What Happened to Orbitz (the Drink)?

Gen Z and younger have missed out on some fantastic ‘90s snack and beverage options, and also Orbitz drinks. 

The ‘90s was filled with slam dunks like Kudos bars, Nestle Wonder Balls, and Crystal Pepsi but nobody, not even the ‘90s, bats a thousand. One of the flubs of the decade was the Orbitz drink. If you’ve never had an Orbitz drink, you may have dodged a flavor bullet, though you may have also missed out on the smug satisfaction of watching someone do a double take thinking you’re drinking out of a lava lamp. If you don’t know what a lava lamp is, excuse us while we ice our aching joints and prepare for our 4:30 p.m. dinner, for which we will use our senior discount. Anyway, here’s everything you need to know (and you do need to know it) about Orbitz drinks. 

What is Orbitz drink?

The Orbitz drink was a classically gimmicky ‘90s invention. It was a non-carbonated fruit-flavored beverage, immediately identifiable by the presence of vibrant colored gelatin balls floating in the liquid. 

Produced by The Clearly Food & Beverage Company of Canada, it is probably the reason why Canada is still always apologizing. The marketing play was to advertise the drink as a “texturally enhanced alternative beverage.” Perfect if pulpy orange juice isn’t quite textural enough, or if you’ve always wanted to drink the vinaigrette while it was still separated. 

When was Orbitz drink sold?

The beverage was released in 1996 and discontinued shortly thereafter, throwing in the colorful but medicinal-tasting towel just about a year after launch.

What were the balls in Orbitz drink?

A mistake. A thinly veiled attempt to compensate for an unappetizing liquid. Spherical representations of “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.” 

They were actually gel orbs made of gelatin, flavorings, and food coloring. 

How does Orbitz drink work?

The beverages were packaged in oblong plastic bottles to resemble lava lamps, and the brightly hued gelatin balls were dispersed and suspended throughout without having to be shaken. This was because the balls were nearly equal in density to the surrounding liquid, and because they were suspended in place by gellan gum. According to our friend Wikipedia, gellan gum is “a water-soluble anionic polysaccharide produced by the bacterium Sphingomonas elodea,” which is exactly what we look for when we’re a little parched. 

What did Orbitz drinks taste like?

Although they looked pretty cool, the almost-unanimous consensus was that they did not taste all that good. The gel balls were nearly flavorless, which may have been a blessing considering that the flavors of the liquid were not so successful. 

Combinations included raspberry citrus, blueberry melon strawberry, pineapple banana cherry coconut, vanilla orange, black currant berry, and Charlie Brown chocolate. Based on the product’s short life-span, it would seem that the “more is more” approach of pineapple banana cherry coconut and “can’t miss with chocolate” tactic in Charlie Brown chocolate were disproven. 

Why were Orbitz drinks discontinued?

Frankly, they just didn’t sell very well, probably because they didn’t cut it in terms of taste. A chewable drink was a somewhat novel idea (boba tea was already kicking around Taiwan by the time Orbitz launched) and we respect them for that, but the flavor just wasn’t enough to keep it on the shelves. 

Can you still buy Orbitz drinks?

As is the case with most things, you can still find Orbitz drinks if you look in the right corners of the internet. Long expired but unopened bottles are available on eBay, mostly as collectors items. If they didn’t taste great in their prime, we don’t really want to think about what might become of your taste buds if you try it 25 years past expiration. We won’t stop you, but we will judge you for spending upwards of $200 for some stale drank. 

As for restarting production, it’s clear that the beverage still has a fanbase. A company rep told The News-Press in 2015 that they still see requests for the beverage’s revival, but the company got rid of the necessary equipment, and the Orbitz name was sold to a travel company.


About the Author

Hebba Gouda

Hebba Gouda is a freelance contributor to Sporked who will die on the hill that a hot dog is not a sandwich. She’s proud to spend weekends falling asleep at 9 p.m. listening to podcasts, always uses the Oxford comma, and has been described as “the only person who actually likes New Jersey.” She’d love to know how on earth she somehow always has dirty dishes, if donkeys hear better than horses, and how the heck you’re doing today? Hopefully swell - thanks for reading!

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