This Vintage Soda Is Making a Comeback and ’80s Kids Are Freaking Out

Lauren CahnUpdated: Jul. 13, 2022

via Drink a Slice/Facebook

Slice just relaunched, and it promises to dethrone LaCroix as your favorite low-calorie, no-added sugar bevvie.

1984 was a banner year for pop culture, with the debuts of Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Prince’s Purple Rain, the original Footloose film…and a very special soda that, although long-since defunct, remains near and dear to the hearts of many (including myself): Slice soda. PepsiCo’s brainchild, Slice originally came in lemon-lime, putting it in direct competition with Sprite and 7-Up—which it handily beat if you asked me or any of my teenage friends back then.

Do you remember these nostalgic childhood candies?

Why ’80s Kids are Obsessed With Slice

It wasn’t because Slice contained 10% real fruit juice (although it was the only soda that did). It simply tasted better to us. Perhaps it was because it was slightly sweeter/less crisp than Sprite and 7-Up. Or perhaps it was because the real fruit juice added an irresistible complexity to the flavor profile—I always swore I could taste a hint of pear, making Slice my go-to for wine spritzers when I got older.

Although Slice was well-received and even beloved by its fans, by 2005, it was gone from grocer shelves. Retail analysts attribute Slice soda’s demise, in part, to its diversification into 15 fruit flavors (starting with orange, which was the favorite of many a Slice-o-phile), paving the way for other more recognizably-branded juice-infused drinks to steal its thunder (such as Minute Maid and Sunkist).

The Big Relaunch

But Slice-lovers, it’s time to rejoice—for Slice is making a comeback as a 100% fruit-juice-sweetened beverage, thanks to Mark Thomann, a Chicago entrepreneur, who possesses what the Chicago Tribune describes as a “knack for reclaiming old brands.” This time, Slice got a bit of a makeover, according to DrinkaSlice’s website—it’s technically a sparkling water and sweetened exclusively with fruit juice and overall lower in sugar and calories than soft drinks. It’s the perfect taste of nostalgia for folks who can’t quite get into the millennial LaCroix.

The re-vamped “soft drink” has already made its second debut at select Hy-Vee supermarkets in Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Kansas, Illinois and Nebraska. It also comes in four great flavors, like Raspberry & Grapefruit, Cranberry & Apple, Blackberry and Mango & Pineapple. If you’re one of the lucky folks with a Hy-Vee carrying Slice nearby, you too shall be able to savor its fruit-juicy deliciousness straight-up or use it in cocktail recipes. (We personally love it for white sangria.) Cheers!

These Vintage Recipes Are Making a Comeback, Too!

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Molded Strawberry Salad

This refreshing salad has two layers - a pretty pink bottom that includes sour cream, and a ruby red top with strawberries and pineapple. For years, Mom has included this jello salad in meals she prepares for our family. -Gloria Grant, Sterling, Illinois

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Baked Ham With Pineapple Exps Tohcom19 13087 B10 01 11b 5

Baked Ham with PineappleI first learned the technique for baked ham with pineapple for a themed dinner my husband and I hosted. Since it is widely known as the symbol of hospitality, pineapple was the star ingredient on our menu and on this lovely baked ham. —JoAnn Fox, Johnson City, Tennessee