Let's take a Weird History Food journey to learn about Zima. People who grew up in the 1990s may feel some nostalgia when thinking about Surge, Shark Bites, or other discontinued foods from the '90s - and those of a certain age will remember Zima. The clear malt beverage was a huge hit when it debuted in 1993, but it wasn't long before Zima became a pop-culture punchline.