vault is still around so far as I know. I snag a bottle whenever I find myself at a gas station which lacks Jones Green Apple.

Ghosted by Jedoc @ 02/04/2007 7:55 PM EST

I tried Pepsi Fire when I was in Malaysia. It was so-so. When I travel abroad I always hit up a store to check out the soda and candy selection.

Ghosted by Sepp Heckmann @ 02/04/2007 8:13 PM EST

The rapper for the PEPSI COOL CANS was Young MC. I remember it well because there was a cash give away if you found the lucky cool can.
YOUNG MC to “Bust-a-move”: “Cool cans are coming so don’t be afraid and if you get lucky then you might get paid” Oooohhh yeahhh.

SURGE: Everywhere I went, SURGE was being given away. After school, the SURGE van. After the SMASHING PUMPKINS CONCERT, SURGE was there. After the old Jacksonville Lizard Kings ECHL game, SURGE was there and it was free! I even filmed a SURGE commercial for my high school T.V. production class.
Finally, I saw (but sadly did not buy) COKE II in college in Statesboro, GA (???)

GREAT ARTICLE MATT!

Ghosted by The Manimal @ 02/04/2007 8:30 PM EST

Matt, Satan is still wondering if you’ll be his Valentine’s. He won’t relent until you give him an answer.

Ghosted by Mike P @ 02/04/2007 8:38 PM EST

Man, Surge. I still can’t believe I ever put that into me, but it was middle school and I was willing to try any stupid “cool” thing that came down the pipe. (I had it for breakfast. The rest of that day was awesome.)

I make no such claims for Orbitz, as I was just suckered in by the awesome look of the thing. And does Coke Blak fall into this category yet? Because I don’t know anyone who’s ever bought the damn thing, and it’s certainly a dumb enough concept.

Ghosted by Declan Dempsey @ 02/04/2007 8:43 PM EST

As soon as it gets approved, my original post will show. It will show you the glory that is American Surplus and Supply and the X-E classic The Fight for Pepsi Blue.

I should know better, two links automatically puts a post into the approval bin. Oh well.

Ghosted by K- @ 02/04/2007 8:44 PM EST

I loved Surge. Maybe it was because it was so like Mountain Dew. (Which is still my favorite.) Yet it was different. Ah. I remember drinking it on vacation one year and playing a lot of air hockey with my cousin. I think I won every game. Good times.

Also Orbitz. I’m pretty sure we bought those at Target. Everything else I either never had or found terrible.

Great article, thank you!

Ghosted by Rainbowfeet @ 02/04/2007 8:46 PM EST

Forgive the double post but this is a topic I can relate to.
I’d like to also give another nod to the “Blue Raspberry taking over the world in 1991″. For those of you who weren’t around or don’t remember, truer words were never typed.

Secondly, is there a way to preserve unopened cans? I know my STAR WARS CANS *sigh* all burst open. Can it be done or do they have to be drained? Matt? Anyone?

Ghosted by The Manimal @ 02/04/2007 8:49 PM EST

i’m surprised the “holiday” pepsi isn’t on here. i think it was about 2 christmas’ ago? it had cinnamon and some other “holiday” spices in it as well.

i def. remember when pepsi blue came out….tasted and looked like windex to me!

Ghosted by hope @ 02/04/2007 9:07 PM EST

Growing up in a town where there was NOTHING to do, a new soda was a huge event. We all loved Orbitz, and hated both Crystal Pepsi and Pepsi Blue. Never had Surge where I live- bummer!

Went to a flea market today with only ten bucks…so, by the time I got to the table with the Star Wars and Thundercats toys, I couldn’t buy any! And they had an old school Lando…I might have to go back next week and buy him or Panthro.

Ghosted by Muppet Baby @ 02/04/2007 9:12 PM EST

Crystal Pepsi I loved; Pepsi Blue I hated.

Ghosted by Ragnarok @ 02/04/2007 9:16 PM EST

Oh wow, a new article!!!! I was reading it while trying to watch the Super Bowl at the same time. Anyway, I got through the article but not all the photos were downloaded the first time so I had to click it on again to see all those cool cans! Well, it’s halftime and while I wait for Prince to have a wardrobe malfunction of some sort, I might as well put my two cents in.

Anyway, Matt, great article! I totally remember Crystal Pepsi and Pepsi Blue. Surge sounds familiar, but I don’t recall if I ever drank it. Actually, Surge is not Coke’s first attempt to copy Pepsi’s Mountain Dew. Before that, they had Mello Yello which I swear was exactly like Mountain Dew. Anyway, I think some places up in Minnesota still carry Mello Yello, but I never noticed. Oh yeah, and does anyone remember Slice? That’s was Pepsi’s attempt to copy Sprite, but that’s what Sierra Mist does now. Actually, I do recall that 7UP and Sprite had different tastes but now they taste very similar. Anyway, back to the Blog entry.

