Graphic/Sophie Murray

Varieties of soda flavors and brands have lined the isles of grocery stores for decades, from timeless companies like Coca-Cola to newer flavor variations that have recently come out. Regardless of flavor, sodas have been proven to be one of the unhealthiest beverages as they are filled with chemicals and loads of added sugars with no beneficial health factors. As people are a lot more aware of the unhealthiness, new, healthier versions of sodas have started being produced as alternatives to help people break soda addictions, supposedly tasting the same as the original flavor but better for you. The question is though, while they may be better alternatives, do they really taste just as good? How can there be a so-called “copycat” alternative to popular flavors without all the added sugars these companies use to make them taste the way they are? I tested four healthy alternative soda brands to see if they really lived up to the original flavors. 

Upon this experiment, I decided it would be best to primarily taste-test flavors that were somewhat similar and then additionally taste some fruity flavors the companies offered. Poppi, Pop Culture, Zevia and Frannie’s soda were the contestants as each of these have way less added sugar and chemicals. Some of these beverages even have added probiotics which makes them great for gut health. Contributing factors that have made them so popular is that these brands have skyrocketed on social media from people adoring the way they taste as well as its beneficial health factor. I decided to focus on flavors that were comparatively similar to Coca-Cola. Unfortunately, it was difficult to find the same flavor for all brands as flavors were limited along with quantity in store. So, I ended up testing the Poppi Root Beer flavor, Zevias version of Dr. Pepper called “Dr. Zevia” and Frannie’s “Very Vanilla Creme” flavor, imitating cream soda and additionally the fruity flavors Pop Culture offered. After seeing various influencers online give such great reviews of the flavors and taste I had high expectations as I had not seen a single negative comment about them. 

Starting off with the brand Poppi, I purchased this soda at my local grocery store which proved to be convenient; however, the flavors were somewhat limited. As a disclaimer, if you are looking for a root beer flavor that directly imitates the sweet flavor of this soda, this is not the soda alternative for you. The smell and color were extremely similar to real root beer which set my expectations pretty high. However, I was not expecting the extremely natural flavor it produced as it had underlying notes of black licorice and a maple syrup flavor at the end. If you have ever had real natural root beer, this is the only thing you could compare it to. Therefore, one could say it achieves the purpose of the copycat version of the soda but not one that most people love and are used to.  

Zevia’s “Dr. Zevia,” honestly tasted nothing like that of Dr. Pepper. As a Dr. Pepper fan, I was very disappointed as I have had Zevia in the past and really enjoyed their other options that mimic popular flavors. However, this flavor tastes like cough syrup and has a peppery and spicy flavor. The look of the soda was clear and smelt nothing like Dr. Pepper. Although it was easy to find in stores and a pack of six ran for about five dollars, this is not worth it. If you’re trying to break a Dr. Pepper addiction, go for the diet version, because this flavor was not enjoyable at all as I struggled to get more than three sips down. 

Frannie’s “Very Vanilla Creme” right off the bat is a personal clear winner. This flavor tastes exactly like a cream soda as it has a great vanilla flavor with no added sugars and no calories. I was so surprised with how similar it tasted to the real version and I definitely would choose this as an alternative. It was also an extremely easy product to find. I could easily see individuals struggling to cut off soda drinking this product, as it is a great option to get the sweet flavor of soda in a much healthier way for you. 

Lastly, I tested out some fruity flavors from the brand Pop Culture. I tested out their Mango Orange flavor and their Wild Berry and Lime. This is a great soda for people who are not into overly sweet drinks. The Orange Mango tasted more like bubbly, watered down orange juice, which was not the most appealing but still drinkable. The Wild Berry and Lime flavor additionally tasted heavily of lime as the soda was very acidic. These sodas do contain some added juice and calories, but it is a probiotic soda so it is definitely a better option for you.

Overall, are these sodas really that good? If you are someone who really enjoys that authentic sweet soda flavor, no, they are not. But if you are trying to cut back on an addiction, I would definitely consider testing out more of these flavors to see if it is for you.