Oh yeah! Do you remember these vintage Kool-Aid flavors?

Vintage Kool-Aid soft drink powder

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Oh yeah! According to news reports from 1985, at that time, Kool-Aid was the No. 1 soft drink among kids 12 and under, was found in 80 percent of households with children, and was the third-best-selling soft drink brand, behind Coke and Pepsi.

So what’s the history of Kool-Aid?

The sweet beverage began in 1922 as Fruit Smack, a flavored syrup, wrote a reporter in the Green Bay Press-Gazette (Wisconsin) on August 10, 1985. “It was one of 125 mail-order food and household products offered by Edwin E. Perkins of Hendley, Nebraska.

“Fruit Smack was popular but expensive to make. Transportation and breakage of the product’s glass containers was costly; so in 1927, Perkins removed the water and sold the powdered product in paper envelopes. He also changed the name to Kool-Aid.”

Thanks to the success of the powdered drink, the Perkins’ company grew rapidly, and was eventually bought by New York-based General Foods in 1953

Now, here’s a look back at some of the most popular vintage Kool-Aid soft drink powdered mixes, from the ’30s to the ’90s — plus lots of the old flavor names.

Jun 28, 1954 Kool Aid drinks comic strip

Vintage Kool Aid man commercials – HEY, KOOL AID! (Oh yeah!)

YouTube video


Vintage Kool-Aid powder packets: The Sunshine drink! (1938)

Kool-Aid mix from 1938


Vintage Kool-Aid: It’s the budget beverage (1942)

The budget beverage - Kool Aid 1945

ALSO SEE
21 old-fashioned fruit punch recipes (1969)

Refreshments for warm weather… made with Kool-Aid (1945)

Kool Aid packages plus recipes from 1945


New Golden Nectar Kool-Aid! (1950s)

Can’t wait to taste it! Delightfully different cool-off drink with just a touch of tang! Stir up a frosty pitcherful for your family today!

1957-kool-aid-ad


Treat the team to Kool-Aid (1950s)

5-cent package makes two quarts — 9 great flavors including new lemon! Try ’em all!

One of the many fine products of General Foods

kool-aid-1950s

“Kool-Aid, Kool-Aid, tastes great. Wish I had some, can’t wait.”

Kool Aid drink mix from 1953


Vintage grape Kool-Aid soft drink powder from 1961

Ready for a party at the drop of an ice cube — that’s delicious Kool-Aid.

This pure, wholesome refreshment is so flavorful, such fun. More economical, too — a 5c package makes two big quarts of America’s best-loved instant soft drink.

Vintage grape Kool-Aid soft drink powder from 1961



There’s only one Kool-Aid: Old-school flavors

(But it comes in 11 different flavors) [See flavors listed below!]

11 flavors of Kool Aid from 1961 (1)

11 flavors of Kool Aid from 1961 (2)

ALSO SEE
Keen! New fruit-flavored soft drink mixes for kids (1963)

Boys get cuttin’ when a smiling pitcher of Kool-Aid is on the job!

“Tommy — Your allowance inside! This Kool-Aid is to help you get started cutting the grass like you promised your father! – Mom”

Green lime Kool Aid from 1961


Treat a host of ghosts with one package of Kool-Aid (1964)

Just in time for Halloween: Regular… or new Pre-Sweetened Kool-Aid. Both make two quarts of fun and flavor.

Shopping reminder: Get extra packages for tricks ‘n’ treats.

Treat a host of ghosts with one package of Kool-Aid (1964)


Another Kool-Aid smile: Godfrey Cambridge (1973)

Another Kool-Aid smile: Godfrey Cambridge (1973)


Vintage Kool-Aid ad – Trust it as a mother (1978)

Vintage Kool-Aid ad - Trust it as a mother (1978)


Moms depend on Kool-Aid (1980)

Moms depend on Kool-Aid (1980)


Why is this pitcher smiling? (1982)

Make the smart choice. Kool-Aid instead of soda.