All I can say on the sodas I mentioned was that I really did like all three of them. I thought Crystal Pepsi tasted just fine both in its original formula and when they added the citrus. I also liked Pepsi Blue very much. Okay, please excuse me but I was a dumb kid growing up. There was this soda that I used to drink that looked just hideous. The old bubble gum Hubba Bubba had a soda out called Hubba Bubba Cola. The liquid of all colors was PINK!!!! Now that I look back, I couldn’t imagine anyone looking at it let alone drink it but I drunk it…and I LIKED it!

Anyway, what ever happened to Jolt Cola? I know they have Jolt Gum but I haven’t seen the soda in a long time. I tried the Jolt treatment one time when I was cramming for finals in school. It never worked and I always ended up falling asleep anyway. Actually, when I drink Mountain Dew and/or Vault nowadays it still never keeps me up for any length of time. I always manage to fall asleep and all it does for me is make me piss a lot. I guess caffeine has a reverse effect on me or something.

Anyway, I better wrap this up because I can’t think of much else to say. I’m a bit pissed that AFN does not air any of the Super Bowl commercials and instead I have to sit through boring commercials about the military. Oh well, at least I get to see the cool commercials online. Hopefully downloading them with my connection won’t be too long. Anyway, once again, great article Matt! Hope you write another again very soon!

Oh, one other mention since someone mentioned Valentine’s Day. I guess it’s about time to unwrap and watch the old classic “Be My Valentine Charlie Brown” special on DVD. I myself don’t have any reason to celebrate Valentine’s Day (single, depressed, and living in Iraq, why would I need a miserable holiday like that), but I will always welcome an old Charlie Brown special into my viewing eyes any day! I need that space to fill between the Christmas and Easter specials so I figure Valentine’s Day will do just fine. Why couldn’t they do a St. Patrick’s Charlie Brown special? Anyway, I gotta go….

Ghosted by BJ @ 02/04/2007 9:19 PM EST

This article is exactly why X-Entertainment is my all-time favorite website. Thanks, Matt.

Ghosted by Review the World @ 02/04/2007 9:33 PM EST

An actual article? Be still my heart–thanks, Matt! This is MUCH better than watching the Super Bowl.

Ghosted by Joey the Girl @ 02/04/2007 9:40 PM EST

Short and sweet… thanks, Matt! This is why I’ve spent years loving X-E!

Ghosted by Andy @ 02/04/2007 10:04 PM EST

I never tried Pepsi Blue because I have a rule against drinking liquid that looks like window cleaner. Unless its a Jones Soda. :9

Never knew Slice was gone…Mandarin Orange Slice was teh tasty! :9 Now my fave orange soda is Livewire.

I tried Coke Blak, it wasn’t bad. Tasted like a Coke that someone spilled a mocha into. Unfortunately my local gas station never got another shipment of it.

BJ – if you have too much caffiene, it does have the opposite effect. It can also make you pretty sick, too, if you keep trying to counter it with MORE caffiene. I did that with popping NoDoz and Dew once an hour when I was in military tech school. Wound up on my back for 2 days.

(wonders who else got mark!’s Ray Smuckles remark How’d you like the GOF?)

Ghosted by Moony @ 02/04/2007 11:08 PM EST

I loved this article, excellent.

Just curious, Matt. Did you ever try OK Soda when it was out?

Ghosted by kb @ 02/04/2007 11:11 PM EST

Ahh, yes, fond memories of Crystal Pepsi. I drank it fairly often, and I’ve always been more of a Coke person. Also liked that “Limited Edition” Holiday Spice Pepsi from a few Christmas seasons ago. My mom lived on the coffee-flavored Kona Pepsi in the mid-90s. HATED Pepsi Blue (I still think it looked and tasted like windshield wiper fluid). Slice wasn’t really much different than Sprite (or Sierra Mist, for that matter).

As for discontinued Coke, I only have very vague memories of New Coke and Coke II. Vanilla Coke was my favorite soda for many years; it still pops up in a few select places, usually in a soda fountain. I never tried Surge but do remember the can. I see Vault all over the place; the grocery store where I work sells it. I do remember seeing Jolt, but as with Surge, never tried it.

Ghosted by starwenn @ 02/04/2007 11:19 PM EST

I’ve been waiting on pins and needles. Matt, did you get my Email or not? There’s been no reply yet.

Ghosted by Mars @ 02/04/2007 11:24 PM EST

Manimal, from what Steve Sansweet in the Star Wars Insider says, cans have to be drained eventually. He suggested putting a nail in the bottom, so then you don’t have to ruin the top by opening it. Hope that helps.
Wasn’t there a pink Dr. Pepper in 2003? Fusion, or something like that.

