Zima, a Jolly Clear Malt Beverage

Zima was specially filtered to remove color and much of the typical beer flavor, resulting in its clear appearance and “crisp” taste.

Zima Clearmalt is a unique alcoholic beverage first introduced by the Coors Brewing Company. Noted for its clear appearance and light carbonation, Zima was initially marketed as an alternative to traditional beers, often featuring a citrus flavor profile.

Zima's composition includes malted barley, water, corn syrup, and hop extract, similar to beer. However, it is specially filtered to remove color and much of the typical beer flavor, resulting in its clear appearance and “crisp” taste.

Ownership and Distribution

With beer sales on the decline throughout the early ‘90s, Coors Brewing Company decided to create a new drink from scratch. The result was a carbonated citrus wine cooler that was clear, like the new versions of Pepsi and Tab. The company’s senior vice president of marketing at the time, William H. Weintraub, explained: "The logic was: What can we do to be different, appeal to young adults, with minimal cannibalization of our existing business?"

Despite its initial success in the U.S. market, it was discontinued in 2008.

However, due to popular demand, it made limited returns in 2017 and 2018. The beverage has also found a steady market in Japan, where it continues to be sold.

Marketing Campaigns

Zima's marketing campaigns played a significant role in its initial popularity. The brand utilized various media channels, including television and print, to position Zima as a trendy and refreshing alternative to beer. The campaigns often emphasized its clear, cool appearance and unique taste, appealing to a younger demographic looking for something different .

Coors spent $38 million on advertising. The campaign featured one of the first-ever websites for a food product, which had a downloadable Zima game and soap opera-themed video series.

Zima became the subject of a many, many jokes from David Letterman, who suggested that it was the preferred beverage of kooky senators, Santa Claus, and the ghost of Elvis. On one episode, filmed shortly after the drink’s launch, Letterman turned to band leader Paul Shaffer and asked, “Hey, Paul, what’s the deal with this Zima crap?”

After learning that the drink was more popular with women than men, Coors decided to introduce a new bourbon-flavored iteration of the beverage, dubbed Zima Gold, aimed at the fellas. The experiment was a complete flop, and the brand’s sales dropped by 50 percent during its second year.

The combination of Zima and Jolly Ranchers became a popular trend in the 1990s. Zima was often enjoyed with a Jolly Rancher candy dropped into the bottle.

This addition of the candy, typically a watermelon or other fruity flavor, was said to enhance Zima's taste, creating a sweeter and more vibrant drink experience.

The trend emerged as a fun and novel way to consume Zima, particularly among younger drinkers. It became so well-known that it even appeared in nostalgic discussions and cultural references years later.

Conclusion

Zima remains an interesting case in the beverage industry, notable for its innovative approach to creating a beer alternative and its effective marketing strategies that captured the interest of consumers both in the United States and abroad.

As mentioned earlier, the crystal clear malt beverage made limited returns in 2017 and 2018 and found a steady market in Japan, where it continues to be sold today. No doubt it is occasionally Jolly too.