The Sweet New England Drink You Probably Forgot About

If you, like me, are a product of the 1960s or '70s, chances are you consumed a good bit of powdery or syrupy drink mixes. Tang, a powdered orange-flavored drink mix made famous by the astronauts during the first NASA space flights, comes to mind.

Then there was Kool-Aid, the one with the smiley-faced pitcher. Kool-Aid, sold in packets, was also a powder. Like Tang, it was mixed with water to quench the thirst of the entire neighborhood.

Who remembers drinking ZaRex, the sweet syrup you mixed with water to make a glass or pitcher of a fruit-flavored drink on a hot summer day? You may recall the ZaRex mascot Zippy the Zebra, who appeared in TV and print advertising campaigns. Collectors still want to purchase empty bottles today.

Back in the day, we didn't fully understand the downside of sugary drinks, so when my parents hit Big G, BPM, A&P, Almacs, or one of the other local grocery stores, a bottle of ZaRex always made the return trip home.

ZaRex’s Boston Origins

"ZaRex was first made in 1912 by Za-Rex Food Products Inc., in Boston's South End," according to The New England Historical Society (NEHS).

ZaRex opened a plant in South Boston on April 1, 1924, with "100 members of the New England Association of Manufacturers on hand to watch production of the sweet syrup," the NEHS wrote.

Flavors Families Remember

ZaRex flavors included orange, grape, lime, and fruit punch, my father's favorite.

READ MORE: This New Bedford Gym Location Actually Once Made People Fatter

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The Brief Revival and Final Goodbye of ZaRex

After a brief hiatus, ZaRex was purchased by Arthur Dove in 2010, who resumed production in Lakeville, Massachusetts. After just three years, ZaRex went out of business again.

By today's standards, giving kids sweet syrup with water might seem outrageous, but back then, it was okay. Besides, it was mostly only when we were out of Virginia Dare Soda, purchased at the plant on Nash Road in New Bedford.