Zomething Different: 10 things you probably didn't know about Zima
Zima's back - back again. Zima's back - tell a friend.
Credit: Courtesy MillerCoors
Coors, our local big beer maker, has decided to bring back Zima for a second consecutive summer. The '90s mainstay in my parents' jokes at barbecues is back - and quite a few people are happy about it. Some likely don't care.
Even if you don't care - we care - so here are some facts about the beer that debuted while the writer of this article was just an infant (note: I have not had Zima, but I've had a Smirnoff Ice or two - and I hear this is pretty similar):
1. The drink's full name is "Zima Clearmalt"
2. It debuted in 1993 when I was just 1-year-old. The 1993 commercial was immortalized by YouTube viewer Keith Richardson:
3. Coors killed U.S. sales of the drink in 2008 after trying quite a few different flavors in addition to the standard "citrus."
4. The only country where Zima is still sold regularly is Japan.
7. It was marketed with the incredibly '90s tagline: "Zomething Different"
8. Zima was created to battle the "wine cooler" craze of the early '90s. Remember wine coolers?
9. Zima's revival was actually announced last year. Apparently, the drink did so well in a limited run, Coors couldn't resist bringing it back for 2018.
10. According to Brendan Koener, the writer of "The Long, Slow, Tortuous Death of Zima," the drink died because it had a perceived reputation as a "girly drink" and was the butt of many jokes.
Koener said that the drink "tasted like tinfoil soaked in Fresca."
Do you love it? Have you tried it - reach out. We want to know - on Facebook or Twitter!
