Ecto Cooler Hi-C Is Back. Is It As Good As You Remember?

In celebration of the new Ghostbusters movie coming out that quite a few people have opinions about, Hi-C re-released the '90s lunchbox staple Ecto Cooler. Like many of you, I haven't had an Ecto Cooler since I begged my friends for a sip of theirs since my mom refused to pack me anything sugary/delicious. Let's see if Ecto Cooler is still as delicious and Ecto Coolery as it was way back in the glory days of movie crossovers.

When I poured the contents of the can -- a can?! -- into the glass, the smell hit me like a ton of bricks. It reminded me of my lunchroom in middle school, and I could practically see people trading Shark Bites next to me. Once you get a whiff of that super-sugary citrus blast, you'll know what I mean.

But I didn't drink the Ecto Cooler from a can, because that seems wrong. I got a tiny-ass straw and plunged it into a juice box -- I hadn't done this specific action in 20 years, probably, and in one swift motion I immediately felt as old as Vigo the Carpathian. But I fought through. For you.

That flavor captures exactly what the drink once tasted like: a high fructose corn syrup-laden, Tang-like orange with an aftertaste that lingers. And lingers. And lingers. It lingers longer than the image burned into your mind of pink slime coming out of Dana Barrett's bathtub. Ghostbusters II looms large for me, alright?

The best part of the new/old Ecto Cooler experience isn't the flavor -- it's the fun of sipping from a tiny juice box filled with flavors that remind you of your adolescence. Hopefully, the movie will do the same.

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