This Popular ’80s Soda Is Quietly Making a Comeback

I’m a huge fan of the ’80s. Sadly, I was born after the decade passed, but my momma is a certified ’80s baby. So, while I don’t have first-hand experience of that decade’s joys, my mom often shared her memories with me and my brother—the music, the movies, and, of course, the food and drinks. 

Now, 40 years later, one popular drink from that time is officially making its grand return.

Jolt Cola Is Coming Back

In case you, too, love a blast from the past, Jolt Cola has you covered.

Before there was Red Bull, the energy drink founded in 1987, there was Jolt Cola, carrying the tagline “The Original American Energy Drink.” The beverage company was first founded in 1985 by C.J. Rapp when he noticed university students were concocting their own home-brewed energy drinks to stay awake. With 72 milligrams of caffeine in each 12-ounce can (the average soda has somewhere between 25 and 50 milligrams per can), the brand quickly skyrocketed into popularity. 

Jolt Cola filed for bankruptcy in 2009, but it’s making a comeback in a big way. This time around, Jolt Cola’s caffeine will be double what it was previously—the new, larger 16-ounce cans will each carry a whopping 200 milligrams of caffeine. (By comparison, Red Bull’s standard 8.4-ounce cans have 80 milligrams each.) As a certified energy drink enthusiast, that’s slightly concerning—but certainly intriguing.

“There’s a neat way to bring something back where it’ll pay homage to what once was, yet we can do it in a very modern way,” Ryan Monahan, chief marketing officer at Redcon1, the brand behind the relaunch, told CNN. Along with a brand-new look, larger can size, and more caffeine, Jolt Cola will also be offering a zero-sugar version of its energy drink. 

Jolt Cola is set to be back in stores early this year, and my highly caffeinated, ’80s-loving self is excited to give this old-school soda a whirl—it gives me a jolt just thinking about it.