Life

PSA To '90s Babies: Clear Canadian Is Back

by Lily Feinn

Grab your pukka shell necklaces and Hypercolor shirts, because Clearly Canadian is back to quench our collective thirst! The sparkling fruit-flavored beverage that delighted out tastebuds as kids is hitting shelves just in time for the summer heat, so you can trade in that coconut La Croix for the taste of sweet, sweet nostalgia (and raw cane sugar). I don't know what it was about water from Canada, but it just seemed far more refreshing and exotic than our regular American water. We all had a favorite flavor of Clearly Canadian, much like we had a favorite Spice Girl, so whether you were a Wild Cherry fan or more of an Orchard Peach person, now you can finally get your hands on the oversized teardrop-shaped glass bottle of your choice.

The '90s cult beverage, which ceased production in 2009, hit shelves across the U.S. on Thursday, May 18, RealSimple.com reports. The rereleased flavors include Wild Cherry, Orchard Peach, Mountain Blackberry, and Country Raspberry with the same colorful designs you'll remember from childhood. The beverage can be found at your local Cost Plus World Market and select Hy-Vee stores retailing for a cool $2.29 a bottle — so I hope you've saved up your allowance money over the last 20-odd years. Check here to find the Cost Plus nearest you.

Courtesy of Columbia TriStar Television

The cultural staple of the '90s has faced a tough road back to stores, hitting quite a few snags along the way. The defunct brand was acquired by venture capitalist Robert R. Khan, who launched a crowfunding campaign in 2013, asking fans to preorder a case to help it get the drink back in production. Despite the goal of 25,000 cases being met by consumers a year later, Khan continued to delay production and shipping. By 2015, Clearly Canadian began filling its preorders, but two years later some customers are still waiting to be reunited with the fruity and fizzy beverage from their childhood days. According to a recent Consumerist article, quite a few customers have yet to receive their full pallet that they purchased as part of the crowdfunding effort despite the beverage's national rollout (according to the company's website, pallets go for a hefty $2,159 while each case is about $20).

Frustrated customer complaints have been stacking up on the company's Facebook page and website, in response, Clearly Canadian has blamed the backup on a sudden plant shutdown and dwindling funds. “Our delay in shipping the remaining orders is entirely due to our low cash on hand which itself is directly a result of the November 2015 Vancouver plant shutdown that set us back one full year,” a Company spokeswoman told Consumerist. “We are hopeful to have all remaining product shipped the moment we have the available financing to do so – and don’t expect it to be all that much longer.” In light of these management issues, '90s kids eager to relive their youth may want to stock up on the beverage while supplies lasts.

If Clearly Canadian does stick around, we may even see a rerun of the Clearly company's other cult drink Orbitz in the future!