I remember watching that commercial at age 10, thinking this was as funny as George Carlin got. The commercial looked cool and so did the bottle. I had already tasted my dads beer at this point and believed I would never like beer. I thought, maybe this Zima would be the alternative for me.

I refer you to these youtube videos to see what I mean:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5LcYs14-PQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx0yzf4mpU8

I could be those guys. Hanging out, maybe playing some hackey sac or listening to Spin Doctors. Drinking Zima. I was generation X and we didn’t drink dad’s “Bud Light”. We drank Zima. 1994.

Of course 11 years later when I earned the right to purchase Zima, the cultural feedback was just too much. Zima had become a joke on every level. Simpsons, Friends, everyone took time out of their day to take a swipe at Zima. People who had never drank Zima made fun of Zima. People who had never SEEN a Zima, made fun of Zima.

I never even bought one six pack.

Just like Crystal Clear Pepsi (this deserves a serprate entry, but I’ll be brief). I never tried crystal clear pepsi. I followed the herd and made fun of that innovative little drink. The whole time cheatin no one but myself. That was one mistake I promised myself I would never make again, and here I have with dearly departed Zima.

We were young. We had the whole world ahead of us. 1994.

Zima will rise again and rightly take its place next to Boone’s Farm – delighting underdeveloped palates around the world.

Since Zima’s death, Jolly Rancher has sought comfort in Icehouse, a rather unsavory coupling. Please keep her in your prayers.

It was so refreshing, so stimulating, so clearly different, that I vowed never to consume another, lest I tarnish the beautiful memory of that one perfect bottle.