Influencer drank soda that expired 28 years ago to see what would really happen
The 1990s had some weird and wonderful food and drink, but long before the FDA was coming for all our additives and making that luminous Sunny Delight healthier, we were shoving our faces with all kinds of wild things.
Whether it was indulging in Philadelphia Cheesecake Snack Bars or guzzling Squeezits, we could also dye our mouths offensive colors with Tongue Splashers and munch through packets of P.B. Crisps.
The soft drink market was especially out-there in the '90s, with the Ghostbusters-inspired Ecto-Cooler and Surge being a precursor to Monster Energy.
Crystal Pepsi is remembered as one of the decade's biggest beverage flops, but alongside it was Orbitz.
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Criticized as looking like a drinkable lava lamp, The Clearly Food & Beverage Company first launched Orbitz in 1996 before a wider rollout into territories outside of Canada in 1997.
Billed as a "texturally enhanced alternative beverage,' Orbitz is known for the fruit-flavored jelly beads that floated in the drink. Imagine Solero Shotz (also RIP in drink form).
Proving that some content creators will try anything once, Ryan Doka took to YouTube to drink an unopened bottle of Orbitz that went out of date in 1998.
Known for his videos where he mixes everything from Froot Loops to Chilli Heatwave Doritos with alcohol to make unique concoctions, Doka wanted to try something a little different when he chugged an Orbitz.
Bringing back a flood of nostalgia, he showed off the bottle and then opened it to prove that it really did expire in 1998 – noting he was only four when it was made.
Decanting the Orbitz into a shot glass, Doka got a nice spread of liquid and those bizarre balls. Throwing it back, he said: "Hey, that's pretty good. All things considered, I don't like the balls though, the texture's kind of off."
This was a common complaint of Orbitz's many critics back in the day, so we don't think it has anything to do with the bottle being 28 years old. It was often described as having a 'slimy' texture due to the gelatine balls. Still, it was these tiny baubles that gave Orbitz its USP.
There have been rumors over the years that Orbitz is making a comeback, but it just seems to be internet hearsay. Doka added: "If this tasted better when it was fresh, they should really bring this back because this would be fantastic."
Clearly enjoying his first shot, the influencer then downed the rest of his bottle, concluding: "It doesn't taste that bad, I think that the problem is the flavor balls."
Ultimately, he awarded the 'natural' orange and vanilla Orbitz an impressive 8/10.
Unlocking this blast from the past in the minds of his viewers, one said: "Orbitz was ahead of its time. With the modern interest in bubble teas, it would go great today."
Another added: "I thought I imagined that stuff, dude pulled a relic from the matrix lol 🤣."
A third remembered when their love affair with Orbitz ended: "I loved Orbitz when I was a kid. I still remember when I found out that it was discontinued. I was at a gas station and asked my mom if I could get one, they were out, and the worker said that they weren't being made anymore. I was 9."
If you want to follow in Doka's footsteps, you might struggle. The Clearly Food & Beverage Company previously confirmed that the proprietary equipment to make Orbitz had broken down, while the trademark has since lapsed. That's why most will know the modern version of Orbitz as a travel website.
Still, a quick hunt on eBay proves that you can get a bottle of Orbitz (although we wouldn't advise it) to drink for anywhere between $24 and $80.