Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Zima - Clear College Drink of the '90s

Zima, my drink of choice in 1993.

Back in the early 1990s I enjoyed knocking back a few cold ones every weekend. Today, I rarely drink (weird, I know) ... I turned 21 in 1993 and thought I was all big and bad suckin' on a Zima that year. Barely of drinking age, Zima did me right.

Yup, I thought Zima was the coolest. The packaging. The logo - zomething about the ZIMA logo reminded me of ESPRIT - one of my favorite brands back in high school. The Zima TV commercials showing young folks sportin' flannel shirts, having the time of their lives at a bar, party or bar & grill - I could relate!

There was something special about a crisp, cold, CLEAR Zima. It wasn't beer. It wasn't a wine color. It wasn't hard liquor. Zima was like, its own entity. Yes, I realize today, Zima is looked upon as a big joke, but back in 1993 it was cool for a hot second. Trust me.

Five Fun Facts About Zima

  1. Zima was born in 1993 and died in 2008.
  2. Zima, produced and distributed by Coors Brewing Company, sold 1.2 million barrels in 1994 - best Zima year ever!
  3. Zima means "winter" in Slavic languages. 
  4. Coors blew $50 million in marketing this cool, clear wine cooler alternative. 
  5. For some reason, teens believed Zima's alcohol content wouldn't appear in breathalyzer tests. Weird. Wiki says it was 10 proof.
Check out this typical Zima TV commercial from 1994. Note the clothing and hair styles. 


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10 comments:

  1. Oilfield TrashJuly 26, 2011 at 11:12 AM

    I remember those. Ladies were crazy about them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownJuly 26, 2011 at 11:20 AM

    Sadly, the mullet/goatee/sleeveless t is still a hot fashion trend in Idaho.

    Yet, no Zima. I could swear I was stuck in 1993 in this town...

    ReplyDelete
  3. JessJuly 26, 2011 at 2:22 PM

    I totally used to sneak my mom's Zimas! Notice that clear drinks that shouldn't be clear, such a Clear Pepsi just couldn't hang!
    Jess

    ReplyDelete
  4. Rawknrobyn.blogspot.comJuly 26, 2011 at 2:59 PM

    I think I tried one because of all the hoopla. But I thought I was cool drinking hard alcohol? Sad to learn I wasn't it. I don't remember the taste but it wasn't all that. I went back to wine coolers.
    xoRobyn

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJuly 26, 2011 at 3:21 PM

    OMG, you went there!

    I, too, rocked the hell out of Esprit.

    And I drank a crap-ton of Zimas (with and without Jolly Ranchers) at Ball State University circa 1995.

    I was so cool that I could hardly stand myself. Bwahahahaha!

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousJuly 26, 2011 at 3:21 PM

    OMG, you went there!

    I, too, rocked the hell out of Esprit.

    And I drank a crap-ton of Zimas (with and without Jolly Ranchers) at Ball State University circa 1995.

    I was so cool that I could hardly stand myself. Bwahahahaha!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ms. AJuly 26, 2011 at 6:56 PM

    Can't remember if I ever even tried one.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Martin MaenzaJuly 27, 2011 at 6:03 AM

    I remember Zima in the 90's (probably had a couple). I was more of a Bartles & James guy in the 80's (wine coolers).

    ReplyDelete
  9. CrystalJuly 28, 2011 at 2:31 PM

    I remember them. I never got to try them and they died well before I became old enough to drink.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Blast from the PastAugust 2, 2011 at 3:49 PM

    ...never did try this stuff. Love the retro '80s commercial, though! :)

    ReplyDelete