Zima was a popular alcoholic beverage introduced by Coors in 1993. It was popular in the 90s as a lighter alternative to beer, but its popularity faded throughout the 2000s and it was discontinued in the U.S. in 2008.
Zima, which means “winter,” was born out of the craze of clear, lemon-lime drinks that were popular in the early 90s. It started testing as a lemon-lime drink in a few different cities in the U.S., and as it began selling nationally and seeing increased sales, they offered many other flavors of Zima. The drink was marketed for people who wanted an alternative to beer and wine coolers, which suited all the people who wanted to be “different” during the 90s. The slogan was “Zomething different.”
Zima was often parodied, as Smirnoff Ice is now, for being a weak drink with low alcohol content. It was low enough that it was popular among teens, who would be at a decreased risk for failing a blood alcohol test. In 2008, MillerCoors stopped production of the beverage in favor of other alternative alcohol drinks.
Smirnoff Ice has taken the market for light alcoholic beverages where Zima used to be and is still popular in many different flavors. Zima is no longer available in the U.S., but it is still marketed and sold in Japan.
Types of Zima Drinks
- Tangerine
- Citrus
- Pineapple Citrus
- Hard Orange
- Hard Lemon Lime
- Hard Black Cherry
Featured image via portlandmercury.com