Back in the day, we drank whatever was colorful, came in a pouch, or made our tongues turn neon blue. Nobody asked questions, nobody read labels. We just cracked open a can or twisted off a cap and hoped for the best.
But now that we’re older (and slightly more aware of what’s in our bodies), many of those drinks were liquid sugar bombs laced with chemicals we can’t pronounce. Let’s walk down memory lane and revisit the drinks we once loved and now avoid like radioactive sludge.
15. Fruitopia
This drink felt like the height of cool in the ’90s with its trippy labels and fruity flavors. But behind the psychedelic vibes was a bottle of syrupy sugar that probably shouldn’t have counted as “fruit” anything.
14. Orbitz
Those weird floating balls made us feel like we were sipping from a lava lamp. One taste now, and your brain says, “Nope, this is not something people should be drinking.”
13. Hi-C Ecto Cooler
The Ghostbusters branding was elite, but this was straight-up orange-green sugar water. It’s fun in theory, but it’s like brushing your teeth with a melted gummy bear.
12. Squeezit
We loved squeezing the bottle until the cap popped off like a little explosion of joy. We didn’t realize we were squeezing a pure chemical dye and corn syrup into our systems.
11. SunnyD
This was advertised as orange juice’s cooler cousin, but it was more like orange-flavored gasoline. One sip now, and your mouth feels like it’s been hit with citrusy chemical warfare.
10. Kool-Aid Jammers
Tearing into one of these pouches made you feel like you were living your best life. But let’s be honest, the real jam was just artificial color and sugar in liquid form.
9. Yoo-hoo
It’s not chocolate milk—it’s a chocolate drink, which should’ve been our first red flag. It’s watery and weirdly creamy, and neither textures belong together.
8. Crystal Pepsi
Clear cola was a moment, but it should’ve stayed in the ’90s time capsule with slap bracelets and Tamagotchis. The taste was like someone whispered “cola” into a static bottle.
7. Capri Sun (Original)
Still iconic for the silver pouch, but those OG flavors were more sugar than juice. Plus, half the time you accidentally stabbed the straw through the back and lost half your childhood.
6. TANG
Astronauts drank it, so obviously, we wanted to, too. But looking back, it was less “space adventure” and more “orange powder science experiment.”
5. Surge
This was the “extreme” soda that turned your insides into a pinball machine. The sugar, the caffeine, the neon green color—none was natural, and all was chaos.
4. Little Hugs
Tiny plastic barrels filled with sugar water and food dye were sold in packs of 20 like party favors. The lid never came off right, and honestly, what was the flavor?
3. Hawaiian Punch
The name sounds tropical, but the taste is a pure sugar punch to the face. You could clean a countertop with this stuff, which would probably shine.
Read More: 30 Mocktail Ideas to Keep You Feeling Festive on Any Occasion
2. Nesquik Syrup
It was fun to make your chocolate milk, but we were turning perfectly good milk into a sugar swamp. And the strawberry flavor? Unholy.
Read More: 10 Common ‘Health’ Foods That Are Actually Unhealthy
1. Four Loko (Original Formula)
Not technically a childhood drink (hopefully), but it earns the top spot for being the most infamous of all. This drink was chaos in a can—part energy drink, part alcohol, all regret.
Read More: 10 Popular Drinks That Are Secretly Packed With Sugar
