What Was Before Starry? | Sierra Mist’s Name Change

Pepsi’s lemon-lime soda before Starry was Sierra Mist, sold in the U.S. until PepsiCo switched the name and recipe in 2023.

If you spotted Starry on a shelf and felt like it showed up out of nowhere, you’re not alone. Starry didn’t start from scratch. It stepped into a spot that had been filled for years by Sierra Mist.

Below, you’ll get the straight answer first, then the backstory that clears up the common points of confusion: older Pepsi lemon-lime names, the Mist Twst detour, what shifted in 2023, and how to identify the version in your hand.

What Was Before Starry? The Straight Answer

Before Starry, PepsiCo’s main lemon-lime soda in the United States was Sierra Mist. Starry arrived nationwide in January 2023 as the replacement brand. Sierra Mist was Pepsi’s long-running competitor to Sprite and 7UP, and it went through multiple label and formula refreshes before Pepsi pulled the plug.

How Pepsi’s Lemon-Lime Line Reached Sierra Mist

PepsiCo has sold lemon-lime drinks for decades, and Sierra Mist wasn’t the first name it used. Slice is the older label many shoppers remember from the 1980s and 1990s, when Pepsi pushed fruit-flavored sodas in multiple varieties.

When Sierra Mist launched in 1999, it was pitched as a clean, refreshing lemon-lime option meant to win people away from their usual picks. That goal shaped the brand’s life: taste tweaks, packaging resets, and repeated attempts to make the soda feel easier to choose at the shelf.

Why A New Name Was Needed At All

Lemon-lime soda is a habit category. People often grab what they’ve grabbed for years. If a new label doesn’t communicate “this is lemon-lime” in a split second, many shoppers skip it without thinking.

Pepsi tried to solve that with Sierra Mist through redesigns and messaging shifts, yet the name still didn’t land as instantly for some people as the category leaders did.

What Changed When Starry Replaced Sierra Mist

Starry arrived as a full reboot: new name, new look, and a flavor profile meant to feel brighter and more direct. PepsiCo announced the switch on January 11, 2023. PepsiCo’s Starry launch release positions the brand as a sharper lemon-lime soda built for a younger audience and a category that had been growing since 2019.

In stores, the changeover wasn’t always instant. Some locations sold through remaining Sierra Mist stock first, so it was normal to see both names during early 2023.

A Name That Signals Flavor Faster

“Sierra Mist” sounds refreshing, yet it doesn’t shout “lemon-lime” at first glance. “Starry” is shorter and stands out on a can. It also gives Pepsi more room for bright design and seasonal flavors without being tied to a place name.

Pepsi also handled the legal housekeeping that comes with a rename, including trademark filings. If you’re curious how those filings are tracked, the USPTO’s TSDR status guide shows how brands and attorneys check status and view documents.

A Recipe Shift You Can Taste

Pepsi’s own language around Starry leans into “crisp” and “bite.” In plain terms, the drink is meant to feel more citrus-forward than Sierra Mist did in its later years. If you liked Sierra Mist for its softer feel, you may notice Starry’s sharper edge right away.

Starry launched in regular and zero-sugar versions, and it stayed caffeine-free, keeping one of Sierra Mist’s familiar traits.

Why Sierra Mist Never Fully Stuck

Sierra Mist lasted for more than two decades, yet it rarely owned the lemon-lime conversation. Part of that comes down to shelf habits. Many shoppers decide on autopilot, and breaking that pattern is hard even with heavy marketing.

Another piece is consistency. Across the years, Sierra Mist ran “Natural” branding in some periods, experimented with sweeteners, changed can design more than once, then tried a full name swap. Those shifts can make it tougher for a drink to build a clear identity.

The Mist Twst Detour

In 2016, Pepsi rebranded Sierra Mist as “Mist Twst” in many markets. The new label pushed a more playful citrus vibe. Then, in 2018, the company brought back the Sierra Mist name. If you remember “Mist Twst” showing up and then disappearing, you’re remembering a real mid-stream reset.

Why Pepsi Chose A Full Rebrand In 2023

Companies rename a product when small tweaks stop moving the needle. With Sierra Mist, Pepsi had already tried new can designs, “Natural” positioning, and the Mist Twst name. None of those resets changed the basic shelf reality: shoppers still reached for the brands they already trusted.

Starry let Pepsi restart the conversation with a clean slate. The new name is easier to say, easier to spot, and easier to remember after a single glance. The packaging also makes the flavor more obvious. Lemon and lime cues are front and center, so a buyer doesn’t have to decode the brand name to know what’s inside.

