Coca-Cola Revived Retro Faves Five Alive & Delaware Punch – Kinda

Two discontinued Coca-Cola drinks have quietly returned, but there is a pretty big catch. Five Alive and Delaware Punch are now reportedly available at the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta, Georgia, giving nostalgic soda fans a chance to taste both again. There is one problem: neither recreation is exactly the drink that disappeared from shelves.

Videos by Sporked

The discovery was shared in a recent Instagram video showing both names among the hidden drink options. 

What Is Delaware Punch?

Delaware Punch has been around for a very long time. The drink dates back to 1913, when it was created in San Antonio, Texas, by Thomas E. Lyons. And despite the name, it was not created in Delaware. The name actually comes from the Delaware grape, which helped give the drink its familiar grape flavor.

Delaware Punch was also a little different from the average soda. It was non-carbonated and caffeine-free, with a sweet fruit-punch taste and a strong grape flavor. The drink became especially popular in parts of Texas and the South, where it picked up a loyal following.

Coca-Cola eventually acquired the brand, but Delaware Punch did not stick around forever. The drink was discontinued in the U.S. in 2020 as Coca-Cola cut back on some of its smaller and regional brands.

Now, it has popped up again at the World of Coca-Cola. But there’s no guarantee that the version coming out of a Freestyle machine will taste exactly like the old bottled drink.

What Is Five Alive?

Five Alive has a pretty cool name for a fruit drink. The Minute Maid beverage was built around a blend of five different fruit juices.

The original Citrus version mixed orange, grapefruit, lemon, tangerine and lime. That gave it a bright, sweet-and-tangy flavor that was very different from a regular orange juice.

Five Alive became popular in the U.S. in the late 1970s and 1980s, but eventually disappeared from American shelves. The brand did not vanish everywhere, though. Five Alive is still sold in Canada, where Coca-Cola offers several varieties. The drink has also remained familiar in other international markets, including Nigeria, where it is sold as 5 Alive.

Now, there is finally another way to taste something called Five Alive in the U.S. But this version comes with a pretty big asterisk.

So, Are Five Alive And Delaware Punch Really Back?

Well… kinda.

Five Alive and Delaware Punch are back in the sense that people visiting the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta can once again order drinks carrying those names. But there is no nationwide comeback to celebrate just yet.

Five Alive is being served as a Fanta-based Freestyle creation rather than the old non-carbonated juice drink. Delaware Punch is also being served through the Freestyle system instead of returning to stores in its old bottled form. Still, it is a fun surprise for anyone who remembers these drinks.