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Ferrera / Bubblicious / Gatorade
Discontinued: 1850s
America’s first commercial chewing gum. The State of Maine Pure Spruce Gum was invented when John Curtis boiled spruce tree resin into strips and coated them with cornstarch. But the chewing gum tasted terrible and turned brittle when chewed. The innovative gum failed within years and was later replaced by paraffin-based gums.
Discontinued: 1884
The first chicle-based gum wouldn’t hit American markets till 1869. It was created by Thomas Adams using sap from Mexican sapodilla trees. The chewing gum was originally flavorless and marketed as “Snapping and Stretching.” Evolved Into Black Jack when Adams added licorice flavoring in 1884.
Discontinued: 1890s
It wouldn’t be till the 1870s that William J. White created the first peppermint-flavored gum in America. Named after the Yucatan region where chicle was harvested, White discovered how to add mint flavoring to chicle, launching the era of flavored gum.
Discontinued: 1890s
In 1886, Jonathan Primley formulated the first fruit-flavored gum. Marketed with romantic appeal—the name promised kissable breath. Primley pioneered fruit flavoring techniques that influenced decades of gum development.
Discontinued: 1890s
Wrigley’s first two gum brands were named Lotto and Vassar. They debuted alongside his baking soda and other consumer brands. But they were quickly overshadowed by their more successful sibling, Spearmint.
Discontinued: 1928
Blibber-Blubber was Frank Fleer’s failed bubble gum prototype. But it was too sticky to be practical—burst bubbles adhered to faces and required turpentine removal. The brand was abandoned after 22 years of failed attempts to perfect the formula.
Discontinued: 2022
Super Bubble was the first individually wrapped bubble gum, originally called “Bub’s Daddy.” It was created by the Thomas Wiener Company after World War II. They sold for five cents each initially but dropped to one cent to compete with Dubble Bubble. Ferrara discontinued production in 2022.
Discontinued: 2024
Fruit Stripe Gum featured zebra stripes and temporary tattoos of the mascot Yipes the Zebra. The bubble gum was a hit with kids for its intense fruit flavor that disappeared within seconds of chewing. Beech-Nut created it in the early 1960s, and Ferrara ended production in 2022, announcing discontinuation in 2024.
Discontinued: 2000s
GatorGum was Gatorade’s attempt to enter the gum market. Each packet of gum came in orange and lemon-lime flavors. But it never achieved lasting success. According to those who tried it, the flavor faded quickly, and its appeal remained limited to sports enthusiasts.
Discontinued: 2000s
Carefree sugar-free gum claimed that its gum had “the flavor lasts.” But the slogan proved false—the flavor faded within minutes. This pioneering sugar-free product was marketed during the 1990s health craze but couldn’t deliver on its core promise.
Discontinued: 2010s
Bubblicious Cotton Candy flavored gum was one of 28 flavors offered by Bubblicious, 10 of which were eventually discontinued. Cotton Candy became particularly beloved by fans who still mourn its disappearance. Part of the brand’s strategy to offer a wide variety of extreme flavors.
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