Ghosted by FyarlGirl @ 02/04/2007 11:31 PM EST

A couple of years ago, I was able to procure a full can of Coke II via eBay for under $10. I then did a taste test. The fact that I didn’t boot was satsifaction enough.

Ghosted by Tom @ 02/04/2007 11:38 PM EST

wow I know for a fact that I have actually drank surge, crystal pepsi, orbitz, and blue. I’m wondering if pepsi fire tasted like pepsi holiday spice. Orbitz was some of the grossest stuff I’ve ever tasted I remember for some reason having to pretty much chew those stupid ball things. However for some weird reason I miss pepsi blue because it was not so long ago that it was within my grasp.

Ghosted by danny @ 02/04/2007 11:50 PM EST

Last year I had a drink that was like Orbitz with gigantism or elephantitus or a hydrocele -whatever medical condition that causes huge balls you wanna insert! I was thristy as hell and went to this Thai food place for a lemonade, and I saw this sign that said “add bubbles for $1!” Which I assumed meant carbonization. Instead, I got this drink with a 3/4 of an inch thick straw and black balls the size of Peanut M&Ms at the bottom! I sucked one up and it gummy bear-esque in consistancy and coconut flovored. WEIRD!!! It took me nearly an hour to drink the damn thing because of all the chewing! Highly suggested unless your highly thirsty!

Ghosted by Ponsonby Britt @ 02/05/2007 12:15 AM EST

that sounds like a bubble tea type thing.

Ghosted by Phil B. @ 02/05/2007 12:31 AM EST

I had a thought, “what if the powers of the internets could be appleid to 1-800-I-FEEL-OK?”

Here’s my answer:[URL=http://www.voicenet.com/~ntareski/ok/sounds.html]OK[/URL]
OK Soda sound bites, but they’re in Real Media, so I won’t touch them.

Ghosted by Mad Cow @ 02/05/2007 12:47 AM EST

The first time I drank Pepsi Blue, I remember thinking two things:

A) This tastes like rat poison.
B) How the holy hell did Pepsi manage to screw up the flavor of a BLUE LIQUID?

Ghosted by Whatever @ 02/05/2007 12:56 AM EST

Dude, Matt, I have 2 unopened bottles of Vanilla Coke down my basement, why didn’t you mention this at all?!

And PLEASE tell me that the Pepsi Blue bottle was the same one from the Skeletor Pokemon Battle article!

Also, I spent the Super Bowl at the frat house, and good times were had. Sucks that Da Bears lost, but everyone snarked over the ads and halftime show (no more than 5 people said that Prince should be working at 7-11, and one said he should be scrubbing his toilet), and halfway through, it didn’t matter about the Colts winning, only to make sure that someone won money. (and it happened)

I’m watching Puppy Bowl III on Animal Planet right now, and god damn, it’s so hyopnotic!

Ghosted by Invader Norbert @ 02/05/2007 12:58 AM EST

Great seeing an article again! I’d like to see more. I remember all of them. I also remember enjoying Crystal Pepsi. I tried Surge once, made me choke. I was an avid Mountain Dew fan. You should mention Pepsi Kona if you do a follow up.

Another drink I’d like a mention of is something from Pepsi called Storm. I stopped drinking Mountain Dew when this came out, and when it dissappeared, I pretty much gave up soda. It tasted like a Slice or Sprite type drink, just it had extra caffiene. And predating the Red Bull & Vodka fad, I often enjoyed a mixture of Storm and Seagram’s 7 or Canadian Mist brands of blended whisky.

Ghosted by Joe @ 02/05/2007 1:51 AM EST

If you do a Part II to this article, I’d love to see you talk about the soda “Kick!” which was released around 1995. I Loved that Soda

Ghosted by T.L. @ 02/05/2007 1:58 AM EST

Oh, and good call on “Josta”! Now that was a Great Soda. That was also released around 1995

Ghosted by T.L. @ 02/05/2007 2:02 AM EST

I was in my room at the time and heard Best of You, and I ran out thinking it was the Foos–pissed that no one had even mentioned them playing Half Time–and found none other than the purple one.

What I heard of it wasn’t that bad. Or did he do Times Like These? Damn, I can’t remember.

Ghosted by K- @ 02/05/2007 2:11 AM EST

Okay this is off topic..and if anyone has brought this up already i apologize in advance but…
I was at target today and i picked up a pack of CHOCOLATE flavored bubble yum…i havent tried it yet but it sounded so horrible that i just had to buy it. It seemed like something only other X-E readers would appreciate.

Ghosted by Katella @ 02/05/2007 2:18 AM EST

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