Gatorade Gum (History, Flavors, Pictures & Commercials)

Gatorade has had a lot of different products over the years. Some of them have been popular and around forever while others have come and gone and are deeply missed. Gatorade gum is one of those products that seem to be deeply missed but we have yet to see a comeback. 

Gator Gum was also called Gator Gum. You might remember it from many years ago but we’re here to talk about it just in case. 

History

Gatorade itself has a vast history. They’ve been around for what probably seems like ages if we’re honest. In actuality, it wasn’t really that long ago. Gatorade first came out in 1965. Their story is pretty interesting. 

Basically, Gatorade came from a group of scientists that were attending the University of Florida College of Medicine at the time. They took a challenge from the Florida Gators football coach to produce something to hydrate the players. 

Then, they went through all of the testing and processes with the team They always felt as though Gatorade played a role in making them successful. 

That successful trial became something much larger, leading to the adaptation of a commercial product we know to be Gatorade. There was a long and stringent process of getting licensed and then coming to terms with standards of the FDA. Through the years there have been many changes and many different products. 

Those products bring us clear up to the creation of things like Gatorade Frost, Gatorade chews, Gatorade energy bars, and Gatorade gum. The gum was actually one of their earlier additions to the line. After all, they produced only two Gatorade flavors for more than 20 years before opening up to even more flavors. 

Finally, they decided to step out. In 1970, they produced their first version of Gatorade chewing gum. The gum changed a few times through the years but there was some form of Gatorade gum, also known as Gator Gum, on the market from the 1970s into the early 2000s. Unfortunately, that’s when the legend ended. 

While Gator Gum was around, it was marketed through Swell and Vicks. The gum was actually officially discontinued in 1989 according to records. However, sources also say the gum could be found into the early 2000s so it’s a bit unclear what really happened and when on that specific detail. 

It’s almost like Gatorade Gum just got lost in the details. Their initial marketing contract expired and so they just stopped actively marketing the gum and eventually stopped making it altogether. For people who remember Gator Gum, it certainly warrants sadness to consider the loss of a great option like that! And there was really no closure for people either. 

Gatorade Gum was so popular because it helped dry mouth issues and it had really great flavor that lasted. 

When Was Gator Gum Invented? 

Gator Gum was really short lived when you think about it. Gum options like Extra, Hubba Bubba, and even Ice Cubes have been around for years and they stick around. You can even still get that pink bubble gum that only keeps its flavor for like 10 minutes. 

However, Gatorade somehow got it right when they came out with Gatorade chewing gum. They invented this gum in the 1970s. That’s when it was first introduced. It was popular and was said to have not only the best flavor but to hold that flavor for a long time. 

Much like other Gatorade products, it was invented with the intention of offering hydration and preventing dry mouth when you really just need some moisture and hydration. Unfortunately, Gator Gum was pretty short lived. 

While people loved the quality of the gum, it fell through the cracks somewhere. The gum was discontinued as of 1989 and stopped being available from store shelves in the early 2000s. 

Who Owns Gatorade Gum? 

Gatorade Gum was part of the Gatorade brand. It was technically owned by Gatorade but Gatorade itself is owned by Pepsi now. It went through a lot of ownership changes over the years. 

Gatorade Gum was actually manufactured through the Fleer Corporation and came from a pre-existing contract that the owner of Gatorade before 1983 had drawn up. This could perhaps be another part of the reason that the gum was short-lived. It seems like it was part of the arrangement with prior owners so perhaps the owners at the time simply weren’t interested. 

How Did Gatorade Gum Get its Name? 

The name behind Gatorade Gum is pretty self-explanatory. It came from Gatorade and it was gum. No fancy word games or titles here! This gum was also commonly called Gator Gum but the same logic applies there. 

Gatorade’s history of the name is interesting though. We mentioned earlier that a group of scientists actually created Gatorade as a sports drink at the request of the Florida Gators football team. 

It seemed to work well for them and when they went on to victory, competing coaches even mentioned that they lost because they didn’t have Gatorade. 

Originally, they considered calling the sports drink Gator-Aid but they later settled on Gatorade instead. The thought was they already had big plans for the drink so they didn’t want it to be too specific to the Gator team. 

In the end, they still used the Gators for name inspiration but the title didn’t just automatically relate aiding the Gator team like the first rendition of the name. It kept the history and nature of the drink at the forefront without making it all about the football team. 

Flavors

Gator Gum was only available for a short time. They only made it in two different flavors but both flavors were equally popular. The two flavors came from the original flavors of Gatorade and included orange as well as lemon-lime. They were the classics. 

There were never any other flavors added to the mix but they didn’t really need them. The gum always had a reputation for being juicy and packed with flavor. Even more than that, the gum held flavor and kept flavor so if you were chewing it while you were running or working out or playing around, you didn’t deal with a dry mouth through the course of time. 

Sadly, it was discontinued but Gatorade could always choose to make a comeback someday. For now, people seem satisfied with their chews and other popular choices on the market. While you won’t find gum itself, you can find tons of other Gatorade options to choose from. 

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Where to Buy?

This is the part that always makes us sad. You learn so much about a classic option only to find out that you can’t buy it anywhere. The good news is that you can buy other Gatorade alternatives. You can find a selection at gas stations, grocery stores, and plenty of online platforms as well. 

Of course, you can always stick with tried and true Gatorade drinks but you could also branch out and try their energy bars or perhaps even their chews. The Gatorade chews are designed to be energy chews. While they aren’t gum, they are chewy and savory so you could enjoy them in a similar manner and reap some great benefits from them in the meantime. 

Ingredients

• Water
• Sugar
• Maltodextrin
• Acid (Citric Acid)
• Mineral Salts (Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Monopotassium Phosphate, Magnesium Oxide)
• Emulsifiers (Gum Arabic, Glycerol Esters of Wood Rosins)
• Natural Flavouring
• Sweeteners (Sucralose, Acesulfame K)
• Colour (Brilliant Blue)

Nutrition

Serving Size:	6 chews	% Daily Value*
Amount Per Serving	100
Calories
Total Fat	0g	0%
Sodium	70mg	3%
Total Carbohydrates	24g	8%
Sugars	16g
Includes Added Sugars	16g	32%
Protein	0g
Vitamin D	0mcg	0%
Calcium	0mg	0%
Iron	0mg	0%
Potassium	0mg	0%

• The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Pictures

Commercials