If you were of drinking age in the mid-1990s (or especially, perhaps, if you weren’t yet), chances are you cracked open a bottle of Zima. White Claw has come to be synonymous with spiked sltzer. ZimaThe decade’s most dominant fruity beer malternatives was called “Fruity Beer Malternatives” in shorthand.
Inspire by the “clear craze”Crystal Pepsi, Clear Beer and Clear Beer would also be created. Coors filters low-grade beer through charcoal to make the lightly carbonated lemon-lime drinks. This product was originally marketed to men as an option to regular beer. “girly” wine coolers when it debuted in 1993, the drink became popular among college women anyway—and the butt of several jokes on Late Night with David Letterman. Its cultural impact is immense. Zima didn’t taste like much: Slate has described the flavor as “tinfoil soaked in Fresca.” And despite an out-of-the-gate success that saw 1.3 million barrels sold, the not-quite-a-beer, not-quite-a-wine-cooler never really took off. In 1996, sales were down to 403,000 barrels. Although it seemed destined to remain in the ’90s, like beepers and acid-wash jeans, ZimaMillerCoors kept the fizzy drink on shelves until 2008 and even relaunched it for a limited period in 2017.
Whether you’re craving ’90s nostalgia or just a thirst-quenching drink, you can make a much more delicious version of ZimaYou can now make this at home thanks to Nick Jones, who was the bar manager at the now-closed Pabu Izakaya, Baltimore. He is also the market manager of Sagamore Spirit. While at Pabu, Jones was inspired by the success of his bourbon lemonade cocktail, which riffed on another bottled drink: Jack Daniel’s Lynchburg Lemonade.
This is how it works ZimaIt is refreshing and light: This mix of vodka, Calpico (a Japanese milk-based soda Calpico), lemon and lime juices, sugar, and club soda is added. The neutral vodka base ensures the resulting cocktail goes down as easy as the drink that inspired it, and tangy Calpico soda lends citrusy flavor and a slightly milky mouthfeel—not to mention it’s an export of Japan, the only country where you can still buy ZimaCalpico is available at most Asian markets and many grocery stores, including Walmart. Freshly squeezed lemon and lime juices, meanwhile, balance the sweetness of the soda and sugar for a drink that’s no joke. You can make more than one serving by multiplying the quantities below.
It might taste better than the original, but some things remain the same: It’s still best enjoyed poolside, on a hot summer day. To truly honor the classic, don’t skip the glass bottle.
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