As I walked through Walmart for the first time in over seven months, I thought I had jumped back to 1993 when I discovered that Pepsi was selling Crystal Pepsi! I was surprised but delighted to see it.
I quickly took a picture and could not resist taking home a bottle for my afternoon snack. I am a sucker for retro-novelty products, even if they line the display up next to the Coors beer. I took a drink and it is fun to have, but it really does not offer much taste. It is a little flat, but it is smooth. I should do a blind folded taste test to see how much of a variation it is from real Pepsi—I never found Pepsi to have a strong cola taste, so it may be an accurate replication in clear form.
For some reason, I thought that Crystal Pepsi would be calorie free and caffeine free—nope, I was wrong. This bottle has 250 calories and 63mg of caffeine. I am not quite sure how Pepsi made it so clear. Maybe it was because it is “partially produced with genetic engineering”. I think I had this misconception because, “Crystal Pepsi was marketed as a caffeine-free “clear alternative” to normal colas, equating clarity with purity and health” as said on Wikipedia.
But, do not let this negative reaction spoil the fun, I am not sure there has ever been a positive reaction to Crystal Pepsi and one reason it only lasted about two years. I think the point of the drink is for fun and nostalgia. Pepsi might want it to be more, but I do not ever see that happening. Crystal Pepsi may be a little like McDonald’s McRib sandwich, popping in for limited sales boosts then fading away until it is time to bring it back out again.