We’ve Got Intel on 2 New Gatorade Flavors

We can all agree there aren’t enough flavors of Gatorade in the world today. Last time we counted, there were only 18—with a lone mystery flavor joining in since then. But the people demand more! Luckily, PepsiCo fears our electrolytic avarice, which is why I’m happy to reveal that two new flavors of Gatorade are coming down the production line.

What unhelpfully-vague names will these new Gatorade flavors have and what colors will they be?

While it’s far too blurry to showcase as the header image for this article, I have been sent a super-secret photo of these new flavors. Gatorade “Midnight Ice” is dark purple à la Grape, while “Lightning Blast” is that same milky-white seen in last year’s Mystery Flavor (and my personal #1 Gatorade, Glacier Cherry). A few disappointing Google searches later, I can confirm that neither of those names refer to any known flavor. It seems our best and brightest scientists have not spent enough time tasting dangerous road conditions and weather phenomenons.

When the new Gatorade flavors go on sale and where can you buy them?

While we don’t know exactly what these flavors will taste like yet, we do know when you’ll be able to try them for yourselves, thanks to a PepsiCo innovation calendar I received from discontinued-soda superfan, Team Supernova. “Innovation calendar” is corporate lingo for a company’s list of upcoming products, along with where they’ll be sold and when they’ll be put out for sale. According to that document, these flavors will launch on April 22, 2024. Both flavors are limited-time-only rather than permanent additions. But have no fear, they’ll both be on shelves through the end of November.

But which shelves? Both flavors will be sold in single-serving 28 oz bottles (colloquially known as “short roundies” in my house) exclusively at select convenience chains. “Midnight Ice” is coming to 7-Eleven and Speedway, while “Lightning Blast” will only be found at Circle K.  In addition, “Midnight Ice” will also be available in a different size for a different period of time at a different store! Walmart will be selling 8-packs of 20 oz bottles (known in the Gatorade fandom as a “rack”) from April 22 through September 1. Sounds like PepsiCo is confident people will want “Midnight Ice” in bulk!

What will the new Gatorade flavors be? Here’s one theory

Could “Lightning Blast” be based on another PepsiCo-produced drink with a weather condition-themed name with a purple/red label initially sold exclusively at Circle K? For this beverage conspiracy theorist, it all lines up a little too well: Gatorade “Lightning Blast” must be based on the berry-and-plum-flavored MTN Dew Purple Thunder. Personally, I think it’s an underrated combo, so sign me up! As for “Midnight Ice,” I have no strong guesses for what the fifth(!?) ice-themed Gatorade could actually refer to—maybe bone broth?