Whatever Happened To Surge, The Nostalgic '90s Discontinued Soda?

From the discontinuation of the Choco Taco to the rise, fall, and resurrection of the McDonald's McWrap, many popular food products have gone to pasture. In that same graveyard of beloved products rests Surge soda.

This caffeinated beverage of the '90s was The Coca-Cola Company's response to Pepsi's Mountain Dew. Both drinks had a brightly neon aesthetic and an 'extreme' vibe attached to them, but only one made it into the mid-2000s and grew to 28 flavors. Due to declining sales and just an overall diminishing sense of enthusiasm for the brand, Surge was discontinued in 2003.

Despite Coca-Cola's failed attempt to compete with Mountain Dew, there remain some fans of Surge long past its discontinuation. This means all hope is not lost, even if it's been more than two decades since the soda was on store shelves.

Surge soda first debuted in 1997 and by 2003 the caffeinated drink had lost its boost. The soda itself was a bright green color with a bold citrus flavor and its advertising attempted to reflect this intensity. One commercial for the brand included fierce races just to get to a can of Surge, for example.

While Surge was still in production, some rumors circulated that the ingredients in the drink might have long-term adverse effects. But, funny enough, Surge actually had less caffeine and sugar in it than its competitor: Mountain Dew. Rumors aside, many fans of the soda chalk up its discontinuation to a failure in Coca-Cola's marketing department.

Even before the soda was gone, communities grew online in an attempt to prevent Surge's demise. An online petition was started to keep Surge on the market; it gained more than 30,000 signatures. The website hosting the petition also included a map of where to get Surge, back when it was still being sold.

In 2011, a new burst of hope arose for Surge and its fans. The SURGE Movement was an effort that began on Facebook and quickly grew across social media to bring the soda back. Eventually the movement grew so large that it purchased a billboard across the street from Coca-Cola headquarters which read, "Dear Coke, we couldn't buy SURGE so we bought this billboard instead."

These efforts and many more led to Surge making an online exclusive comeback in 2014. The soda was available on Amazon Prime exclusively. Since then, the availability of Surge has been sporadic and limited throughout the U.S. Per the SURGE Movement Instagram account, a grape-flavored variation was made available in July in Atlanta, Orlando, and Las Vegas.

So, Surge might be zombified and walking among some of us today. But, the lack of an official and nationwide return still sits heavy in OG fans' hearts. However, just like McDonald's Boo Buckets and Taco Bell's Mexican Pizza, the possibility of a comeback is always there.