The timing also lined up with Pepsi’s own public view that lemon-lime soda demand had been rising in the years right before the launch. If a category is growing, a challenger has more room to grab share. Starry was built to take that shot, with marketing that leaned into youth trends, quick humor, and a “hits different” style of messaging.

For shoppers, the practical takeaway is simple: the switch was not just a new label. It was Pepsi’s attempt to reset taste perception, shelf visibility, and marketing tone all at once.

Timeline Of Pepsi Lemon-Lime Sodas Before And After Starry

Brand histories get messy fast, since regional rollouts and recipe tweaks can overlap. The table below gives a practical view of the label shifts most shoppers actually saw in stores.

Brand Name On Shelf	Rough U.S. Timing	What Shoppers Noticed
Slice (lemon-lime line)	1980s–1990s	Pepsi’s earlier citrus soda branding before a category reset.
Sierra Mist	1999 launch; wide rollout by early 2000s	New lemon-lime name, caffeine-free positioning, Sprite/7UP competitor.
Sierra Mist “Natural” (branding phase)	Late 2000s–early 2010s (varied by market)	Packaging and messaging leaned into “natural flavors” language.
Sierra Mist (recipe and label refreshes)	2010s	Multiple redesigns and sweetener experiments that split opinions.
Mist Twst	2016–2018	Full name swap with new look; short run before another revert.
Sierra Mist (name returns)	2018–early 2023	Brand name came back; older buying habits still dominated.
Starry	January 2023–present	New brand, sharper citrus style, regular and zero-sugar versions.
Starry seasonal flavors	Limited runs after launch	Flavor drops under the Starry name instead of Sierra Mist extensions.

How To Spot Old Stock Versus The New Brand

If you’re chasing a specific taste, you’ll do better by reading the label than by guessing. Stores can keep older cases in back rooms, and distributors clear stock at different speeds.

Check The Brand Name And Front Label Callouts

Sierra Mist bottles usually show the full name in large type. Mist Twst stands out even more since the word “Twst” is hard to miss. Starry uses the name with star imagery and bold, high-contrast design.

Also scan for “Zero Sugar” versus the standard version. The front label calls it out clearly.

Use The Nutrition Facts Panel As A Shortcut

Sweetener choices shifted across versions and years. The Nutrition Facts panel gives quick clues about what you’re holding.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration breaks down the Nutrition Facts label, including added sugars and serving sizes. That two-second check helps you compare a full-sugar soda with a zero-sugar version without overthinking it.

Starry Versus Sierra Mist: What People Notice In A Sip

Two lemon-lime sodas can share the same broad lane and still feel different. Starry is built to deliver a more pronounced citrus hit. Sierra Mist, in many people’s memory, reads smoother and less punchy.

If you’re deciding what to buy for a meal, a party, or a mixer shelf, the table below summarizes the differences shoppers usually care about.

Trait	Sierra Mist (Late Run)	Starry (Launch Style)
Brand status	Discontinued in early 2023	Active U.S. lemon-lime brand since January 2023
Flavor feel	Smoother lemon-lime, less “bite” for many drinkers	Sharper citrus pop, marketed as crisp and clear
Sweetener pattern	Shifted across years, including sugar and other blends	Regular plus zero-sugar line at launch
Brand look	Several redesigns, name reverted after Mist Twst	New look built around star imagery and bold type
Who Pepsi is chasing	Broad mass-market lemon-lime buyer	Younger soda shoppers plus category switchers

Buying Tips If You Miss Sierra Mist

If your goal is to recreate a taste you remember, a few simple moves beat guessing.

Try Starry Cold And Plain First

Start with a can served cold, no ice, no mixer. That gives you the clearest read on the flavor. If it feels too sharp, ice or food pairing often softens the edge.

Choose Zero Sugar Only If You Already Like That Style

Zero-sugar sodas can vary a lot by sweetener blend. If you mainly drink full-sugar soda, start with regular Starry so you’re not judging two shifts at once.

Search Discount Shelves For Leftover Cases

Some closeout retailers carry older cases that mainstream supermarkets no longer stock. If Sierra Mist is the goal, those shelves can be your best shot.

A Fast Recap For The Grocery Aisle

Starry replaced Sierra Mist in January 2023. If you want the “before” name, Sierra Mist is it. If you want the deeper chain, Pepsi’s lemon-lime shelf history also includes Mist Twst and older citrus branding like Slice. When you’re standing in front of the fridge case, the label tells the story: name on the front, “Zero Sugar” called out if it applies, and sugar clues on the Nutrition Facts panel.

If you want the company’s own announcement in one place, the PepsiCo announcement page is the cleanest reference.