For the last nine years or so, the once-popular soda Surge has been available in a limited number of locations and settings. Now, the same people responsible for that limited return are looking to expand it to include chains, grocery stores, and geographical not currently on “the list.” A Facebook group called The Surge Movement is encouraging supporters to request more options, and a wider distribution, for Surge in the U.S., including additional flavors as well as things like 12-pack and 2-liter availability (it seems that currently, the product is only sold in single-serve containers).
The easiest way for most Americans to get the drink — which originally existed from 1997 until 2006 — is at a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine, the kinds of machines that give you dozens of options of sizes, flavors, and styles of soda. They are primarily set up at McDonald’s, Burger King, or big grocery chains like Wegmans.
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At one point, at least in some parts of the country, Surge was available in bottles and cans via restaurant distributors, but a quick call to my local pizza place (Robbie T’s Pizza in Syracuse) indicates they haven’t had it in “a while.”
You can see their post below, along with a photo of a can of Surge taken at Robbie T’s in 2016:
Nine years ago today we accomplished a feat that most considered impossible. Our Movement called forth the very first revival of a discontinued Coca-Cola brand in their 128-year history.
From selling out Amazon’s entire inventory within 1 hour and becoming the #1 Bestselling Grocery Item on their platform, to the madly successful Southeast Test Runs, to the Regional Expansions of over 1/3rd the nation, followed by the Pacific Northwest, Southcentral, and New England expansions, the 16oz SKU ignited a fully loaded wave of exhilaration, excitement, and triumph among our nation’s SURGE fans.
In this process came Frozen SURGE, Fountain OG & Red Bery Blast SURGE, 12oz SURGE in the CCBCC territory, finally expanding to nationwide Freestyle SURGE with a SURGE Zero option and three additive flavor profiles. At this point, we have come to know the latter very well… Too well, actually… Lifelong fans of this brand know it deserves much more than a touchscreen button at a Burger King.
These fans are you! The fans that understand what the brand truly represents, and it’s not just a soda. Best described, we believe SURGE is a lifestyle. It’s a taste of nostalgia, the elixir of life, the nectar of the Gods, an American Dream, and of course the most Kickass Citrus Soda to ever exist in our lifetimes.
If corporations truly understood this the way we do, SURGE would already be everywhere. But internal turnover and mixed appreciation among its stepping-stone leadership have largely been the recipe for its current state. We hold onto hope that new team members will see the promise in this brand and accompany that with perseverance and passion like in the past.
Until then, we will continue to SURGE! After all, we are one of the most resilient fanbases out there having already undergone a 12-year hiatus. Our passion will never die, nor will our fight to ensure that SURGE gets the recognition it deserves. So this is to you, Coca-Cola: the ball’s in your court to provide the packaging options we desire! The path to profitability is right there for the taking.
TO ALL SURGE FANS: WHETHER YOU WANT 12OZ CANS, 20OZ / 2L BOTTLES, OR FOUNTAIN SURGE IN YOUR AREA… MAKE YOUR REQUEST NOW!
It goes on to include contact information for Coke, which you can see at their original post here.
Surge reached its original end-of-life in 2006, but returned in test markets and other limited ways starting in 2014. Among the variants have been a number of frozen Surge treats offered by companies like 7 Eleven, Valero, and Cinemark. The brand remains a nostalgic favorite, with merchandise like t-shirts outliving the availability of the actual soda on Amazon.
