Last year, we learned from Milwaukeean Biju Zimmerman that Zima was still popular in Japan – particularly at a bar named after Milwaukee.
Well hold onto your fanny pack, but MillerCoors released a statement on Friday suggesting that the clear malt beverage that emerged in the U.S. in the ‘90s would soon return here, too.
"If you're one of the zillion fans who have missed Zima, the answer should be clear," reads the statement.
Frank Greguska is one of the owners of both Discount Liquor locations, and he says not only will Discount stock the beverage, he expects it to do fairly well.
"It did well the first time around for us, so we expect it will do well again," says Greguska.
The Zima comeback could be due to the success of similar products currently on the market made by Smirnoff, Truly Spike & Sparkling, White Claw Hard Seltzer and Nauti.
Not quite a beer or a liquor, Zima was marketed as "zomething different" – a message that might resonate better now, two decades later, than it did in the ‘90s.
"Zima is not as sweet as a wine cooler or a soda, and it’s not a beer, yet it had a lot of flavor," says Greguska. "I think it’s returning because it was ahead of its time."
Enjoy this Zima commercial from 1994:
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
