See Ya Sierra Mist! 'Starry' Has Entered the Chat, and Here's Our Review Sip by Sip
Meet PepsiCo’s Gen Z-inspired replacement for Sierra Mist.
Sierra Mist has always had somewhat of an identity crisis. Introduced in 1999, the competitor to Coca-Cola’s Sprite and Keurig Dr Pepper’s 7-Up became Mist TWST in 2016, losing its “healthier” formula using cane sugar and starting to use high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). In 2018, it reverted back to Sierra Mist along with the original cane sugar recipe. Enter Starry, in 2023, a flashy new competitor that is giving Sprite and 7-Up a run for their money. The new lemon-lime soda from PepsiCo will be replacing Sierra Mist on store shelves in the coming months.
PepsiCo has always tried to compete with Sprite, which came out in 1961, and 7-Up, which is the oldest lemon-lime soda debuting in 1929. First, there was Slice (1984-2000’s); Storm, which only appeared in test markets (1998-2000), and finally, Sierra Mist and its many names and formula changes throughout the 2000s. Despite its reputation as the number three lemon-lime soda out there, it actually had slightly more revenue in sales than 7-Up (but still less than Sprite) throughout the years.
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What is replacing Sierra Mist?
PepsiCo says Starry is “the next choice of the new generation” and is specifically aimed at Gen Z. Their dizzying website absolutely confirms this statement, with floating cans, graffiti-like bubble letters and a background so bright yellow, it’s almost guaranteed to cure your seasonal affective disorder.
Courtesy of PepsiCo
Their tagline “Starry Hits Different," is straight out of the Gen Z dictionary (part of the tagline, coincidentally, is also the name of the most recent Taylor Swift hidden track), so they’re definitely on the right path in trying to appeal to a younger set with the lingo.
Everything about the label reads younger too. The bright, zippy colors, cartoonish fruit, font and even the star illustrations reminiscent of the sparkles emoji–scream Gen Z.
Related: 50 Gen Z Slang Words, Lingo, Phrases and What They Mean
Courtesy of PepsiCo
Some reviews on TikTok are skeptical about the new formula and claim it’s the same soda with a snappy new label and re-brand campaign. However, take a look at the ingredients and you can see that it’s similar, but not the exact formula as the beloved Sierra Mist. Starry has the same ingredients in terms of preservatives, carbonated water and natural flavors, but they differ in the kind of sweetener used–Sierra Mist used cane sugar and Starry uses the industry staple HFCS, which tends to be sweeter and is more processed than cane sugar.
What does Starry taste like?
Initial reviews on TikTok say that Starry is a little sweeter than Sierra Mist (probably due to the switch to HFCS). One TikTok user says Starry “is like if 7-Up and Mountain Dew had a baby, this would be it.”
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Another said the soda reminded her of Sprite with a “nice fizz” but that it tasted like something was missing from the formula. And a third review said that Starry had “a bite, almost a bitterness” and said it gave off “White Claw” vibes.
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Other reviews mention that it has a more lemony flavor, it’s stronger, spicier and crispier than Sierra Mist, and compares it more to Sprite. People are loving the zero-sugar version as well.
Our honest thoughts on Starry
Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel
The verdict: Starry has a decent fizz factor (which is a change from Sierra Mist), rating above 7-Up but below Sprite. The lemon-lime flavor is balanced but does not hit you in the face with flavor, so I can see what the reviews mean when they say it’s missing something. It’s not a bad thing though–it’s pretty easy to drink, and even though it’s made with HFCS, it’s not overly sweet like Sprite can be. It does have a bitter aspect to it, almost like the slight pithy flavor of a fruit rind, though not unpleasant. Calorie-wise, it has a few more calories and grams of sugar than Sierra Mist, Sprite, or 7-Up. The zero-sugar version tastes a bit sweeter and has a little more bite than the regular.
Where to buy Starry
Starry is now available in major grocery stores and on Amazon. A 12-pack of Starry retails for $21 on Amazon.
Starry Lemon Lime Zero Sugar 12oz 12pk
