The Old-School Soda Boomers Remember For The California Orange Flavor

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If you ask any Boomer which retro soda they miss drinking the most, expect to hear at least a few mentions of Nesbitt's Orange Soda. Maybe it's the signature rippled glass bottle that brings back fond memories, or perhaps the swirly "N" on the label is a trick meant to stick to the brain. More likely, though, Nesbitt's vintage soda gained its lodged-in-childhood reminiscence because of its taste.

Nesbitt's Orange Soda hit the scene in 1927 as a syrup for soda machines. A decade later, it was bottled and sold, immediately putting the squeeze on the then-favorite orange soda, Orange Crush.

Why Hugh S. Nesbitt's new orange soda managed to edge out the competition may have been two-fold. The company's penchant for timing couldn't have been better when it came to advertising. A very pretty, but relatively unknown model named Marilyn Monroe mugged for the early Nesbitt's Orange Soda advertisements. That was the mid 1940s, so just as Boomers' childhoods were hitting their stride in the early 1950s, Nesbitt's Orange Soda had solidly established its cool reputation on the coattails of a rising bombshell star. Plus, Nesbitt's Orange Soda had a secret sauce that kept customers coming back for more.

Childhood nostalgia around Nesbitt's Orange Soda could come down to its core ingredients, like using pure cane sugar over the super sweetener made famous in the 1960s: corn syrup. Nesbitt's Orange Soda's original recipe called for pure cane sugar and, as a kicker, included a bit of rind or the "zest" of an orange. That's in line with a 1954 Nesbitt's ad as well as other sources that claimed the soda was made from real oranges. Apparently, the original recipe called for actual California orange juice (albeit only 10%).

As the 1950's drew to a close, however, so did the curtain on Nesbitt's Orange Sodas' success. Coca-Cola's Fanta took over the market in the 1960s, and by 1972, Nesbitt's company was being sold for parts. The bottling division was acquired by one company, while the trademark bounced around from company to company. It most recently landed with Big Red, Inc., which licenses Nesbitt's Orange Soda to producers who then distribute it through retailers. 

Interested consumers, with a little work, can still get their hands on a bottle or two by joining a waitlist at retailers like Los Angeles-based Galco's Soda Pop Stop. You can also find Nesbitt's Orange Soda among a 12-count variety pack as advertised on Amazon, as well as memorabilia, like retro metal Nesbitt's Orange Soda signs and rustic decor.