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"Kist soda is the best. I've been drinking it since I was a kid."
—Bill Murray, actor
For over 75 years, Kist Soda has been one of America’s favorite orange soft drinks.
The independent brand has refreshed generations of drinkers since its 1940s origins.
In the history of Kist Soda, we’ll see how this underdog persevered—surviving competition, controversy, and changing tastes through the decades.
In 1944, the Kist Beverage Company was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The soda startup sought to provide a refreshing, affordable beverage to families on the homefront during WW2.
Their first product was a bright orange soda that they called “Sun Crest Orange Soda.”
At the time, Coca-Cola and Pepsi were dominating the cola market.
Sun Crest stood out.
People loved its bubbly, orange flavor.
It was bottled in glass with bold orange and yellow graphics—evoking images of sunshine and citrus groves.
The Kist Beverage Company promoted Sun Crest as a family-friendly beverage.
Their timing was perfect, as wartime rations limited the availability of ingredients.
Sun Crest was refreshing and offered a source of vitamin C from its natural orange extracts.
Sales took off!
By the end of the 1940s, Sun Crest Orange Soda had become the company’s flagship product.
The 1950s was a decade of innovation and experimentation for the Kist Beverage Company.
Riding high on the success of Sun Crest, Kist turned their sights towards developing new flavors.
Most notably, a bright green grape soda.
When Kist’s new green grape soda first hit shelves in the early 1950s, it caused quite a stir.
At the time, most grape sodas were formulated with blackcurrant or elderberry extract.
Kist’s version had an unnaturally vibrant fluorescent green color, unlike anything the public had seen before.
Rumors swirled that Kist’s green tint came from radioactive materials.
Kist’s grape soda was suspected of being an atomic experiment gone wrong.
News articles and gossip columns speculated on the origins of the unnatural hue.
Of course, the true story was much more straightforward.
The green color came from a combination of natural plant extracts like spinach, grapes, and chlorophyll.
But the rumors persisted.
Kids would dare each other to drink the “radioactive pop” to show they were brave.
While shocking at first, Kist’s unusual green grape soda became a hit with the youth.
However, it was banned in some schools due to the rumors.
In 2010, Kist unveiled a new simplified logo with a clean can design.
They ditched the retro graphics for a modern new look.
Fans were mad.
They thought the new logo was devoid of personality.
A grassroots petition demanded that Kist bring back the old logo.
Kist initially defended the rebranding.
But the company eventually made a U-turn.
By 2012, Kist apologized and announced the return of select retro can designs.
However, they didn’t entirely abandon their new look.
The company compromised by releasing a special edition, "Throwback Packs," with classic branding.
The ill-fated launch of “Kist Lemon-Lime Squeeze” was a failure for Kist in the mid-1970s.
Kist created a clear soda that required customers to squeeze concentrated lemon and lime fluid from an accompanying pouch into the bottle.
The marketing touted this product as an interactive experience.
Drinkers could now take control of the flavor strength themselves by adding as much or as little citrus as they wanted.
However, the extra assembly was cumbersome for consumers who just wanted to drink a soda without any hassle.
Many people found the shaking and squeezing of the pouches frustrating, especially children and old people.
By 1977, it was clear the public hated the additional labor.
Kist Lemon-Lime Squeeze was discounted by the end of the decade.
The 1990s were known for edgy advertising.
Kist Beverage Company controversially embraced the trend with their “Make Out With Kist” ad campaign.
The ads featured images of young people passionately kissing cans of Kist soda.
However, the sexualized marketing backfired.
It caused backlash from parents concerned about underage targeted messaging.
The ads positioned drinking Kist as rebellious, even sensual.
Morality groups denounced Kist for irresponsible marketing that exploited youth desires.
They accused the campaign of glorifying underage drinking by associating Kist with adult sexuality.
Stung by criticism, Kist eventually ditched the “Make Out” slogan.
Kist’s logo took a nostalgic turn in the early 2010s.
In 2010, Kist unveiled a new simplified logo and clean can design, ditching the retro graphics they’d sported for decades.
However, this move angered consumers.
Fans found the new logo devoid of personality, lacking the playful, bold cans that Kist was known for.
A grassroots petition circulated demanding Kist bring back the old logo.
Kist initially defended the rebranding.
But the company eventually made a U-turn.
By 2012, Kist apologized and announced the return of select retro can designs.
However, they didn’t entirely abandon their new look.
The company compromised by releasing a special edition, “Throwback Packs,” with classic branding.
Kist has carved a niche for itself through an embrace of unconventional flavors.
Kist rotates limited-edition seasonal flavors for the holidays.
Starting in the early 2000s, Kist sought to attract attention in a very competitive market.
Their seasonal releases have become highly anticipated for fans.
In winter, they’ve released Gingerbread or Peppermint Cocoa flavored sodas.
Editions like Lilac Cream or Cucumber Lime have become a Spring favorite.
Summer sees flavors like Watermelon Lemonade and Groovy Grapefruit.
And fall sees the debut of sodas like Pumpkin Spice and Caramel Apple.
The flavors are often hit or miss, but fans can’t get enough.
In 2019, The Coca-Cola Company acquired Kist Soda.
Coca-Cola’s acquisition was met with mixed reactions.
Fans were concerned that Coca-Cola would change the formula or discontinue it.
However, Coca-Cola assured consumers and continues to produce Kist the same way.
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