Happy Throwback Thirsty Thursday! Let’s talk about the booze-free beverages of our youth. My sister emailed me over the weekend asking me to bring back Clearly Canadian, the OG of the alcohol-free seltzer of our youth. This got me to thinking, what other beverages of my youth would I bring back if I could? And what ones are actually still around?
Throwback Thirsty Thursday is a nod to the beverages of our past, ok the alcohol-free beverages of our past, that brought us joy. I’m pretty sure several of them brought us a sugar rush too. In no particular order, here are nine beverages of our youth we think should have a come back. Come on, the 80s and 90s are so totally back. If you’ve shopped at Target recently and passed by their clothing section, that should be enough to make you realize that the scrunchie era has returned.
1.) New York Seltzer
Just like you remember…The one that started it all. New York Seltzer has been fondly nicknamed “1980’s in a bottle”. Founded in 1981 by the father and son team Alan and Randy Miller in Walnut, California, the brand’s popularity soared in the 1980s, focusing on a “natural” approach to soft drinks using a preservative-free formula in an era when such a practice was largely unheralded.
Bubbly, fizzy and sold in charming siphon-style glass bottles embellished with a New York City motif, The Original New York Seltzer was omnipresent, with flavors ranging from Vanilla Cream to Orange. One of the company’s biggest points of differentiation became the complete foregoing of artificial color, meaning that while Raspberry tasted like Raspberry, no unnecessary magenta hue bogged it down.
“The Choice is Clear” became its motto.
Sober Curator Pro Tip: This nostalgic bevie is still around! You can order it online directly from New York Seltzer, find it on Amazon, and it’s frequently carried at Cost Plus World Market.
#ADDTOCART NEW YORK SELTZER
2.) Clearly Canadian
GASP! A few short years ago, Clearly Canadian almost disappeared from earth – a truly unfathomable thought for millions. Through the time, effort and passion of Clearly Canadian fans and supporters (The Clearly Summit Club), they were able to save Clearly for future generations. Praise the Lord!
Thankfully this means they are still around and they are thriving. Because their supporters rallied to keep them in business, Clearly Canadian is now very active with their community by funding the Clearly Canadian Community Challenge. Their goal is to eventually give up to 5.00% of their annual revenues (not profits) to projects, causes and campaigns they believe in – including those led by you. Check out their site for all the dets. Sober Curator Pro Tip: Clearly Canadian recently announced on their Facebook page they will now be carried at Costco in the USA.
Looking to #ADDTOCART? You can buy Clearly Canadian directly from their site and they are still producing five flavors. These include: Country Raspberry, Orchard Peach, Clearly Sparkling, Wild Cherry, and Mountain Blackberry. You can also find this throwback on Amazon and at Cost Plus World Market.
3.) SqueezeIt
Fruit-flavored soft drinks in squeezable plastic bottles were huge in the 1990s, and Squeezits were the best of the bunch. However, their success wasn’t necessarily due to how they tasted. Their claim to fame was the fact that each bottle was shaped like a cartoon character.
SqueezIt actually dates back to the late ’80s; unfortunately, though, they were retired in 2001, and General Mills has no plans to bring them back. We’ll just have to hold onto our fond memories of them as tightly as we can. The closest thing we could find to replicate this squeezy experience was Kool-Aid Bursts on Amazon.
4.) CapriSun
Made with all natural ingredients, these drinks in a pouch are still around. Let’s see a show of hands for the kids that struggled to insert the straw into the pouch? That’s right, we see you. You weren’t the only one that jabbed the straw in and then right through the back side. I still have straw through pouch PTSD. And don’t even get me started on the bags of milk from my elementary school days.
Believe or not, CapriSun has been around for 46 years and counting. For you beverage trivia nerds out there, CapriSun was first introduced in Germany under the name Capri Sonne in 1969. Walk down most grocery store aisles in the juice section and you are sure to find a variety of flavors.
5.) Yoohoo
Struck by sweetness, back in the 1920s, a small grocery store owner invented Yoo-hoo as a chocolatey addition to the fruit juices he sold in New Jersey. In the 1950s, You-hoo partnered with some baseball legends to create the most successful Yoo-hoo advertising of all time.
In the 1980s, the world was introduced the Strawberry Yoo-hoo. Together, the pink and chocolate drinks won over the taste buds of Americans across the country. In the early 2000s, they started making crazier concoctions, ice pops and candy joined the product line.
Today, Yoo-hoo is still producing a full line of drinks that includes: Chocolate, Strawberry, Carmel, and Chocolate Peanut Butter.
6.) Orbitz
Ah, Orbitz! Much loved and too quickly gone, this space-age drink produced by Clearly Canadian won us all over with its wacky little suspended bubble things. This beverage was only available for a very limited time in the late 90s. Perhaps it contributed to your love of bubble tea now?
7.) Arizona Green Tea
Born in the heart of Brooklyn, AriZona® Beverages came onto the scene with a fresh take on iced tea, which has now taken the world by storm. Since 1992, their mission has been to bring consumers great-tasting products, using top-quality ingredients, presented in uniquely designed packaging, skillfully produced and made affordable to everyone. Who remembers buying them in bulk at Costco with your parents?
8.) Juicy Juice
Juicy Juice was usually reserved for the younger crowds, with its smaller boxes being sized perfectly for tiny hands. It also made a big deal about the fact that it was 100 percent juice, rather than fruit-flavored soft drinks that were so prevalent at the time. This brand launched in 1977 and is still thriving today. Their current product line includes Juicy Juice, Juicy Juice Splashers Organic, Juicy Juice Fruitifills, Juicy Juice Organics, and Juicy Juice Waters.
9.) SunnyD
In the Summer of ’63, a couple of Florida dads stood together in an orange grove and agreed, “good, but we can do better.” With a firm handshake, they vowed to create the tastiest, most boldly unique orange drink on the planet. And that’s how SUNNYD was born!
Since then, they have celebrated and enhanced the lives of people who aren’t afraid to stand apart. Whether you’ve got a crazy cool hobby, unmatched style, or a flavor all your own — you are one of a kind… and so are they! With a taste unlike anything else, SUNNYD is the orange drink with a one-of-a-kind flavor for a one-of-a-kind you.
Sober Curator Pro Tip: You’re sober now, so there’s no need to add vodka to this beverage…because drunk never looks good.
Feeling Nostalgic?
Calling all 80’s kids…Karate Kid sequel, Cobra Kai has it all. Rivalry, redemption, reunions, romance. So hop in the DeLorean for a fantastic ride Back to the Future! Check out our full review in The Mindful Binge section of our Sober Entertainment channel. We love all things Sober Pop Culture.
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