The Orbitz drink was a short-lived soft drink released by The Clearly Food & Beverage Company of Canada in 1997. The fruit-flavored beverage had balls that floated inside, which some people would say made it look like a lava lamp. It was marketed as a “texturally enhanced alternative beverage”.
The small balls floated due to their nearly equal density to the surrounding liquid and remained suspended with assistance from an ingredient known as gellan gum. The gellan gum provided a support matrix, like a microscopic spider web that had a visual clarity approaching that of water. This also increased with the addition of sugar.
Unfortunately, the lava-lamp gimmick didn’t quite work out for the Orbitz drink. It would be pulled from shelves within a year of its release.
Unopened bottles of the Orbitz have become a collector’s item, appearing on sites like eBay. In July 2013, Clearly Canadian stated that it was considering producing a limited run of new products to satisfy “nostalgia demand”. They also considered annual issues thereafter based on consumer reception of the initial batch.
In 2015 Orbitz was re-launched and available in the US. The flavors released were Raspberry Citrus, Blueberry Melon Strawberry, Pineapple Banana Cherry Coconut, and Vanilla Orange. The company would later release Black Currant Berry.