RetroDaze

I Don't
Want Necco
Wafers!

OFFICIAL

Kenner Action Toy Guide '94

OFFICIAL

Timewarp: McDonald's 1988

OFFICIAL

The Karate Class Kid

Don't mess
with the bull.
JOIN!!!

3 COMMENTS

RETRORATING: 4

FAVORITED 2 TIMES

These Beverages Need to Join the ReSurgence

By: MikeCovers

Nostalgia buffs are salivating at last week's news about Surge coming back. It took little more than an Internet campaign and Coca-Cola's desire to make some extra money by selling a 1990s drink at 21st century prices.

With hope, this trend of breathing new life into yesterday's beverages is just getting started. Since I never drank Surge myself yet still want to revel in the excitement that a long-discontinued product is on its way back to my innards, here are three beverages that are long, LONG overdue for a return to store shelves. Even if only temporarily.

Let's face it: part of the reason we are all so desperate to see the long-rumored Ghostbusters 3 come to fruition is because it will likely see a return of Ecto Cooler as part of the marketing. In fact, if Sony announced that there wouldn't even be a movie but that there would be Ecto Cooler, you wouldn't see a whole lot of complaining.

Possessing a wonderful color and taste that no one has ever before--or since--seen in nature, Ecto Cooler satisfies the dual craving of thirst and nostalgia. Slimer was of course the scene-stealer in both movies and the animated series (would the cartoon have lasted as long if it was titled, for example, Winston and the Real Ghostbusters?), so it was only natural that he served as the drink's spokes-ghost.

After the popularity of Ghostbusters died down, Ecto Cooler itself eventually vanished from store shelves. It was briefly rebranded Shoutin' Orange Tangergreen (yet still appeared as Ecto Cooler on store receipts) and then again as Crazy Citrus Cooler before the flavor was completely retired in 2009.

Kids born in the 1970s and 1980s will forever link Van Halen's song "Right Now" with this crystal clear concoction from Pepsi that was released in the early 1990s. Sure, it was the company's way of saying "Here's Sprite that is sort of Pepsi flavored," but when you are an 11-year-old soda connoisseur with few friends, this was all you needed to make your life worth living.

Pepsi's various forays into variations that did not have "Wild Cherry" in the title haven't been entirely successful. Who remembers Pepsi Kona, the coffee-flavored cola? Pepsi Twist? Pepsi Blue?

NONE of those varieties (not even Pepsi Blue) have had as much of a demand by Pepsi fans to see a re-introduction to soda society.

And, let's face it, Van Halen could use the boost in popularity again.

Way, WAY before the myriad of energy drinks, the only non-coffee, non-cocaine option we had to stay awake and (somewhat) alert for hours on end was Jolt Cola.

Jolt looked like any other soda, but tasted like roofing tar. But, of course, no one was drinking it for the taste; they were drinking it for its unparalleled caffeine content, a formula that made Pepsi and Mountain Dew seem about as effective as NyQuil.

Red Bull, Monster, and their ilk have been known to cause everything from heart problems to lame dudebro promotions. Jolt never had time for that.

Once beverages like Ecto Cooler, Crystal Pepsi, and Jolt reappear, then maybe we can start petitioning companies to return more products to the American public for overpriced consumption. Burger King's original chicken tenders! Canned La Choy fried rice! Unfiltered cigarettes!

It'll be a surge of nostalgia.

Looking for more from MikeCovers?

READ 172106 TIMES

Digging for Treasure

When I was a kid there were a few movies that my brother and I really latched onto. They were all part of a specific genre.Romancing the StoneRai...

Yesterdays: MY Favorite Nintendo Games Part 2

Like so many of us here on RetroDaze, a great many hours of my youth was spent playing Nintendo. Saturday afternoon, after school, most of the n...

The Real Goonies

There are some people in your life that appear almost as if out of thin air, providing magical and memorable experiences before disappearing altogethe...

Sailor Moon Videos

The VCR was broken when Sailor Moon aired on KCOP, so I couldn't tape it. I didn't have cable so I could not catch the reruns when they...

Yesterdays: MY Favorite Nintendo Games Part 1

Like so many of us here on RetroDaze, a great many hours of my youth was spent playing Nintendo. Saturday afternoon, after school, most of the n...

1993 Comic Book Ads from Wizard Magazine

In the early 90's, comic books experienced a huge resurgence in popularity. Thanks in very large part to the Death of Superman in Superman #75. ...

Batman Trading Cards of the 80's and 90's

Batman tradings cards are hard to come by these days in retail stores, which is a big change from 20 years ago when these cardboard rectangles were ev...

MTV: The 90's

Growing up in the 80's it was impossible not to be aware of the MTV network, but I did not experience the full effect of Music Television until the 90...

Yesterdays: Things I DIDN'T Have As A Kid

After a long absence, I'm back with another installment of Yesterdays. This time, instead of focusing on some awesome toys I had as a kid, I'm l...

MOST RECENT RETRORATING FEATURED OFFICIAL

Go to page: