Remember Fresh Samantha? Whatever Happened to the Maine-Based Juice Drink?

Does anyone else remember Fresh Samantha drinks?

They were fruit juice drinks with classics like orange juice and lemonade, but there were others with wild names like Mango Mama or Desperately Seeking C.

For some, they were a go-to drink to get while grabbing a meal in the '90s in New England, but sadly, they disappeared for good in the early 2000s.

Fresh Samantha Was Based in Saco, Maine

According to the Portland Press Herald, Fresh Samantha was founded in 1992 by Doug Levin and Abby Carter and named after their child, who was 2 years old at the time.

Forbes noted that it wasn't smooth sailing at first as the smaller mom-and-pop stores carrying the product weren't selling them as well as the Saco-based company had hoped.

It wasn't until Levin convinced some college campuses and larger New England grocery stores to carry Fresh Samantha that the tides began to turn, according to the business magazine.

Forbes highlighted that "by 1995 Fresh Samantha was doing business at an $800,000-a-year clip," and by 1999, according to Bevnet.com, the company had sales of $25 million on the East Coast. Talk about a crazy rise in profits!

Not only that, but a 1998 article from Beverage Online reported that the popular juice drink was being "marketed across New England, in New York City, and in Washington, DC in grocery stores, convenience stores, health clubs, and restaurants."

The company had found success beyond just Maine.

Fresh Samantha Bottle Designs and Marketing

Today, finding a ton of info on Fresh Samantha or even marketing for the product is tough.

You might remember the cute colorful cartoon images on the bottle that featured "Samantha" along with a design specific for that fruit drink. Check out some pictures of the old products here.

Does anyone remember any commercials for Fresh Samantha? This one was uploaded to YouTube and has a wacky take with a talking moose, a discussion on beard nets and, of course, promotion of the "delicious" fruit drinks.

There had to have been more, right? Anyone remember others?

Who Bought Fresh Samantha?

In 2000, Fresh Samantha was sold to Odwalla for $29 million, according to the Portland Press Herald. The Saco plant was closed not long after, according to Bevnet.com, and in 2001, Coca-Cola bought Odwalla.

Honestly, the reason for the end of Fresh Samantha isn't a surprise.

While Fresh Samantha was initially still available to purchase after its sale to Odwalla, Bevnet.com reported that in 2003, Odwalla thought it would be easier to market just one juice drink instead of two.

And that meant the end to Fresh Samantha, as the line of juices was phased out of stores for good.

Now, Fresh Samantha is just a sweet memory of a popular '90s juice drink that started in Maine.

If you're lucky you might find some Fresh Samantha-related stuff out there like this hat on eBay or even a whole Fresh Samantha-branded fridge.

Does anyone else wish they could get a Fresh Samantha drink now?