The Nostalgic Childhood Drink That 1970s Kids Remember Is Still Made Today - Tasting Table

"Many adults might name "Rolaids" as their favorite candy. But, children's digestive systems seem to be built differently, effortlessly cycling through sugary sweets and soft drinks. Still, foodies who grew up during the Disco Decade won't soon forget one particular discontinued childhood drink - the popular grape soda inspired by one of our highest-ranking grape juice brands. We could, of course, only be talking about Welch's Grape Soda, which dominated the '70s and has earned a place of fame among today's soda-lovers."

"Welch's Grape Soda first hit the market in 1974, the same year Gerald Ford stepped in for Nixon and Abba's "Waterloo" topped the Billboard charts. After a decades-long run, it was retired in 2011, pulled from grocery store shelves seemingly-inexplicably. Although, perhaps notably, Grape Soda's discontinuation coincided with the fall of soft drinks in the American public opinion at large due to rising health concerns, particularly surrounding child consumers."

"According to an ABC News report from 2014, U.S. soda consumption had dropped by 44% since 1998. One consumer told the outlet, "I grew up with soda in our house. I would drink like two or three cans of Coke a day [...] [But now] we made it kind of a rule, we wouldn't have soda in the house." Fast-forward to 2024, and a report by educational publisher McGraw Hill flashed the headline "Soda Surges in Popularity after Decade-Long Decline.""

Welch's Grape Soda debuted in 1974 and became a defining grape-flavored soft drink of the 1970s. The product was retired in 2011 amid waning public favor for soft drinks tied to rising health concerns about children. U.S. soda consumption reportedly fell 44% between 1998 and 2014, and some households adopted rules against keeping soda at home. A "Bring Back Welch's Grape Soda" Facebook protest gathered roughly 1.7K followers, and Welch's returned the soda to market in 2015. By 2024, reports noted soda popularity surging after a decade-long decline, with Welch's positioned as an early reentrant.

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