90s kids did not drink water. They drank things that were neon green, totally clear, tie-dye labeled or full of floating balls. Drink companies spent the decade chasing "extreme" teens and lunchbox kids, and the result was the strangest drinks aisle in history. Here are the 90s drinks everyone remembers, when they launched and what became of them.
Quick answer
The most iconic 90s drinks were Surge (1997), Crystal Pepsi (1992), Fruitopia (1994), Orbitz (1997), Josta (1995), Snapple, AriZona Iced Tea (1992), Clearly Canadian, SoBe, Squeezits, Capri Sun and Hi-C Ecto Cooler. Snapple, AriZona and Capri Sun are still sold. Crystal Pepsi and Surge come back in limited runs, and Orbitz and Josta are long gone.
Key takeaways
- Clear drinks were a 1992–1993 craze built on a "clear means pure" pitch.
- Soda brands chased extreme-sports teens with neon colors and caffeine.
- Juice pouches and squeeze bottles ruled the lunchbox.
- A few 90s drinks are still on shelves; most only return as nostalgia releases.
The 90s drinks at a glance
| Drink | US launch | What it was | Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal Pepsi | 1992 | Caffeine-free clear cola | Limited comebacks |
| Surge | 1997 | Neon-green citrus soda | Limited comebacks |
| Fruitopia | 1994 | Tie-dye-label fruit drinks from Coca-Cola | Largely gone from US shelves |
| Orbitz | 1997 | Clear drink with floating gel balls | Discontinued |
| Josta | 1995 | Guarana soda from PepsiCo | Discontinued |
| AriZona Iced Tea | 1992 | Tall cans of iced tea | Still sold |
| Snapple | Older brand, huge in the 90s | Bottled iced teas and juices | Still sold |
| Clearly Canadian | Popular from the early 90s | Sparkling flavored water in blue glass | Relaunched |
| SoBe | Mid 90s | Teas and juice drinks with a lizard logo | Still sold in some markets |
| Capri Sun | Older brand, a 90s lunchbox staple | Juice in a foil pouch | Still sold |
| Squeezit | Mid 80s, peak in the 90s | Squeezable plastic juice bottles | Discontinued |
| Hi-C Ecto Cooler | Late 80s | Ghostbusters-branded orange juice box | Occasional comebacks |
Crystal Pepsi and the clear craze
In 1992 PepsiCo released Crystal Pepsi, a caffeine-free cola with no color at all. It rode a short-lived "clear means pure" trend that also gave us clear dish soap and clear mouthwash. Curiosity made it a hit at first, but many people found the taste confusing, because it looked like water and tasted like cola, and it was gone from most shelves within about a year. It became a nostalgia legend and has returned in limited runs since.
- Crystal PepsiClear cola, 1992
- FruitopiaTie-dye labels, 1994
- JostaGuarana soda, 1995
- SurgeNeon green, 1997
- OrbitzFloating gel balls, 1997
- AriZonaTall cans, 1992
Surge, Josta and the extreme soda wars
The late 90s were all about "extreme": snowboards, skateboards and soda that promised energy. Coca-Cola launched Surge in the US in 1997 to compete with Mountain Dew, with a neon-green color and loud ads full of action sports. PepsiCo's Josta (1995) went further. Made with guarana, it is often called the first energy drink from a major US soda company. Josta was discontinued in 1999, and Surge faded in the early 2000s before fan campaigns helped bring it back in limited releases.
Fruitopia, Snapple and the new-age drink boom
Bottled iced teas and fruit drinks exploded in the 90s. Snapple became a pop culture brand, famous for fact-printed caps and quirky ads. AriZona Iced Tea arrived in 1992 in tall, colorful cans. Coca-Cola answered in 1994 with Fruitopia, whose psychedelic labels and flavor names like "Strawberry Passion Awareness" were pure 90s. Clearly Canadian sparkling water in its blue glass bottles was the fancy option at the gas station cooler.
Orbitz: the drink that looked like a lava lamp
If one drink sums up 90s weirdness, it is Orbitz. Launched in 1997 by Clearly Canadian, it was a clear, lightly sweet drink with small colored gel balls floating inside, and it looked more like a lava lamp than a beverage. People bought it to stare at it more than to drink it, and it was discontinued soon after. Today it is one of the most talked-about "you had to be there" drinks of the decade.
Fun fact: The gel balls in Orbitz were made with gellan gum, a food thickener, so they stayed suspended in the liquid instead of sinking.
Lunchbox drinks: pouches, squeeze bottles and juice boxes
For kids, the drink of the day came with lunch. Capri Sun pouches had a tiny straw you had to stab through the foil, and missing meant juice everywhere. Squeezits were squeezable plastic bottles with twist-off tops, often with a character face on them. Hi-C Ecto Cooler, a Ghostbusters-branded orange drink, became so beloved that it still has fans asking for it decades later. Our guide to 90s snacks covers what went with them.
Capri Sun
The straw-stab challenge.
Squeezits
Squeeze, sip, spill.
Juice boxes
Fold out the little wings.
Kool-Aid Bursts
Small squeeze bottles of bright juice.
Chocolate milk
The cafeteria carton classic.
Sunny D
The orange drink kids begged for.
Which 90s drinks can you still buy?
A handful never left. Snapple, AriZona and Capri Sun are still easy to find, and SoBe is still sold in some markets. Others return as nostalgia releases: Crystal Pepsi and Surge have both come back for limited runs, and Clearly Canadian has been relaunched. Orbitz and Josta survive only on collectors' shelves. Availability changes often, so check current retailers.
Throwing a 90s party? A "drinks of the decade" table with whatever comebacks are on sale is a great talking point. See 90s party food ideas and 90s themed cocktails for the grown-up version.
Conclusion
90s drinks were loud, colorful and often a little ridiculous, which is exactly why we miss them. For the rest of the menu, see 90s snacks, 90s candy and 90s fast food, or check which drinks launched each year in the food tab of the 90s Year Explorer. Think you remember them all? Take the snacks round of the 90s trivia quiz.
Frequently asked questions
What drinks were popular in the 90s?
Popular 90s drinks included Surge, Crystal Pepsi, Fruitopia, Snapple, AriZona Iced Tea, Clearly Canadian, SoBe, Squeezits, Capri Sun, Hi-C Ecto Cooler and Orbitz.
What was the clear soda from the 90s?
Crystal Pepsi, a caffeine-free clear cola launched by PepsiCo in 1992. It disappeared quickly but has returned in short nostalgia runs.
What was the green soda from the 90s?
Surge, a neon-green citrus soda Coca-Cola launched in the US in 1997. It faded out in the early 2000s and has since returned in limited runs.
What was the 90s drink with balls floating in it?
Orbitz, launched in 1997 by Clearly Canadian. It had small gel balls suspended in a clear drink and was discontinued soon after.
Can you still buy 90s drinks?
Some, like Snapple, AriZona and Capri Sun, never went away. Others, like Surge and Crystal Pepsi, come back now and then in limited releases, so check retailers and the brands' own announcements.