What Really Happened to Orbitz? Here's How the 'Lava Lamp' Drink Defied Our Tastebuds.
Orbitz Drink
If you were a child born in the 1980s, then there’s a good chance that you are one of many '80s babies who have a fandom for the unique trends and cultures of the 1990s. This in-between group of adolescents had the experience of both playing outside and going inside to play Nintendo, meeting friends at the mall and meeting friends online and reading teen magazines as well as watching movies rated PG-13. This generation of latchkey kids received just as much influence outside of the home as they did inside, and that’s what makes them, them.
But with all the great advancements produced during this generation, it was not short of its fair share of failures. For every Walkman there was a Hit Clips, for every Talkboy there was a Yak Bak, and for every Surge soda there was something called an Orbitz. Now you may not recall exactly what an Orbitz drink is right off the bat, but when described as "that drink that looked like a lava lamp," those repressed memories might come to mind.
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What is Orbitz?
Orbitz is a discontinued fruit-flavored, non-carbonated beverage made by the Clearly Food and Beverage Company—the same company that made the Clearly Canadian drinks (if that rings any bells). The catch about Orbitz, however—because everything in the 90s came with a catch or a gimmick—was that it was filled with mini orbs of gelatin that floated weightlessly throughout the bottle and only moved about when shaken. Think: boba tea, but with smaller bobas and without the tea.
Why Did Orbitz Fail?
The flavor of Orbitz was reminiscent of fruity cough syrup, and although the orbs were an enhancing touch, having to chew through each sip resulted in its novelty fading rather quickly. That, coupled with the fact that the creative drink brand featured six weirdly unique flavors, didn’t help bring in or retain many loyal customers. (If Raspberry Citrus wasn’t enough to pique your interest, maybe Blueberry Melon Strawberry or Pineapple Banana Cherry Coconut could have done the trick.) Regardless, Orbitz drinks were only on the shelves in the U.S. for about a year before finally being discontinued in 1998.
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Can You Still Buy Orbitz Today?
Now for the few true fans of the beverage and for the lovers of nostalgic keepsakes, there were talks of re-releasing a limited line of products in 2013 for collectors. However, it does not appear that this ever came to fruition as the company no longer owns the trademark and the name was ultimately sold to the Orbitz travel company.
But don’t let that stop you from getting your fix of the beverage. For those hard-pressed and relentless supporters, bottles of the now-rare treat can be found scarcely scattered throughout the pages of eBay for about $50 a bottle. You might be thinking that this is quite a steep price tag for a bottle of expired soda, but you should ask yourself, how much would you spend to revisit a nostalgic piece of your childhood?
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