How a 1990s cult drink Orbitz was resurrected for a quirky indie movie
A quirky 1990s drink called Orbitz has made an unexpected comeback—this time on screen. The Canadian cult film Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie features the bizarre beverage, which originally vanished decades ago. To bring it back, the production team had to recreate the drink from scratch.
Orbitz first appeared in 1996, made by The Clearly Food & Beverage Company—the same firm behind Clearly Canadian. The drink consisted of small, jelly-like orbs floating in a clear liquid. It launched in Canada before expanding internationally in 1997, but its run was short-lived.
Years later, the company sold off the Orbitz trademark along with its broken production machinery. When the filmmakers needed the drink for a scene, they had to rebuild it themselves. The team spent a week perfecting the formula, using sabja—a South Asian ingredient—as the base to mimic the original's unusual texture.
To stay true to the past, they sourced two vintage Orbitz bottles from eBay, paying around $90 each. The red beads from those old bottles were even reused in the recreated version. The effort ensured the drink looked and felt authentic for its brief return in the movie.
The film's production team successfully revived Orbitz, if only for a single scene. Their recreation relied on original ingredients, vintage bottles, and careful testing. While the drink itself remains a relic of the 1990s, its appearance in the movie gives it a fleeting moment in the spotlight once more.
