Zima
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| Type | Malt beverage |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Coors Brewing Company |
| Country of origin | U.S. |
| Introduced | 1993 |
| Discontinued | U.S. 2008 |
| Proof | 10 |
| Variants | Citrus, Tangerine, Pineapple Citrus |
| Related products | Smirnoff Ice |
Zima is a lightly-carbonated clear beverage made and distributed by the Coors Brewing Company, ultimately MillerCoors. Introduced in 1993, it was marketed not as a beer, but as an alternative to beer, an early example of what is now often referred to as alcopop. Its domestic production ceased in October 2008, but it is still produced and marketed in Japan.[1]
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[edit] History
Zima directly means "winter" in Bosnian, Croatian, Macedonian, Polish, Czech, Serbian, Slovak, and Slovene and in transliteration from Bulgarian, Belarusian and Russian languages; the name is also reminiscent of zymurgy, the science of fermentation, or brew-making. It was launched nationally in the United States as Zima Clearmalt in 1993 after being test-marketed two years earlier in the cities of Nashville, Sacramento, and Syracuse. The lemon-lime drink was part of the "clear craze" of the 1990s that produced products such as Crystal Pepsi and Tab Clear. The slogans used in early advertisements for Zima were "a truly unique alcohol beverage" and "Zomething different," and that was certainly true in one sense—Zima was literally in a category by itself—an alcoholic beverage that wasn't beer (at least, not obviously), wasn't wine, and wasn't hard alcohol.
Zima offered an alternative to the then-successful wine cooler category, and it became very popular. The fact that Zima was a malt-based beverage gave it an advantage over wine coolers in many American markets, since many locations in the U.S. allow beer to be sold in convenience stores and supermarkets, while wine-based beverages can only legally be sold in liquor stores—even if they have an alcohol content comparable to a bottle of beer. Coors spent $50 million marketing Zima in its first year, persuading nearly half of American alcohol drinkers to try it. Brandweek Magazine reported that at Zima's peak in 1994, 1.2 million barrels of the beverage were sold. Originally popular among young women, Coors made its first attempt at attracting young men to the brand in 1995 by marketing Zima Gold, an amber-colored beverage that promised a "taste of bourbon"; the drink was unpopular and disappeared from store shelves within the year.
Zima was associated with urban myths claiming that the beverage did not contain alcohol, or that its alcohol content would not register on alcohol-breath-test equipment; the myths were alleged to have improved the beverage's popularity among teenagers.
In describing the "The Long, Slow, Torturous Death of Zima", writer Brendan Koerner cited Zima's perceived reputation as a "girly-man" beverage and its persistent parodization by late-night TV host David Letterman. The Chicago Tribune quoted distributors ordered to stock "caffeinated alcoholic beverage Sparks on retail store shelves to make up for Zima’s absence."
Competitors to Zima in the US have included Miller's Qube and Stroh's Clash, which are no longer made today. In 2000, Smirnoff launched Smirnoff Ice, which outsold Zima in its latter years.
In the late 2000s, the beverage was marketed in three flavors other than the original formula:
- ZIMA Citrus
- ZIMA Tangerine
- ZIMA Pineapple Citrus
On October 20, 2008, MillerCoors LLC announced that it had discontinued production of Zima, choosing instead to focus on other "malternative" beverages.
[edit] Cultural References
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Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (August 2009) |
Zima is often portrayed in TV Shows as a "gay" beer or one for effeminate men because of its advertising campaign which cast it as a light beer.
In an episode of The Simpsons, "A Fish Called Selma", a restaurant patron, reacting to Selma lighting a cigarette in the restaurant's dining room, says "Excuse me, I ordered a Zima, not emphysema!" In the episode Co-Dependent's Day, Homer vows to give up all clear alcohol and Marge asks, "even Zima?". In the episode "Homer vs. Patty and Selma", Lenny and Carl persuade Homer to go to Moe's for a Zima after work, and in "That 90's Show" Homer is drinking a Zima. Homer also claims to only drink Zima after he's already drunk.
In Futurama episode "The Route of All Evil", Fry complains that the metal shavings in Pabst Blue Robot make his throat bloody, to which Bender riposted, "Wah, wah, wah. Baby wants a Zima."
On the news segment of an episode of Saturday Night Live in 1993, Kevin Nealon took a sip from a bottle of Zima, proclaiming afterward that it "Taztez like zhit", mimicking Zima's advertising campaign at the time.
In MadTV, the character Rusty makes several references to Zima.
In Gilmore Girls, Luke and Lorelei celebrate their engagement by toasting Zimas.
In Friends, Joey suggests they order Zima after Ross invites his colleagues to his bachelor party.
In the novel jPod by Douglas Coupland, Zima is referenced and discussed several times. One character even suggests that "drinking Zima is something Douglas Coupland would make a character do" in order "to locate the characters in time and a specific sort of culture".
In Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Storyteller", Andrew Wells says to Buffy Summers "But it tickles and I’m all tense. Can’t I have a cool refreshing Zima?" Buffy answers "No Zima!" and Spike adds "Shut your face about the Zima. Just talk." This reference is particularly interesting because in Bob Harris' book, Prisoner of Trebekistan, it is heavily implied that Buffy writer Jane Espenson helped to invent the name of the beverage while working in marketing.
During the 2009 Primetime Emmy Awards, a Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog sketch was broadcast where Captain Hammer was agruing that the internet would not destroy television. He states that television is here to stay "like the Ottoman Empire, the music industry and Zima".
In Drawn Together episode "A Very Special Drawn Together Afterschool Special", the cast helps gay character Xandir practice coming out of the closet to his parents by role-playing. Toot, acting as his mother calls Captain Hero, acting as his father, "Zima Dick" to which he retorts "Zima helps me relax!"
In 1995 in the song "Realms of Junior M.A.F.I.A." by Junior M.A.F.I.A., the Notorious B.I.G. makes reference to Zima during his verse in the song. Zima is mentioned by Method Man in his verse on the DJ Clue-produced track "What The Beat" ("Sippin' on 'nac and Zima") off of Clue's second studio album The Professional, Pt. 2.
Zima is referenced as an ad in an episode of Babylon 5 as being a drink still produced (or produced again) in the year 2258 in episode "TKO." The B5 creator has stated that the placement was a joke and the show received no remuneration[2][3], though was reported at the time as a product placement.
On December 2, 2008 on The Colbert Report, host Stephen Colbert drank a sip of Zima to cool down. His response after the sip was "Mmm... That is bottled crap."
In the Family Guy episode "Not All Dogs Go to Heaven", Brian Griffin hallucinates and believes that different liquor beverages, one of them a Zima, are talking to him. The Zima bottle speaks with an exaggerated, high voice, and a lisp.
Zima is "The DunGallies" guitarist/bassist Jonk O'Leary's favorite drink of choice.
