What Happened to Crystal Pepsi? How the 'Clear Craze' Drink Became No More.

Crystal Pepsi

What do beanie babies, the internet, Dunkaroos, and Google all have in common? They were all launched in the ‘90s! While some things like Google and the internet are ubiquitous in society today, a few inventions from the decade inevitably didn’t make it to Y2K.

Technological advancements aside, the food world saw the rise and fall of many products, from Waffle Crisp and Trix Yogurt to the here-today-gone-tomorrow soda blip that was Crystal Pepsi. Crystal Pepsi’s reign was so short-lived that it almost feels like a fever dream or a collective Mandela effect moment. But what exactly happened to the strange, colorless cola of yesteryear, and why was it such a dark moment in culinary history?

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What is Crystal Pepsi?

In tandem with the near-constant onslaught of sugary sweet releases like Baby Bottle Pops, Bubble Tape and Airheads, the ’90s saw a concerted effort to make healthier beverage choices, with swaps like seltzer and sparkling water capturing a considerable amount of market share. PepsiCo’s solution: remove the added caramel coloring from their classic cola recipe and replace it with modified cornstarch. The resulting concoction was crystal clear and slightly less sweet than its world-renowned namesake—with fewer calories, to boot. By all accounts, it would seem that the “healthier” soda option would be a hit! So, why wasn’t it more successful?

Why Did Crystal Pepsi Ultimately Fail?

Although there are a number of factors that contribute to a brand's success or failure, food and beverage staples' queen metric is, of course, taste. And Crystal Pepsi just didn’t hit the mark in the flavor department. Customers described the beverage as bland and watery. Even David C. Novak, the brain that dreamt up the polarizing beverage, said in a 2007 interview with Fast Company, “It would have been nice if I made sure the product tasted good.” In addition to the underwhelming taste, Crystal Pepsi was also blitzed by the competition, with Coca-Cola releasing its own colorless offering, Tab Clear. Ultimately, both beverages shuttered their experimental products after just two short years, with PepsiCo discontinuing Crystal Pepsi in early 1994.

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Can You Still Buy Crystal Pepsi Today?

While some things are best left in the past—like Hypercolor tees and wallet chains—there’s nothing wrong with a bit of nostalgia now and then, and Pepsi has continued to cash in on the mythological lore of Crystal Pepsi throughout the years. Most recently, in 2022, for the 30th anniversary of the beverage, the brand offered fans the chance to showcase their ’90s style in exchange for six free bottles of the elusive fizzy beverage. Unfortunately, Crystal Pepsi is no longer in circulation today, although a quick Google search turns up listings at Walmart and Kroger, albeit out of stock. On the bright side, recent years have seen a steady uptick in the re-emergence of ’90s trends, and maybe Crystal Pepsi was just too far ahead of its time.

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