Lift

Lift is an international range of carbonated soft drinks associated with The Coca-Cola Company. The brand is positioned around fruit flavour, with formulations and lead flavours adapted to local beverage portfolios. In Australia and New Zealand, Lift has primarily been identified with lemon flavour, while Germany and several other European markets have used apple as the principal flavour. The Philippine range has included caffeinated lemon and strawberry variants sold under market-specific names. The brand has been present in multiple markets since the 1970s, although its launch dates and commercial role differ by country. Germany introduced Lift in 1974 with a lemon-juice formulation. In Australia and New Zealand, Lift arrived during the 1990s as a replacement for Mello Yello, which had itself followed Leed Lemon Soda Squash in the local portfolio. The Australian and New Zealand product became principally a lemon soft drink rather than a broad international line. Lift's product architecture has included both conventional carbonated soft drinks and juice-based sparkling drinks. The German Lift Apfelschorle is made with apple juice and water and is described as containing 55% apple juice without added flavouring. Other German variations have included apple and grapefruit combinations. In Australia and New Zealand, the brand was temporarily presented as Fanta Lemon Lift in 2015, before returning to the Lift name in 2016 with a reformulated, reportedly more sour taste. The brand has also been used as a local Coca-Cola portfolio replacement or complement. In the Philippines, Lift Lemon launched in April 1994 as a successor to Mello Yello. It was later discontinued there and replaced by Sparkle after Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines acquired Cosmos Bottling Corporation and its associated brands from RFM Corporation. In 2025, Lift was relaunched in parts of the Philippines, specifically Western Visayas and the Negros Island Region, where it coexisted with Royal Tru-Lemon. Lift has not operated as a single globally standardized product. Its flavours, caffeine status, naming, availability and relationship with other Coca-Cola brands have varied by territory. In the Philippines, the brand has been marketed as a caffeinated soft drink, with Lemon sold as Citrus Blast and Strawberry sold as Berry Blast. In Australia, Lift was discontinued in September 2022 and replaced by Sprite Lemon+, a lemon-flavoured Sprite variant containing caffeine. Coca-Cola stated that the brand would continue in New Zealand after discontinuation rumours circulated there. Lift has also been featured at Club Cool in Epcot, where Lift Apple and Lift Lemon were among international soft-drink flavours available for tasting. Overall, Lift is best understood as a regional Coca-Cola trademark and product family rather than a uniform worldwide beverage. Its continuity depends on local portfolio strategy, with the name retained in some markets, reformulated or rebranded in others, and withdrawn and later revived in selected territories.

Lift developed as a regional soft-drink trademark within The Coca-Cola Company's international portfolio. The brand has been available in a number of markets since the 1970s, but it has never represented one completely standardized formula. Coca-Cola has used the Lift name for different fruit-forward carbonated drinks, adjusting flavours, juice content, caffeine and naming to local market conditions. Germany was an early market for the brand. Lift was introduced there in 1974 with lemon juice. Its best-known German expression became Lift Apfelschorle, an apple-juice spritzer made with 55% apple juice and water and described as having no additional flavouring. The German range has also included apple and grapefruit variants. This gave Lift a different identity in Germany from the lemon-led soft drink sold in Australasia. In Australia and New Zealand, Lift appeared in the 1990s as a replacement for Mello Yello. Mello Yello had replaced Leed Lemon Soda Squash in the early 1980s, linking Lift to a succession of lemon-flavoured drinks in the local Coca-Cola portfolio. The principal Lift product in both countries was lemon flavoured, apart from limited editions. In 2015, the Australian and New Zealand product was temporarily renamed Fanta Lemon Lift. The Lift name returned in 2016, accompanied by a flavour change that was described as making the drink more sour. Lift's Australian history ended, at least for the time being, in September 2022. Coca-Cola Europacific Partners replaced it with Sprite Lemon+, a caffeinated lemon-flavoured Sprite product. The change followed months of consumer speculation and social-media rumours. Similar rumours suggested that Lift might also disappear from New Zealand, but Coca-Cola stated that the New Zealand product would remain available. The Philippines provides another example of the brand's changing market role. Lift launched there in April 1994 as a replacement for Mello Yello. It was later discontinued in the early 2000s. The withdrawal occurred in the context of Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines' acquisition of Cosmos Bottling Corporation from RFM Corporation. Lift was subsequently replaced by Sparkle, while other acquired or associated brands included Sarsi, Pop Cola, Jaz Cola and Cheers. In 2025, Coca-Cola Europacific Aboitiz Philippines brought Lift back to Western Visayas and the Negros Island Region. The relaunched product coexisted with Royal Tru-Lemon rather than simply replacing it. The brand has also had visibility outside ordinary retail distribution. Lift Apple and Lift Lemon were among international soda flavours served for tasting at Club Cool in Epcot. In the Philippines, local marketing has presented Lift as a caffeinated soft drink, with Lemon sold under the Citrus Blast name and Strawberry under Berry Blast. These examples illustrate the brand's flexible regional architecture. Lift's history is therefore defined by adaptation rather than uninterrupted global expansion. It has served as a lemon soda in Australasia, an apple-juice spritzer and related fruit drink in Germany, and a caffeinated fruit-flavoured offering in the Philippines. The name has been rebranded, withdrawn, replaced and revived in different territories according to Coca-Cola system portfolio decisions. Its current status is consequently market-dependent: it remains active in selected countries while having been discontinued or replaced in others.