  • Because Kool Aid sugar-sweetened is about 1/2 the price of soda.
  • Because Kool-Aid has vitamin C.
  • Because Kool-Aid has no carbonation.
  • Because Kool-Aid brand soft drink mix has those big fruity flavors kids love. Hugs and kisses guaranteed!

Why is this pitcher smiling Kool-Aid (1982)


Sugar-free Kool-Aid with Nutrasweet (1983)

Pre-sweetened with a great new natural tasting sweetener.

Now there’s a sugar-free for kids. Because now there’s a sugar-free from Kool-Aid: New Sugar Free Kool-Aid Brand Soft Drink Mix.

It’s pre-sweetened with NutraSweet, a great new natural tasting sweetener, for that great Kool-Aid taste. New Sugar Free Kool-Aid comes in those super fruity flavors kids love: Cherry, Tropical Punch, Grape, Lemonade, Sunshine Punch.

And new Sugar Free Kool-Aid is the sugar-free Moms love to serve — it has Vitamin C, contains no caffeine and no saccharin. Yet it only costs about half the price of soda*. That’s right, half! Who else could do it all?

Sugar-free Kool Aid with Nutrasweet - 1983


Vintage Kool-Aid ad with Malcolm-Jamal Warner (1991)

Who drank all the Kool-Aid?

“I did…and I’m ready to make some more.”

I can’t resist the great taste of Kool-Aid: Try any of the 15 fruity flavors and I bet you’ll agree.

So don’t get caught with an empty pitcher. Make some Kool-Aid today and keep everyone in your house smiling.

MORE: Looking back at the Cosby Show, a huge hit TV series years before Bill Cosby’s downfall (1984-1992)

Vintage Kool Aid ad with Malcolm-Jamal Warner (1991)


Kool-Aid Bursts juice bottles (1996)

Kool-Aid Bursts juice bottles (1996)

ALSO SEE
Pop culture: Vintage diet sodas from the '80s, like Dr Pepper, Sprite, Diet Coke & Fresca

Kool-Aid flavors, past & present (worldwide, as of 2020)

Apple
Arctic Green Apple

Berry Blue
Black Cherry
Blastin’ Berry Cherry
Blue Berry Blast
Blue Moon Berry
Bunch Berry

Candy Apple
Cherry
Cherry (sugar-free)
Cherry Cracker
Chocolate
Cola

Eerie Orange
Frutas

Golden Nectar
Grape
Grape (sugar-free)
Grape Blackberry
Grape Tang

Great Blue-dini
Great Blueberry
Groselha
Guaraná

Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade
Incrediberry
Jamaica
Kickin-Kiwi-Lime
KiwiLime (sugar-free)
Kolita

Lemon
Lemon Ice
Lemon-Lime
Lemonade
Lemonade (sugar-free)
Lemonade Sparkle
Lime

Man-o-Mangoberry
Mandarina-Tangerine
Mango
Melon Mango
Mountainberry Punch

Oh-Yeah Orange-Pineapple
Orange
Orange Enerjooz

Peach
Pina-Pineapple
Pink Lemonade
Pink Swimmingo
Piña-Pineapple
Purplesaurus Rex

Rainbow Punch
Raspberry
Raspberry (sugar-free)
Roarin’ Raspberry Cranberry
Rock-a-Dile Red
Root Beer

Scary Black Cherry
Scary Blackberry
Shaking Starfruit
Sharkleberry Fin

Slammin’ Strawberry-Kiwi
Soarin’ Strawberry Lemonade (sugar-free)
Soarin’ Strawberry-Lemonade
Solar Strawberry-Starfruit

Strawberry
Strawberry Falls Punch
Strawberry Splash
Strawberry Split
Strawberry-Raspberry

Summer Punch
Sunshine Punch
Surfin’ Berry Punch
Swirlin’ Strawberry-Starfruit

Tamarindo
Tangerine
Tropical Punch
Tropical Punch (sugar-free)

Vermelhas
Watermelon
Watermelon (sugar-free)
Watermelon-Cherry

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Comments on this story

3 Responses

  1. My favorite was raspberry. I also remember the larger packets that contained sugar but I don’t think it was available in every flavor. I may be wrong about this…relying on memory.

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