Is Zima Discontinued? What Happened?
Fate: Zima stopped selling in the U.S. in 2008 after years of declining sales. It came back for limited runs in 2017 and 2018, and it returned in Japan in 2023 through a new brewing partnership.
Zima arrived in 1993 in a frosty clear bottle with a tagline that leaned into the weirdness: Zomething Different. Coors backed it with a $50 million marketing campaign and a clear, lightly citrus malt formula that tasted like nothing else on the shelf at the time.
It sold fast. By the end of 1994, Zima had moved 1.2 million barrels and become a genuine pop-culture moment. Then David Letterman got hold of it. His repeated on-air mockery turned Zima into a punchline practically overnight. He called it liquid polymer, he compared it to cleaning products, and he kept going until the joke stuck. Sales dropped sharply even as the initial buzz was still going.
The beverage aisle got crowded too. Smirnoff Ice launched in 1999 and succeeded by successfully marketing to male consumers — unlike the failure of Zima Gold, the amber-colored variant Coors had aimed at men, which never broke through and was pulled within a year. By 2008, Coors wound down U.S. production entirely.
One thing a lot of people remember doing with Zima was dropping a Jolly Rancher into the bottle. The candy would dissolve slowly, turning the drink sweeter and giving it a fruit flavor hit that the original lacked. It was a workaround that spread by word of mouth and became part of how a lot of people actually drank it.
The nostalgia held. Zima came back as a limited release in summer 2017 and again in 2018, and both runs sold out. The formula tasted like the original, the packaging leaned into the 1990s aesthetic, and people who remembered it from backyard parties and summer road trips bought it up fast.
Outside the U.S., Zima had an entirely different life. It launched in Japan in 1996 and stayed on shelves for over 25 years, showing up in convenience stores and vending machines without any of the cultural baggage it carried back home. Supply disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic ended it in Japan by late 2021, but it came back in 2023 through a partnership with Hakutsuru Sake Brewing.
Timeline
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1993–1994
- David Letterman's repeated on-air mockery turns Zima into a punchline. He calls it liquid polymer and compares it to cleaning products. Brand perception drops sharply even as initial sales are still strong.
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1993
- June — National U.S. launch of Zima as a clear, citrusy malt beverage with the 'Zomething Different' tagline.
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1994
- December — Zima peaks at 1.2 million barrels sold and becomes a defining 1990s pop-culture touchstone. Sales begin a steep decline shortly after as the Letterman mockery and a crowded market take hold.
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1995–1996
- Zima Gold, an amber-colored variant marketed to attract male drinkers, launches in spring 1995 but is pulled by early 1996 after male consumers reject the brand despite the reformulation.
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1996
- Zima launches in Japan, where it proves far more popular than in its home market, appealing to both genders across age groups.
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1996–2021
- Japan: Zima maintains continuous availability for 25+ years, becoming a stable product across retailers, vending machines, and convenience stores (unlike its U.S. trajectory).
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1999–2000
- Smirnoff Ice launches and successfully captures male consumers and market share, further eroding Zima's market position as copycats proliferate.
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2000–2008
- Zima's sales continue falling as the market fills with hard lemonades, craft beer, and other malt alternatives. The brand fades from mainstream shelves into niche territory.
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2008
- October — MillerCoors winds down Zima production and distribution in the U.S. after sales fell to 0.5% of the malt beverage market.
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2017
- June — MillerCoors brings Zima back in a limited summer revival to capitalize on 1990s nostalgia. Demand exceeds expectations, and inventory sells out by September.
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2018
- May — Second limited-time U.S. return receives strong nostalgic interest before ending release by fall.
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2021
- December — Japan: Coors ends operations; Zima discontinuation due to COVID-19 pandemic supply chain disruptions and bar/restaurant sales collapse.
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2023
- Japan: Zima returns through partnership with Hakutsuru Sake Brewing Co.; production shifts to domestic Japanese manufacturing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Zima?
Zima was a clear, lightly citrus malt drink released by Coors in 1993. It came in a frosty bottle with the tagline "Zomething Different."
Why did it become popular so fast?
It tasted unlike anything else at the time and had a huge $50 million marketing push. By the end of 1994, Zima had sold 1.2 million barrels.
Why did people start making fun of it?
David Letterman joked about Zima on his show again and again. He compared it to cleaning products and called it "liquid polymer." The jokes stuck, and sales dropped.
Did other drinks hurt Zima's sales?
Yes. The beverage aisle got crowded. Smirnoff Ice launched in 1999 and grabbed the audience Zima had been trying to keep.
When did Zima disappear in the U.S.?
Coors ended U.S. production in 2008.
Why did people put Jolly Ranchers in Zima?
The candy dissolved slowly and added a sweet fruit flavor. It became a popular trick shared by word of mouth.
Did Zima ever come back?
Yes. It returned for limited runs in summer 2017 and 2018. Both releases sold out, helped by 1990s nostalgia and the original‑style packaging.
Was Zima sold outside the U.S.?
Yes. Japan sold Zima from 1996 for more than 25 years. It appeared in convenience stores and vending machines and didn't carry the same joke reputation it had in the U.S.
Why did it leave Japan?
Supply problems during the COVID‑19 pandemic ended sales in 2021. But it returned in 2023 through a partnership with Hakutsuru Sake Brewing.
Why do people remember Zima?
It was a true 1990s moment — a clear drink with a strange name, a huge launch, a pop‑culture backlash, and a nostalgic comeback years later.
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