Barring the complete outlawing of fizzy drinks, the Coke vs. Pepsi fight will continue to be the main event in pop pugilism. But what about the albino step-siblings of these cola titans — the lemon-lime drinks? These lesser libations — Sprite, Sierra Mist, 7Up — have seen their ad budgets butchered and their sales sink in recent years. But none of them are willing to go down for the count without at least one last left hook.
In an effort to differentiate itself from the other beverages in the category, PepsiCo’s Sierra Mist has decided to tap into the growing market for real sugar sodas by phasing out its existing formula, which uses High Fructose Corn Syrup, in favor of the real sugar recipe of Sierra Mist Natural.
Says the VP of natural and flavored sodas at PepsiCo:
There’s not a strong reason to choose one [lemon-lime] brand over another…. And when we asked consumers what would re-engage them in soda, ‘natural’ was the No. 1 concept.
Meanwhile, AdAge reports that 7Up is reformulating its recipe and reworking its graphics in hopes of staying competitive in a category dominated by Sprite. In addition to the formulation redo, 7Up says they plan on spending the equivalent of a whole year’s ad budget on in just the last four months of 2010.
So, would the fact that Sierra Mist will soon be HFCS free make it any more appealing to you?
Lemon-Lime Gets Boost After Years of Neglect [AdAge.com]
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Hell to the YEAH! I’ve been a whore for Pepsi Throwback since it came out. I’ll totally drink Sierra Mist when it goes HFCS free. I bet PepsiCo is going to watch their sales of this drink jump…at least I hope they do.
Canada sprite does not use HFCS btw.
Had it while in the Yukon area and was like shocked that the sprite tasted even better.
personally Sprite is far superior than all other lemon lime drinks.
I have loved Diet Sierra Mist since it first came out, but I have the hardest time finding it. Every time they redesign the package I am afraid that means that soon it will gone all together. I buy 2 2-liter bottles a week. I guess I need to step up my purchasing if I want them to keep making it.
You mean something like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca-Cola_C2 ?
Sugar is sugar, people. It’s a marketing ploy that’s all.
A recent study showed that rats fed a diet in which HFCS was substituted for part of the control calories gained weight. ALL of the HFCS rats gained weight. Can’t help wondering if the switch to HFCS doesn’t have something (not all, but something) to do with the increased fattening up of Americans over the last 20 years….
That study had some big flaws. The biggest was that the rats fed HFCS were allowed to eat it 24h a day, while the control rats were only allowed to eat at feeding times. Of course the HFCS rats weighed more!
Sugar IS SUGAR, but not HFCS.
Even if HFCS was nutritionally identical to regular sucrose (the jury’s still out, AFAIC), there are two good reasons to avoid it. 1) It tastes awful compared to sugar, and 2) if you have a corn allergy, consuming HFCS is probably not the best idea.
I stock up on sugar Coke when it’s available for Jewish holidays every year. I don’t know that it tastes that much better, having never done any blind tests, but it keeps really well so I save enough to use in the occasional whiskey & coke.
I used to be addicted to Turkey Hill iced tea with HCFS, drinking well over half a gallon a day, but recently switched to a local dairy’s iced tea with sugar. It’s less sweet but I think I like it better – when I can’t make it over there to buy more and have the occasional Turkey Hill, it takes me a while to get used to the sickly sweetness of it.
And somehow, the local sugar tea costs less than half as much as Turkey Hill. Who says using sugar is too expensive?
I’ve long preferred the mellower taste of 7-Up to the syrupy Sprite/Slice/SM. If this can give SM a crisper taste, it would become my solid number 2 for clear sodas.
yes, i only buy mexican/kosher coke or throwback pepsi… hfcs coats your mouth with slime.
if i cant get soda, then i drink watered down juice!
Yes, it will. Still, with the sugar cane beverages I’ve had in the last few years I find them to be too sweet and I’d like fewer calories. A lemon-lime beverage that just plain cut 1/3 of the sugar out would be great.
Yes, it will. Still, with the sugar cane beverages I’ve had in the last few years I find them to be too sweet and I’d like fewer calories. A lemon-lime beverage that just plain cut 1/3 of the sugar out would be great.
Yes I would switch. Locally they are selling throw backs or mexican versions with sugar cane instead of HFCS. The taste is so much better that once they are gone I’ll stop drinking them unless they make a switch in the complete product. Even when I go out to eat I’m drinking water or lemonade instead of soda(s).
I do prefer the taste of Cane Sugar soda to HFCS sweetened sodas. I normally hate Dr Pepper, but I love the Cane Sugar sweetened stuff.
I had this yesterday. Tasty!!!
I liked sierra mist when i first saw it back in…… i wanna say 2000/2001, mainly because the vending machines in school had them for 25cents each haha.
Absolutely
I’ve said this in the past, but the whole idea of the “Throwback” style soda’s is just frustrating to me.
