The Twelve Days of POPmas Day 7: Clearly Canadian Wild Cherry

Originally I was planning to pack my bags and head to Lebanon's Soda Country, but an unexpected nostalgic surprise awaited me when I got to my desk this morning. Thanks to my friend Kristin, I was gifted an authentic 2016 bottle of Clearly Freakin' Canadian!!! Much to say about this later, but since we're staying in North American for the day, let's talk Christmas in Canada, eh?

Just here to borrow some milk...and your eye juices.

In most ways, Canada is just like America. Founded by mixing different European cultures and languages, Canadians have their roots based off of borrowed traditions. The only real difference is that our ancestors landed here and said, "this is pretty sweet," but the future Canadian settlers decided it just wasn't cold and Moosey enough and there wasn't a Labatt's in sight, so they kept traveling north until they couldn't feel happiness or their toes. Christmas in Canada is pretty much identical to our Christmas in every way. Except in Newfoundland, where they have a creepy Christmas tradition that, thankfully hasn't made its way south of the border yet. On the days leading up to Christmas, townspeople dress in nightmare-inducing masks and go from house to house making loud noises and generally being a nuisance. The only way they will stop is if the homeowners recognize the ne'er-do-wells at their door. If they guess right, the creep takes off his mask and rewards the confused and frightened families with candy. I am not making any of this up. This is not a horror movie; it's Canada! 

Clearly Canadian! How did this one get away from me? I like to think I have my finger on the pulse of nostalgia, 90s, and soda, but I did not know this classic was back. I'm not even 100% sure I was aware it went away! I did a little research and apparently, due to a lot of dumb Canadian stuff, the business shut their doors for good in 2009. But it was the 90s where Clearly Canadian, and their red-headed stepchild Orbitz reigned supreme. Everyone drank the stuff! It was as popular, if not more so because it appealed to a wider audience, as Ecto Cooler. The Dawson drank it. Jerry Maguire drank it. Even those white people on Friends drank it. It was probably the first sparkling flavored water of its kind and has since birthed many imitators. And then in a silenced hush, it went away. Then, internet celebrities Rhett and Link helped sponsor a crowd funding campaign to bring it back. And it worked! Sort of. It was met with massive delays, price gouging and a lack of stock. The seven people who formed the new Clearly Canadian team were clearly in over their heads. As of December 2016, while the website is still active, Clearly Canadian is pretty much sold out everywhere, even Amazon, and there's no official word on whether or not it will return or, like Ecto Cooler and Crystal Pepsi, if this was just a 90s throwback limited time deal.

Which is why I am so excited to have a bottle in my hand today! I didn't know it went away per se, but now that I know it's back, and rare, I feel like I've won the soda lottery! I contemplated not opening it and saving it as a collector's item, but I couldn't deny my taste buds another 90s bath of goodness. It comes in the familiar glass, teardrop bottle of the 90s and I lucked out that my friend gave me my old favorite flavor, Wild Cherry. I twist open the bottle and the smell alone fills me with memories. I am a dorky fat kid playing video games and listening to Green Day all over again. As opposed to a dorky thirty-something playing video games and listening to Green Day... Let's dive in! The taste is awesome. Sparkling flavored waters of today have NOTHING on the original and best. Freaking Amazing! I am going to savor each sip while fantasizing about being the one Joey chooses over Dawson and Pacey. Five out of Five Rudolph Noses.