Starry is a lemon-lime soft drink distributed in the United States by PepsiCo. Distribution first began in January 2023. The brand is aimed at competing against Coca-Cola's Sprite and Dr Pepper's 7 Up. Starry replaced Sierra Mist as Pepsi's lemon-lime flavored drink, in part because Sierra Mist failed to gain market share in the growing category.[1][2] Starry contains no caffeine, and as of April 2023 is available in Regular and Zero-Sugar varieties.
History
In July 2022, it was reported that PepsiCo purchased a domain name for a new brand of lemon-lime drink that would eventually replace Sierra Mist.[3] The following month, in August 2022, the company filed for a trademark for the brand name Starry as well as for a logo.[4]
A can of Starry Lemon-Lime
The brand began being distributed in stores in January 2023 with marketing geared towards Generation Z.[5][6][7]Bloomberg Businessweek reported industry analysts suggested a successful campaign to grab market share could mean taking 5–10% market share away from Sprite.[8]
Product
Starry is sold in cans in either 7.5 ounce or 12 ounce sizes, and in plastic bottles ranging in size from 16 ounces to two liters.[9] Since its inception, Starry has been composed of carbonated water, high-fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural flavor, and various preservatives.[10] Starry uses high-fructose corn syrup as a sweetener, unlike Sierra Mist, which was sweetened using cane sugar before it was discontinued.[11]
Reception
Reception to the drink on social media suggests many feel that Starry tastes similar to its predecessor Sierra Mist,[12] while others feel it tastes akin to Sprite, the longtime leader of the lemon-lime soft drink market.[13] Starry has been described as being more "Citrusey" than Sierra Mist.[11]