I rarely drink soda any more, but I really like the Pepsi Throwback.
Instead of providing the product that customers actually want, they arrogantly provide it in a small window like once or twice a year. Then it’s back to “F You, bottom line is more important”.
I think Sierra Mist has better taste than 7-Up and Sprite, but all three contained HFCS, so if I had to choose, I’d pick 7-Up because it didn’t have sodium or potassium benzoate. Now that Sierra Mist switched from HFCS to sugar (from genetically modified beet? If so, not much better than GMO corn, IMO) I might not necessarily change my mind, unless they got rid of preservative benzoates.
Personally, if I must have soda, I’ll still drink anything (with or without preservatives, preferably the latter). If I had a choice, I’d buy either Hansen’s sodas, IZZE, or a major brand-name energy drink, most of which are made with sugar instead of HFCS, but some still contain preservatives among the 30+ ingredients so I tend to read them carefully.
I loved the old 7-up and stopped drinking it after they decided to make it a lemon-lime soda. Hopefully they’re going back to the old formula.
If Diet Cherry 7-Up said clearly on the box whether it was caffeine free, I’d buy it (if it was actually caffeine free).
I shouldn’t have to pick up a 12 pack of soda and cradle it as I squint at the ingredients list. That’s bullshit. Fuck 7-Up.
I have chosen NOT to purchase any soft drink that contains HFCS
I will definatly consider Sierra Mist and 7UP if they remove the HFCS
Natural? NO, Just no HFCS, but you won’t state that eh?
I’ve never liked Sierra Mist, but now I’ll give it another try without the HFCS.
They need to bring back Slice
I had Hansen’s Natural Soda that had real sugar and actually less of it. It was light and refreshing, though at like 1.50 for a 10oz can, yeesh! How about you add a little less sugar, Soda is just a bit too sweet. I’d love a new, less sugar 7up, I love 7up!
lol its a said day when a bad drink removes an ingredient thats been trying so hard to says its good for you after all those dumb commercials i been seeing >>
but YES I would buy this now that is has sugar in it the taste is not much different at the bat but in long run I find the sugar soda to taste better.
Cane sugar or HFCS (corn sugar) = sugar. There is no difference from a dietetic standpoint so the “Natural” marketing gimmick is just that…a gimmick to play to misinformed consumers and get your business. Large quantities of any sugar are bad for you whether its honey or sugar cane and in moderation all are fine. So educate yourself, stick with products that taste good, and use some common sense folks.
I avoid HFCS if at all possible. Therefore, I don’t drink regular sodas unless they have real sugar.
Now someone explain to me why I still drink all-chemical diet sodas?
No offense folks but there are way to many comments from people who are just jumping on the marketing band wagon. You’ll drink MORE soda now that its made from GMO beets and sugar cane then GMO corn???? Really???? It’s still a nutritionally devoid can of carbonated sugar! There is nothing ‘natural’ about sugar, water, and carbonation! Its made in a factory!
No matter what the sugar source comes from, no matter how active or healthy you would like to think you are, soda is BAD!!!!!!! It should be consumed very infrequently, like 8 oz a MONTH, not 20 oz a DAY! If American’s wonder why they keep getting fatter everyday, start looking at how much soda you drink and how long you sit on you butt not doing anything.
I love it! Now what if xylitol and/or stevia were to be added in lieu of cane sugar? For some cane sugar is not so great; though far greater than HFCS!!!!!!
Being hypoglycemic; w/prediabetic condition w/b greatly benefitted w/the stevia/xylitol combination or even simply xylitol!
Thanks, if anyone is ‘listening’ and can do what it takes to make your market even more successful not to mention helping those who cannot enjoy soda unless it is sugarfree and SAFE!!!
I have tried the new SM Natural. As someone who enjoys soda and sweet tea I will say it has that “crisp” taste that real sugar sodas have (think pepsi throwback from the first year, the second year of it sucked).
The cranberry version is so good I drank a 2 liter in less than 2 hours
This will make me choose it over other caffeine free softdrinks… I’ll drink it when I’m eating out, and my options are limited. But I am not going to buy it by the 12 pk.
Well another soft drink from Pepsi I loose out on. I have a case of this new stuff on the counter I have tried for weeks to drink and decided to throw it away with the other “Natural” Pepsi’s and Mountain Dews. Yes I know you won’t miss our 8 cases a week but I had to let you know I for one don’t approve. At least Mountain hasn’t changed much since I first started drinking it back in the 60′s. I miss Slice also, well I guess I will just stick with Royal Crown Products, they have enough sense to leave a good thing alone.
In my lab today Sierra Mist Natural tested positive for reducing sugars. Sucrose (table sugar) is NOT a reducing sugar, but HFCS is! The nutrition label says only that it contains “sugar” which includes a LOT of things, including HFCS!