I just bought two six-packs ($7.49 each) and I’m happier than I’ve been in ten years (except maybe for getting married). I love this stuff! We used to sit on the beach* and consume vast quantities of it.** It didn’t leave a bad taste in your mouth and (thanks to the relatively low 5% ABV) it didn’t knock you on your butt.
To be fair, Zima Gold was a really bad idea and it tasted like crap. After production was discontinued, I tried all sorts of wine coolers and various other malt beverages, but none of them had the Sprite-like taste and lightness*** of Zima (original).
Zima is worth every penny. Maybe I can clear out the spare bedroom and stock up before they discontinue it again.****
*at the age of 50
**10-12 bottles at a sitting
***YMMV
****refer to other posters’ plans for making money on .22 ammo
Not sure where the “gross” descriptor comes from. Fresh Zima has a lemon/lime flavor similar to Sprite and 7Up, though a tad sweeter. It may not be to your taste, though I think calling it gross may be more than a little over the top. If Zima is gross, then so is just about all non-alcoholic soda.
I never had it so I’ll pick some up if I see it at the store.
But I’d better pick up some porn, jumbo tub of Crisco, and a box of condoms when I go. I don’t want to get embarrassed when I place Zima on the conveyor; better look like I wasn’t making a special trip.
My sister the bartender absolutely loves Zima, so she’s in hog heaven since it’s been reintroduced. I think it’s nasty, but then, I think most alcoholic drinks are nasty. Except Kahlua and cream…
It’s a joke, and a bad one. When I was in college a lot of the girls I knew drank a ton of that stuff and often got trashed out of their skulls because it’s a malt liquor after all. A buddy of mine said something akin to “Zima: the date rape drug of the 1990’s” as a joke and I can’t help but think of that every time I hear the word Zima.
Now? Not really. The Smirnoff coolers, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, and other products are aimed at the same market. In the early 90s it was a nice choice when beer or wine wasn’t really what you wanted. I always liked to sqeeze some lime in my Zima to make it a little more tart.
I was out with a couple of other guys when Zima came out, and when the bar maid came to take our order, she said that they had the stuff. We ordered a can, and 3 glasses. She took away the empty can and 3 glasses holding about 10.5 oz. of the stuff. Then we got down to drinking.
Personally, I find that the wine coolers (many of which are also actually malt beverages) and other products have a stronger and more disagreeable taste. Zima tastes much more like (non-diet) Sprite and is pretty refreshing when you’re out in the heat.
And, as I mentioned before, Zima is only 5% ABV…much lower than many micro-brews and even some national brands of beer. The idea that a couple of bottles will knock a teenager on his/her butt is greatly exaggerated. It ain’t PJP.
Nothing like kicking back with a Zima, listening to tunes on my Zune, and using other failed products that begin with a Z that I can’t think of right now.
