Is Starry Lemon Lime The Same as Sierra Mist?

At the start of 2023, PepsiCo launched Starry Lemon-Lime, a citrus fruit-flavored soft drink that was aimed at Generation Z and competing for a market share from 7Up and Sprite.

Given that this new addition to PepsiCo’s popular range of soft drinks is a direct replacement for the unsuccessful Sierra Mist, you may, like many others, be wondering just how different the two drinks are from one another.

That is exactly what we are going to look at in the following article. We will highlight the similarities and differences between the two and offer our opinion on the new drink.

What is the Difference Between Sierra Mist and its Replacement Starry Lemon Lime?

Any initial look at the ingredients list and marketing materials for Starry Lemon Lime and Sierra Mist would suggest that there are not many differences at all. At the very least, they are similar. They are, after all, both lemon and lime flavored soft drinks and are caffeine-free.

Like Sierra Mist before, Starry is available in regular/original (sweetened by high fructose corn syrup) and a Zero-Sugar alternative (flavored with artificial sweetener aspartame).

As if they weren’t enough similarities, Starry Lemon Lime includes the words refreshing and crisp in its promotional materials, just as Sierra Mist did.

If you look at the reviews of Starry online, many say it has a similar flavor to Sprite, with a less over-the-top sweetness to it, and more bite than Sierra Mist. The overall consensus is that it is a welcome addition to the PepsiCo family of soft drinks and has a much stronger and more interesting flavor profile than its predecessor.

What is the Story About Sierra Mist and Other Predecessors to Starry from Pepsi?

Before Starry, Sierra Mist was the most recent incarnation of a Pepsico lemon and lime-flavored soft drink. It was first introduced back in 1999 and by 2003 was widely available throughout all markets in America.

The first change that was made to this incarnation came 13 years after it was first launched when PepsiCo rebranded it temporarily as Mist Twist (with the marketing stylizing the name as Mist TWST).

Another change was made to Sierra Mist in 2016, when the stevia used to replace the cane sugar flavored the drink was switched to high fructose corn syrup.

Then after just two years of Mist Twist, it was rebranded back to Sierra Mist, due to dwindling sales.

What Came Before Sierra Mist and Starry?

Starry and Sierra Mist are just two in a long line of lemon and lime flavored drinks from PepsiCo. For a long time, the company has tried to compete for a share of that section of the market that is dominated by Coca-Cola, Sprite Dr. Pepper, and 7Up.

The first incarnation of a lemon-lime soda from PepsiCo was launched in 1959 in the form of Teem. Although it was known during the pre-planning stages as Duet, it was changed due to copyright issues with the company Swift’s who had a margarine that had the same name.

Following Teem, PepsiCo launched a brand new incarnation of lemon-lime soda in the form of Slice in 1984. The big difference between Slice and other varieties was that it contained a total of 10% natural fruit juice.

A diet variety was launched the following year and then in 1986 the Slice line of products was expanded to carry Cherry Cola, Apple, and Mandarin Orange varieties. There were also diet versions available of each flavor. The slogan during this era of the product was “We got the juice”.

Slice proved to be a big success and inspired the release of further juice-infused drinks from existing brands such as Minute Maid orange soda from Coca-Cola and Sunkist from Cadbury Schweppe’s. Slice held around 3.2% of the soft drink market by 1987. However, just a year later, it had dropped to 2.1% and by 1988 was below the 2% mark.

In the same year, the fruit juice content was reduced in the Slice recipe, and the packaging no longer said “10% fruit juices”, instead saying “Either you got it or you don’t.”. The Cherry Cola and Apple flavors were also discontinued.

By the time 1990 came around, the juice content was completely dropped, and the packaging was changed again. The selection of flavors was expanded, including flavors that shared similarities to the company’s competitors like Grape, Fruit Punch, Pineapple, and Strawberry Crush.

Conclusion

So, when it comes to the differences between Sierra Mist and its replacement lemon-lime drink, Starry, PepsiCo, there are enough difference to warrant it being launched as a completely new drink, in our opinion.

The flavor has a lot more bite to it, according to reviewers than Sierra Mist and although it is like Sprite, is not quite as overwhelmingly sweet like Coca-Cola’s entry into the market.

Whether it has the staying power of Sprite and 7Up, that have dominated the market for so long, remains to be seen. It does feel like this is PepsiCo’s best shot at offering decent competition, though.

The company have come a logn way from starting with Teem, through to Slice, Sierra Mist, and Mist Twist before arriving at Starry Lemon-Lime. What’s clear is that the simple, but effective packaging and branding is welcome and the advertisement campaigns that have run so far have won over the public.

The reviews we have read about the drink has stated that while it does bear a resemblance to previous lemon-lime drinks, it is better in many ways. Some are not so keen on the use of high fructose corn sugar for flavoring the regular variety, but there is also the diet varieties The sugar and carbohydrate content will always be a problem for some people in these drinks though.

Until next year, 2024, when the company can assess the profits and how popular it has proven since its release at the start of 2023, it is all speculation and guessing.