Coca-Cola introduced the diet soda Tab to a weight-conscious America in 1963, calling it the drink of beautiful people.
Among the many Americans who still recall its taste, or think they can, Tab lacked the sweetness of today’s diet drinks.
But for others, Tab became a lifelong passion. They appreciated its sharp, lemony flavor. They enjoyed the not-too-much sweetening of saccharine and cyclamate. In 1969, a health scare caused Tab to stop using cyclamate, relying instead on saccharin, which had a bitter taste.
In 1982, the company produced its own competition with Diet Coke. Tab lovers were discouraged to see the company give it more promotion. Demand fell until Tab was pulled from the market in 2020.
For devotees, the drink can evoke memories of life in perhaps more congenial times, when a cold can of Tab on their automobile console was the only thing making the drive to work endurable.
This article is featured in the March/April 2026 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Subscribe to the magazine for more art, inspiring stories, fiction, humor, and features from our archives.
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Comments
The drink of beautiful people may have been inspired in part by Pepsi’s ‘refreshing without filling’ and ‘the light refreshment’ slogans (especially in print ads) of the 50’s, featuring attractive people. That aside, the Coca-Cola company didn’t want to tarnish the good Coke name back then with the word ‘diet’ attached to it. Pepsi didn’t mind coming out with theirs in 1964, but Coke held off until ’82 as stated. I’m surprised Tab hung in there until 2020!
Let’s get TaB back!