PepsiCo is replacing Sierra Mist with new Starry soda

PepsiCo is kicking off 2023 by introducing a new lemon-lime soda drink.

Starry soda has officially replaced Sierra Mist nationwide in a bid to challenge Sprite’s (a Coca-Cola product) dominance in the category. PepsiCo describes the caffeine-free soda as “easy-to-drink” and “optimally sweet.”

Sierra Mist is also lemon and lime-flavored, but a PepsiCo spokesperson told Simplemost that Starry has “higher citrus flavors that are true to fruit and more aromatic,” offering a more balanced, cleaner and crisper finish than Sierra Mist.

Starry is available in stores nationwide now in regular and zero-sugar varieties.

“At PepsiCo, we are hyper-focused on consumer-centric innovation, and we know there’s a strong demand for lemon-lime-flavored soda with the category continuing to accelerate,” Greg Lyons, chief marketing officer at PepsiCo Beverages North America, said in a press release. “With one product dominating the category, consumers deserve another option … one that hits different. Starry is bright, optimistic and rooted in culture and fun.”

It’s not clear if Sierra Mist has already been pulled from shelves, so if you’re a fan, you might want to grab some now before it’s officially replaced.

While the news may imply that Sierra Mist doesn’t have a lot of fans, the soda is actually quite popular. According to Newsweek, Sierra Mist had $1 billion in sales in 2021, making it one of the top 10 sodas in the country.

That is far below Sprite’s sales numbers the same year, however, which saw Coca-Cola making $6 billion just from its lemon-lime soda — a whopping $5 billion more than Pepsi’s version. Sierra Mist did make a bit more than Keurig Dr Pepper’s 7Up, which is also lemon and lime-flavored, with that soda making just under $1 billion.

Will you be trying Pepsi’s new Starry soda?