Freshman year of college for me in the early ’00s was all about hanging with people on my honors hall, listening to Michelle Branch and Goo Goo Dolls, writing papers for class, and occasionally drinking alcohol. I wasn’t a big drinker in college — I wasn’t in a sorority (proudly) and I hadn’t grown up drinking very much either. (Although when I was allowed to try a sip of champagne on New Year’s Eve at age 5, I learned I was a happy drunk.)

One night, senior Matt M. had a party in his room because he’d switched out the incandescent lightbulb for a blacklight one. He passed out highlighters and let us write and draw on the painted concrete walls. The only alcohol I remember being available in his mini fridge was wine coolers. “Be sure to drink water!!” he and every other senior told me. I drank so much water I barely felt a buzz from my berry-flavored wine cooler.

I had a mean sweet tooth, so during those years, I tended toward Boone’s Farm, peach schnapps, Beringer white zinfandel, and Smirnoff Ice, which I was introduced to at a later blacklight party in Matt’s room. Smirnoff really was a delight back then, just crisp and clean and light on the palate. When I recently saw some on discount at the grocery store, it immediately brought back all those great memories I associate with the flavor.

I was skeptical, though. Surely, the recipe had changed after all these years. Maybe they’d started adding high fructose corn syrup instead of sugar. Maybe it would be a more artificial citrus flavor. Surely, with everything else being enshittified, Smirnoff Ice had, too.

My husband and I sat on the front porch under the fan in 90-degree weather and had our first sip. Surprisingly, it was exactly the same. Same level of sweetness, same citrus flavor. I have less of a sweet tooth these days, but I still really enjoyed it. It was like a weird lemonade. I added Simply Lemonade to gin recently, and this was in the same vein, just with the bittersweet reminder of time passing and mortality (which, as a poet, is alright with me).

I may not be much of a sweet-drink girl anymore so this is probably a one-off, but I highly recommend the nostalgia of drinking something from your past just to see what you think of it now, how much (or how little) you’ve changed, and to remember what things used to be like in your corner of the world.