They discontinued Sugar-Free Kool-Aid

[jmwatts]

It would appear that the powers that be have discontinued Sugar-Free Kool-Aid. Not the stuff you add sugar to, the sugar-free stuff that IMHO, tasted just as good as the real thing. Went to my grocery store, same as always, and it just wasn't there anymore. Went to Walmart, same thing. The stock guy said it's been discontinued. Very sad for me as this has been my drink of choice for I don't know how many years now. I've had people that didn't know any better try it, and they swore it was regular Kool-Aid. Well, time to give Wyler's and the store brands a try...

[lavenderviolet]

Looks like you can still get it on Amazon for now if you want to try to get some before they're gone.

You could probably get the no-sugar version and add your own artificial sweeteners to it, couldn't you?

[jmwatts]

Originally Posted by lavenderviolet

Looks like you can still get it on Amazon for now if you want to try to get some before they're gone.

You could probably get the no-sugar version and add your own artificial sweeteners to it, couldn't you?

Oh, that would just be prolonging the inevitable.. not my style.

That sounds like a good plan, but I doubt I'd ever be able to get it right. I think I just need to find an existing substitute. Currently sipping the grocery store brand and it's not bad. Was not really impressed with Wyler's, seems like it was just watered down.

[Poysyn]

I can still sort of find it, not sugar free, but low calorie, in the individual pouches. Four or five of those make a pitcher.

[Zsofia]

Crystal Lite isn't bad at all, IMHO.

[ducati]

I'm not sure your sources are right. There may be some delay in production or shipping, they may be discontinuing sugar-free products, but as of today, the Koo-Aid website has the SF products still listed.

It may be that Bob in the web office is out with rabies this week, but big corporations are usually on top of things like pulling products off the website.

Personally, I never like the taste vs. sugared, but I do like the convenience factor. I hope they don't stop.

But they may have. Someone should call them.

[Sicks Ate]

Originally Posted by Zsofia

Crystal Lite isn't bad at all, IMHO.

Came in to say this...I prefer Crystal Lite over Kool-aid or kids' drink mixes. All of the CL flavors have a nice tartness to them that is absent in Kool-aid, and makes my mouth happy.

[Hockey Monkey]

MiO is a superior alternative. Add as much or as little as you want and you don't have to worry about dissolving. Walmart has a house brand that is as good or better and has a few more flavor choices.

[chrisk]

Ehh, I like Crystal Light okay - the Strawberry, Orange, Banana variety is great - but the raspberry is terrible, the lemon-lime isn't great, and they don't have grape, strawberry, or cherry. I really like the Kool-aid lime, but they've never had that sugarfree as far as I know, so I mix it up with artificial sweetener myself...

But not sugar twin. Sugar twin is the evil twin.

[ZipperJJ]

Mixing different kinds of artificial sweetner always make for a better taste.

Lately I've been mixing Kool Aid, Splenda and this stuff (well, cherry or grape) together and it's pretty awesome. You have to figure out the mix ratios as you mix it but I haven't been disappointed yet!

[jmwatts]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have been unable to verify if they really have discontinued it, but it sure seems to be missing from the shelves here in central Texas.

[Joey P]

Originally Posted by jmwatts

Was not really impressed with Wyler's, seems like it was just watered down.

You could try using less water. Maybe start with half and keep adding and see if it eventually tastes 'right' to you.

[Sicks Ate]

I guess another factor to consider, is which tastes better with vodka?

[WhyNot]

Originally Posted by Sicks Ate

I guess another factor to consider, is which tastes better with vodka?

This is where MiO has a clear advantage - no need to water your drink down with actual water!


(I love MiO - portable and customizable; I actually prefer bug juice when I'm really thirsty, and with MiO I can make bug juice on the go.)

[butler1850]

They discontinued the good flavors of Kool-Aid invisible too. Especially cherry. Tell me how the red coloring makes it any better? We loved the clear cherry, as it tasted good, and didn't stain the carpet when my daughter spilled it. Now the only flavor in clear is Kiwi-strawberry. Who actually likes this flavor in the first place???????

<eta> It's available in presweetened, but not in packets. As I add Splenda to the packets, rather than sugar, this does me no good.

[Elendil's Heir]

Maybe you should express your love of Kool-Aid in your wardrobe, like this fellow:
http://www.mandatory.com/2012/07/10/...ol-2/#photo=62

[Cub Mistress]

Crystal Light has some new mocktail flavors: Appletini, Mojito, and Margarita flavors. Pretty good, too.

[ftg]

I've noticed this at the local stores. They do carry store brand versions (and it's clear from the packaging that it's the same company making all the store brands). No info on who makes it or where. Just "Made for <store name>".

Most flavors are the same but one of my favs seems to be missing.

(On an almost related note, I notice a couple days ago they had a store brand called "Instant Breakfast". I thought, wait a second, isn't that a trademark of Carnation? Apparently Carnation Instant Breakfast is now "Breakfast Essentials" and they are letting others use the old name.)

