Coca-Cola's Decade-Long Frozen Orange Juice Experiment Comes to an End
It's official: Minute Maid's iconic frozen orange juice has been retired. The news may not send shockwaves through the nation, but for this writer, it marks a sweet victory in the ongoing battle against an unpleasant childhood memory.
As a child of the 1980s, I have a complicated history with Minute Maid frozen orange juice. My mom was a devoted follower of the brand, stockpiling cans on our top shelf freezer like they were going out of style. It was as if she was preparing for the apocalypse, where the only beverage option would be her trusty frozen "OJ."
The morning routine was always the same: "Go make the OJ!" my mom would shout from above, sending me to defrost a can under hot water and mix it with cold water. Sometimes, we'd intentionally leave it slushy for that perfect 7-Eleven Slurpees taste. Other times, we'd sneak in some impromptu sorbet sessions.
The nostalgia is real, but so are the memories of a traumatic event involving my cousin's morning sickness on a family road trip. My mom had the ingenious idea to reuse the vomit pitcher from the previous day, mixing it with frozen orange juice and serving it up at breakfast. The reaction was swift and unanimous: "Eeeeew!" we chimed in unison.
For me, this experience forever soured my relationship with frozen orange juice. But now, with Minute Maid's discontinuation, I can bid farewell to that pesky can of frozen concentrate that once brought so much joy (and nausea). It may not be the end of an era, but it's a small victory for those who suffered through its slushy horrors.
It's official: Minute Maid's iconic frozen orange juice has been retired. The news may not send shockwaves through the nation, but for this writer, it marks a sweet victory in the ongoing battle against an unpleasant childhood memory.
As a child of the 1980s, I have a complicated history with Minute Maid frozen orange juice. My mom was a devoted follower of the brand, stockpiling cans on our top shelf freezer like they were going out of style. It was as if she was preparing for the apocalypse, where the only beverage option would be her trusty frozen "OJ."
The morning routine was always the same: "Go make the OJ!" my mom would shout from above, sending me to defrost a can under hot water and mix it with cold water. Sometimes, we'd intentionally leave it slushy for that perfect 7-Eleven Slurpees taste. Other times, we'd sneak in some impromptu sorbet sessions.
The nostalgia is real, but so are the memories of a traumatic event involving my cousin's morning sickness on a family road trip. My mom had the ingenious idea to reuse the vomit pitcher from the previous day, mixing it with frozen orange juice and serving it up at breakfast. The reaction was swift and unanimous: "Eeeeew!" we chimed in unison.
For me, this experience forever soured my relationship with frozen orange juice. But now, with Minute Maid's discontinuation, I can bid farewell to that pesky can of frozen concentrate that once brought so much joy (and nausea). It may not be the end of an era, but it's a small victory for those who suffered through its slushy horrors.