What kid doesn't love to chew bubble gum? It's delicious, chewy and you can play with it. I loved chewing gum when I was a kid and I can remember a lot of crazy types of gum that came out in the 80s and 90s. At that time a bunch of gimmicks were thrown at us to try and sell the sugary, chewy gobs of flavor. Everything from gum shaped like CDs to gum that would change the color of your mouth. I miss those days. Here are my favorite flavors of gum from the good ole days that you can't find on the shelves anymore.
1. Dr. Pepper Gum
Yes, you can still find Dr. Pepper gum on the shelves today, but it is completely different than what we had back in the 80s. The version we got tasted like Dr. Pepper on the outside, but when you began the chewing process BAM!!! you were hit with a juicy explosion of flavor! I have seen a few other versions of this "Soda Gum" online that include 7Up and Cherry 7Up flavors, but for me the Dr. Pepper variety was the best of the bunch!
2. FLEER Gatorgum
I loved Gatorgum! In my research I was surprised to read that it was available up until the early 2000s! The two flavors I remember were Lemon/Lime & Orange. Now check out this crazy Gatorgum ad and try not to be amazed by the special effects!
FANTASTIC wasn't it? When you put a piece of Gatorgum in your mouth it was like eating a chewy stick of Gatorade. The flavor was actually pretty close to the sports drink, but I don't really think it quenched my thirst very much. The closest thing to Gatorgum today is Quench Gum. If you miss Gatorgum, I say you give it a try.
3. The Real Ghostbusters: Slimer Bubble Gum
I remember buying this squeeze gum in a tube at the registers of KB Toys. They always had great things at the front check out and this gum is a fine example. Myself and my brother each got one and we treated it like gold, only squishing small amounts of the gum like substance out at a time to make it last! The consistency was very gooey & grainy and the taste was super sugary, but it had Slimer on it, so by kid logic it tasted AMAZING!
4. Bubblicious Lebron's Lightning Lemonade
In 2005 Bubblicious' Lightning Lemonade flavor was revived, this time with the endorsement of NBA superstar Lebron James.
I remember chewing this flavor before it was discontinued in 2000, but something tasted a bit different this time around. Ah ha! Now it included raspberry flavoring!!! I actually enjoyed this improvement on the original. It added a bit of sweetness to the sour of the lemonade flavoring. I used to buy packs of this stuff at the Dollar Tree all the time, but like most good things it was not destined to last forever. Who knows, maybe they'll re-re-introduce this flavor in a few more years?
5. Bubble Yum: Checker Mint
This gum had everything going for it when it debuted around 1986! It looked cool with it's red & white checker pattern, the flavor was a nice blend of sweet and mint, the packaging stood out on the check out line shelves and there was this kick-ass commercial that aired every Saturday morning during our cartoon binges!
I hope you enjoyed this look back at old gum? What was your favorite flavor to chew back in the day? Let us know in the comments below!