• 2025

  Philippine regional relaunch

  [1]Lift (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  Lift returned in Western Visayas and the Negros Island Region of the Philippines.

• 2022

  Australian withdrawal

  [1]Lift (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  Lift was discontinued in Australia in September and replaced by Sprite Lemon+.

• 2016

  Lift name restored in Australasia

  [1]Lift (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  The Lift name returned in Australia and New Zealand with a flavour adjustment described as more sour.

• 2015

  Australian and New Zealand product rebranded as Fanta Lemon Lift

  [1]Lift (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  The local Lift product was temporarily marketed under the Fanta Lemon Lift name.

• 1994

  Lift launches in the Philippines

  [1]Lift (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  Lift Lemon launched in the Philippines in April 1994 as a replacement for Mello Yello.

• 1990

  Lift introduced in Australia and New Zealand

  [1]Lift (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  During the 1990s, Lift was introduced in Australia and New Zealand as a replacement for Mello Yello and became primarily associated with lemon flavour.

• 1974

  Lift introduced in Germany

  [1]Lift (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  Lift entered the German market with a lemon-juice formulation, establishing one of the brand's earliest documented market presences.

A fruit-flavoured carbonated soft-drink range within the Coca-Cola system, with market-specific emphasis on lemon, apple, juice content and, in some territories, caffeine.

• Lemon soft drink

  Lift Lemon

  The principal Lift expression in Australia and New Zealand is a carbonated lemon-flavoured soft drink. It has also been sold in other markets, including the Philippines, where the lemon variant has been marketed as Citrus Blast and described as caffeinated. The formulation and availability vary by country.

• Apple soft drink

  Lift Apple

  Lift Apple is the principal or familiar Lift flavour in Germany and some other European markets. It represents the brand's apple-oriented positioning, contrasting with the lemon-led product used in Australasia. Lift Apple has also been served as an international tasting product at Club Cool in Epcot.

• Apple juice spritzer

  Lift Apfelschorle

  The German Lift Apfelschorle is a sparkling apple-juice drink made with 55% apple juice and water. It is described as containing no additional flavouring, giving it a different product profile from a conventional artificially flavoured carbonated soft drink.

• Fruit soft drink

  Lift Grapefruit

  A German Lift variation combining apple and grapefruit juice. It extends the brand's juice-based fruit range beyond the standard apple expression.

• Caffeinated strawberry soft drink

  Lift Strawberry

  In the Philippines, the strawberry variant has been marketed under the Berry Blast name and positioned as a caffeinated soft drink. Its availability is market-specific and has changed over time.

• 2025

  Regional Philippine relaunchProduct launch

  Background

  After its earlier discontinuation in the Philippines, Coca-Cola Europacific Aboitiz Philippines returned the brand to selected regional markets.

  Action taken

  Lift was relaunched in Western Visayas and the Negros Island Region, where it coexisted with Royal Tru-Lemon.

  Source

• 2022

  Australian discontinuation and Sprite replacementStrategy

  Background

  Coca-Cola Europacific Partners reviewed the Australian lemon-soft-drink portfolio after consumer speculation about Lift's future.

  Action taken

  Lift was discontinued in Australia in September 2022 and replaced by Sprite Lemon+, a caffeinated lemon flavour.

  Aftermath

  The Lift brand remained available in New Zealand, despite rumours that it would also be withdrawn there.

  Source

• 2016

  Return to Lift branding with flavour adjustmentGeneration change

  Background

  Following the temporary Fanta Lemon Lift presentation, Coca-Cola returned the product to its established Lift identity.

  Action taken

  The original Lift name was reinstated and the drink was described as having a more sour flavour.

  Aftermath

  Lift continued in Australia and New Zealand until its later Australian withdrawal.

  Source

• 2015

  Temporary Fanta Lemon Lift rebrandingStrategy

  Background

  The Lift product in Australia and New Zealand was temporarily incorporated into the Fanta naming architecture.

  Action taken

  The product was marketed as Fanta Lemon Lift.

  Aftermath

  The Lift name was restored in 2016, alongside a reported flavour change.

  Source

1. 1Lift (drink)en.wikipedia.org