Lemonade is a classic summertime drink that many people enjoy. Brands like Minute Maid have offered convenient, ready-to-drink lemonade products for decades. Recently, some Minute Maid lemonade flavors seem to be disappearing from store shelves, leading consumers to wonder: is Minute Maid discontinuing their lemonade?
Background on Minute Maid Lemonade
Minute Maid is a beverage brand owned by The Coca-Cola Company. They are best known for their orange juice but also produce other juice drinks and lemonades. Minute Maid entered the ready-to-drink lemonade market in the 1960s with both regular and pink lemonade flavors. Over the years they have introduced new flavor varieties like raspberry lemonade, strawberry lemonade, lemonade with real lemon juice, and seasonal flavors.
Traditionally, Minute Maid lemonade has been sold in grocery stores in the refrigerated juice section. Some of the most popular package types include:
- 12 oz plastic bottles
- 16 oz plastic bottles
- 32 oz plastic bottles
- 59 oz plastic bottles
- Half gallon and gallon plastic jugs
- Cans
In the 1990s and 2000s, Minute Maid also had partnership deals to serve their lemonade in restaurants like Wendy’s, Arby’s, and Subway. However, most of their sales still came from retail grocery stores. At their peak, Minute Maid’s lemonade offerings were widely available across grocery chains in North America.
Recent Changes and Discontinuations
In approximately 2020 and 2021, some consumers started noticing Minute Maid lemonade products disappearing from store shelves. For example, their flavored lemonades like raspberry lemonade and country style lemonade seemed to vanish from many retailers. There were also reports of stores no longer carrying larger bottles and jugs of original Minute Maid lemonades, only the 12-16 oz single serve bottles.
Minute Maid pink lemonade also appears to have been discontinued in some regions including Canada. Many shoppers have posted on social media asking what happened to the pink lemonade that was once plentiful on store shelves.
Other consumers have lamented the loss of Minute Maid’s lemonade with real lemon juice. This product touted having actual squeezed lemons and a more authentic lemon flavor compared to regular reconstituted lemonade. However it too has become very difficult to find in stores recently.
The discontinuations seem to be hit or miss depending on location. Some retailers and regions still have good stock of certain Minute Maid lemonade lines. But there’s no doubt that availability has decreased significantly in the past 2 years compared to previous decades when the brand had a very robust lemonade presence.
Why is Minute Maid Discontinuing Lemonade Products?
Minute Maid has not provided an official announcement explaining why they are discontinuing parts of their lemonade line. But reviewing industry trends and speaking to grocery managers provides some clues.
One factor appears to be a shift in consumer demand. Overall consumption of juices, including lemonade, has been declining over the past decade. Consumers are becoming more health conscious and turning towards drinks with less sugar and calories. They are also drinking more water instead of sugary beverages. Minute Maid is likely discontinuing underperforming lemonade SKUs based on lack of sales.
There is also more competition in the ready-to-drink lemonade space. Smaller brands like Ice River Springs and Santa Cruz Organic have gained shelf space with more natural, organic lemonades. Retailers have limited space, so Coca-Cola must cut underperforming products to make room for other faster growing beverages.
Supply chain issues may also play a role. Many businesses across various industries are streamlining operations and trimming product portfolios to simplify supply chains in the face of material shortages, labor shortages, shipping delays and inflationary pressures.
Producing, packaging, shipping, and stocking a wide array of lemonade flavors and pack sizes may be proving too complex and costly given decreased consumer demand. Focusing on their highest volume SKUs improves efficiency.
What Minute Maid Lemonade Flavors are Still Available?
While Minute Maid has discontinued portions of their lemonade range, some core products still remain:
| Lemonade Flavor | Availability |
|---|---|
| Regular lemonade | Still widely available, but primarily in 12 and 16 oz single serve bottles |
| Pink lemonade | Still available in many regions in 12 and 16 oz bottles |
| Lemonade with real lemon juice | Limited availability, mostly phased out |
| Flavored lemonades like raspberry, strawberry, country style | Mostly discontinued |
| Larger size bottles, jugs, gallons | Reduced availability compared to previous years |
So regular lemonade and pink lemonade remain the core products for Minute Maid, primarily in smaller single serve bottles. Though even these may be less available compared to 5-10 years ago.
Potential Future Changes
It’s expected Minute Maid will continue to refine their lemonade portfolio in coming years to align with consumer demand.
We’ll likely see fewer flavors offered and smaller pack sizes. For example, they recently introduced 8 oz lemonade bottles for convenience and portion control. Reducing product complexity allows them to focus marketing and shelf space on their highest potential lemonades.
There may also be more innovative formulations that offer functional benefits. An example is a new “immune support” lemonade containing zinc, vitamins C & D, and electrolytes. Producing relevant and premium products can justify the premium prices needed amid inflation.
Retail distribution could shift as well, with more products aimed at convenience and impulse shopping channels like gas stations, rather than just grocery retail.
However Minute Maid will leverage consumer insights to determine the right product mix. If certain lemonade varieties or pack formats see a resurgence in popularity, they may be rotated back in.
Alternatives for Shoppers
While it’s disappointing for Minute Maid fans that some lemonade options have been dropped, there are still many great alternatives on the market. Here are a few options to consider:
Simply Lemonade
This brand from Coca-Cola offers a refrigerated “not from concentrate” lemonade. It has no preservatives, more lemon juice, and a less sweet flavor than traditional reconstituted lemonade.
Honest Tea Honey Green Tea
Fans of raspberry lemonade could enjoy Honest Tea’s lightly sweetened blend of refreshing honey green tea with notes of raspberry.
Steaz Organic Lemonade
For an organic, less sugary lemonade, Steaz makes a line of Zero Calorie, Lightly Sweetened, and Original lemonades with antioxidant-rich extracts from green tea, acai, and other fruit.
Homemade Lemonade
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade! Squeeze fresh lemon juice, combine with water and sweetener, and customize flavors with fruit purees or herbs. Tailor the sweetness to your taste.
Flavored Sparkling Waters
Brands like La Croix, Bubly and Polar Selzter offer lightly flavored sparkling waters that can satisfy a lemonade craving without the calories, sugar, or artificial flavors.
The Bottom Line
Some Minute Maid lemonade options like flavored and “made with real lemon” varieties seem to be permanently discontinued as the brand streamlines offerings. But classic regular and pink lemonades are still available from Minute Maid, primarily in smaller pack sizes. Shoppers have plenty of other refreshing lemonade and flavored beverage options from brands big and small to fill the void.
Minute Maid will likely continue adapting their lemonade lineup to meet changing consumer wants in the coming years. The brand has a strong nostalgic appeal for shoppers, so reviving interest with new innovations could bring back former fans while attracting new ones. For now, traditionalists can continue to enjoy Minute Maid’s core lemonades, even if some other beloved flavors are gone.