Why Was Coca-Cola's Five Alive Drink Discontinued In The US?
Throughout the years, there have been plenty of soft drinks that have come and gone. Whether these beverages were intended to have a limited run or just lost popularity amongst consumers, those who still crave the discontinued drinks are left to lament or look for a replacement. Coca-Cola's Five Alive is one such product, and its disappearance from store shelves is a mystery. The fruity-flavored beverage was introduced under the Minute Maid juice lineup in 1978 and then patented by Coca-Cola the following year. The citrus drink combined the flavors of orange, lemon, grapefruit, lime, and tangerine into one drink. Its popularity spread into the '80s, and it was sold in frozen cans of concentrate as well as cardboard cartons (like you'd see in a school lunchroom).
While Five Alive was still going strong in 1995, according to Packaging World, unfortunately, production seems to have ceased sometime in the 1990s — at least in the United States. Although the Coca-Cola Company has never formally announced why the drink was discontinued stateside, some theorize that it may have been due to its 1994 release of the Fruitopia brand of fruit-flavored drinks. Fruitopia was also produced under Minute Maid, and the Tangerine Wavelength flavor features orange, tangerine, and grapefruit juices — three of the five included in Five Alive.
Find Five Alive outside the US or in the freezer section
Though the Five Alive is no longer sold in the United States, it can still be found in other countries. Canadians get to sip on five different flavors of the drink: Citrus, Passion Peach Citrus, Tropical Citrus, Berry Citrus, and Mango Citrus. Some U.S. social media users have expressed excitement over discovering that it still exists.
The drink also appears to have found popularity in Nigeria, where it's styled as 5Alive. Nigerian consumers could at one point choose from 10 different available flavors, including Tropical, Apple, Citrus Burst, Berry Blast, Apple, Pineapple Punch, Cocopine, Orange, and Pulpy Orange. (One Twitter user even offered that the Berry Blast variety should be in the running for "the unofficial Nigerian soft drink" due to its popularity.) The ready-to-drink product may not be sold in the United States, but according to an October 2022 tweet from Minute Maid, select U.S. grocery stores (like Kroger and Pick 'n Save) do still carry the frozen concentrate, so customers could mix up their own at home.
Five Alive mixes well
If you can't get your hands on the frozen concentrate or make the trip to Canada, Five Alive can be imported. For those still craving its fruity tang, Amazon sells liter-sized containers, as well as packs of juice boxes. Though the prices are a little steeper due to the cost of importing, fans have shared their excitement at the prospect of savoring the beloved beverage once more. Who knows — if Americans continue to import the drink and voice their appreciation, perhaps it will someday make its way back to the States.
If you do manage to snag some Five Alive, there are a few different ways it can be enjoyed beyond just chugging it directly from the glass or sipping it straight from a juice box. One Twitter user reminisces about mixing it with Canada Dry ginger ale to create a carbonated mocktail. Another tweet calls for adding an adult twist to the drink by shaking it up with Cointreau, grenadine, and ice before straining the concoction into a martini glass. Meanwhile, if you're looking for food pairing suggestions, one Instagrammer poured themselves a big glass of the fruit-flavored beverage alongside a hearty steak dinner. Though the cause of its U.S. demise may never be known, it's nice to know that Five Alive is flourishing elsewhere.