[picunurse]

Originally Posted by jmwatts

Oh, that would just be prolonging the inevitable.. not my style.

That sounds like a good plan, but I doubt I'd ever be able to get it right. I think I just need to find an existing substitute. Currently sipping the grocery store brand and it's not bad. Was not really impressed with Wyler's, seems like it was just watered down.

It's Splenda. You can get the store brand of sucrolose. One cup per package of unsweetened Kool Aide and 2 quarts of water.

[aceplace57]

Can't you buy the standard kool-aid and sweeten it with Splenda or Equal instead of 4 cups of sugar?

I haveb't mde kool aid since the kids were young. iirc there's no sugar in the kool aid packet. I always made it with less sugar than what the instructions said.

[Lynn Bodoni]

One of those paper packets of KoolAid makes 2 quarts of the stuff, and you need to add one cup of sugar (or the sweetener equivalent) (more or less to taste) to this. Splenda and its generic equivalent measure the same as sugar, so you add a cup of Splenda instead of sugar, or you add a quarter cup of sugar and three quarters cup of Splenda, or whatever adds up to the sweetening power of one cup. I like sugar better than Splenda, but I like having lower blood sugar than I like sugar.

Also, KoolAid will taste much better if you make it up and let it chill for several hours before you drink it. One of my bedtime chores is to check how much KoolAid is in the fridge, and if there's less than two servings, I make up more.

I also keep a jug of plain tap water in the fridge. Our city tap water tastes pretty good, but chilled water tastes better, especially during the summer. I don't bother filtering it. If I lived someplace that had bad-tasting water, I would filter, or buy water, but our water is perfectly tasty right out of the tap, and plain water is GOOD for you.

[kushiel]

I think some of you have forgotten your inner child. Mio and Crystal Light have nothing close to the flavour of Koolaid, at least the orange and grape versions. Mio is on that funky adult flavour bandwagon with stuff like Berry Pomegranate and Crystal Light is too tart and not sweet enough.

Out of curiosity, in the US, do the Koolaid Singles require 2 singles to make a water bottle? If you look at Crystal Light singles, one packet will make a 500ml bottle of water, but the Koolaid Singles are bigger packets that only make 250ml.

[needscoffee]

Originally Posted by Cub Mistress

Crystal Light has some new mocktail flavors: Appletini, Mojito, and Margarita flavors. Pretty good, too.

I bought and made the Margarita flavor mix because the store was out of limeade, and now I feel like I'm grooming my kids to become bar drinkers. It really tastes a lot like a Margarita.

[don't ask]

Well don't drink it.

Just don't.

[Lynn Bodoni]

Originally Posted by needscoffee

I bought and made the Margarita flavor mix because the store was out of limeade, and now I feel like I'm grooming my kids to become bar drinkers. It really tastes a lot like a Margarita.

The margarita flavored Jelly Bellies taste a lot like margaritas, too, except without the salt. One of my friends had to abstain from alcohol for a while because she was taking some medication (?antibiotics?), and she was missing her margaritas. So I got a margarita glass and filled it with Jelly Bellies. Mostly the margarita flavor, but I added in some Mandarin orange (for the orange liqueur) and some Very Vanilla (for the salt) on the top layer. She thought it was adorable.

I like Jelly Bellies because they have an intense flavor, and I can eat a couple of the beans and be satisfied.

[Waldoson]

What is this world coming to? Didn't the folks at Kool-Aid read the debacle that COKE had following the not-so-smart decision to change the coke formula?

Bring back Sugar Free Kool aid!

I too will be looking for something else to replace it....

[ZipperJJ]

I drink a quart of sugar-free Kool Aid every day. I just mix a packet with 1 cup of Splenda, like Lynn suggested.

You can buy Splenda in 1.2 lb bags and even better, have it delivered on a schedule from Amazon. I originally had mine at 6 months but I might change to 4.

[Idle Thoughts]

Moving over to CS.

[Jamicat]

I have been getting kool-aid, add sugar packets, recently.

I don't remember it leaving white slimy stuff at the bottom of the container years ago.

I shake it up every time I get a glass.

But, It's still there at the end.

Citric Acid?...Sugar Fillers?...Melted Plastic?

I don't taste it, I just clean it and make more.

[Hockey Monkey]

Originally Posted by kushiel

I think some of you have forgotten your inner child. Mio and Crystal Light have nothing close to the flavour of Koolaid, at least the orange and grape versions. Mio is on that funky adult flavour bandwagon with stuff like Berry Pomegranate and Crystal Light is too tart and not sweet enough.

Out of curiosity, in the US, do the Koolaid Singles require 2 singles to make a water bottle? If you look at Crystal Light singles, one packet will make a 500ml bottle of water, but the Koolaid Singles are bigger packets that only make 250ml.

The Walmart knockoff has grape and orange flavors!