The 1980s was a decade of great change in the beverage industry. Throughout the decade, more and more large companies were starting to place their focus on non-alcoholic drinks. Many people started looking for healthier alternatives to alcohol, and this trend continued through much of the 1990s.
The 1980s saw a lot of rising trends in the beverage industry as well. Non-alcoholic drinks were becoming very popular in America during this time period, especially for people who wanted to avoid health concerns from drinking too much booze. Still, many of these non-alcoholic drinks were unhealthily high in sugar, since they mostly catered to kids and the youth who often had a craving for tons of sweetness. Here’s some of the most popular non-alcoholic drinks in the 1980s:
Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper, the popular soft drink, was one of the main choices for non-alcoholic beverages. Dr. Pepper even became very popular in Japan and other countries. Many kids loved it for its fizzy and sugary taste, and other adults loved it, too. For gamers or workers who need a kick of energy, sometimes they chug down a can of Dr Pepper to help keep themselves awake; or just to soothe their sweet tooth.
Dr Pepper is known to be high in sugar and calories, but many people like it because of its taste and nostalgia.
Tarax
The popularity of this refreshing soft drink, which also has a wide range of flavors, peaked in the 1960s, when it was one of the most popular drink brands in Victoria. In the 70s, Schweppes bought the brand and started to relaunch it and introduced their Black Label range, which was popular in the 80s. Even if you may not have drunk any Tarax in years, and its popularity has significantly decreased, you can still find some in supermarkets.
They made a wide variety of flavorings that included limelite, root beer, kola, crimson, and panda. All of these are only a few of the complete lineup!
Capri Sun
Capri Sun, the fruit drink that is popular in the US, was invented in the 1980s. It’s best known for its citrus flavor, which is another reason they were so popular with kids and teens. This drink is also a good source of some nutrients, which makes it great for children who may not get enough of them from other foods.
Capri Sun has since been very popular because of its many flavors (including the most well-known orange), and is a staple of the 80s.
TaB
This drink was made from a clear liquid that looked like lemonade but tasted like coke. TaB also contained sweeteners instead of sugar, so it was dubbed a diet drink. It was available in Australia, particularly during the 1960s and 1980s. It was later seen as controversial.
One reason why this has happened is that some of the sweeteners, cyclamate and saccharin, were found to have links to cancer. Their popularity continued in the United States for the rest of the 80s, but eventually it faded out in Australia and the UK.
