New-age soda brands have been in beverage aisles for the past several years, but no company has risen to stardom like Poppi. Formerly known as Mother Beverage, the Austin, Texas-based brand used to be sold primarily at local farmers' markets. But after a 2018 appearance on Shark Tank and a rebrand in 2020, Poppi quickly became a household name.
Poppi markets itself as a "better for you" alternative to traditional sodas, thanks in part to its lower sugar content, fewer calories, and the presence of pre- and probiotics. This marketing approach is currently the subject of a class action lawsuit that accuses the brand of misrepresenting the nutrition of their products. While experts say that some of the advertised health benefits may be a bit exaggerated, Poppi is still a good swap if you want a soda that's lower in sugar and calories.
Health claims aside, a large portion of Poppi drinkers buy them purely for their taste. The flavors are often much more nuanced than many other sodas on the market, and Poppi continues to roll out new exciting and unique recipes that you can't get anywhere else. There's a good reason why the brand is experiencing triple-digit growth every year.
However, not all Poppis are the same. That's why we tried every flavor in the brand's lineup and ranked them from our least to most favorite. And the one that ended up in our top spot was not the one we were expecting.
Where did your favorite flavor land on this list? Do you agree with our ranking? Let us know in the comments.
12. Classic Cola
In Poppi's defense, cola is famously a crowded soda category with legacy brands that have been on the market for over a century. We couldn't help but compare Poppi's classic cola to its competitors with every sip. And while we certainly didn't dislike the flavor, it simply just doesn't stack up.
11. Watermelon
Watermelon is a relatively niche flavor for soda, and we're starting to understand why. The taste resembles a Sour Patch Watermelon (without the sour coating). We could normally clear a bag of the candy in one sitting, but the intensity of Poppi's Watermelon soda is too much for us to finish an entire can.
10. Lemon Lime
Nearly every soda brand has their own version of a lemon lime soda, so Poppi entered the game with stiff competition. The zesty citrus flavor is bright and refreshing. But, for many of us, the sugar overshadows the tartness we expect from a soda like this.
9. Wild Berry
Wild Berry is one of Poppi's newest flavors, and we were excited to try it the second we opened the can. It has this bright, nostalgic aroma that smells almost like a fruit snack. But the flavor didn't translate as successfully.
8. Grape
Grape soda is definitely one of the sweeter soda varieties, so we went into drinking Poppi's version knowing that the primary taste would be sugar. We actually loved the flavor of the grape itself, but many of our tasters were thrown off by how it interacted with the stevia in the formula.
7. Orange
Orange soda can be a fairly divisive flavor, but Poppi's version is a departure from the neon orange and artificially flavored recipes you may have already tried. The best way we can describe the taste of Poppi's version is like a diet SunnyD. Orange soda skeptics loved it, while people who were loyal to other brands felt let down—which is why this flavor stands firmly in the middle of the pack.
6. Root Beer
Root beer recipes can vary wildly by brand, but Poppi's version in particular emphasizes the herbaceous, botanical flavors. We loved how spicy and nuanced it tastes, making it one of our favorite root beers on the market period. Pro tip: this would be the perfect brand to use for an ice cream float.
5. Doc Pop
Doc Pop is Poppi's rendition of Dr Pepper (which is currently tied for the second most popular soda in America, BTW). Modeling your recipe based on a direct competitor, especially one as iconic as Dr Pepper, is a bold move—but Poppi does it extremely well. Doc Pop perfectly blends the cozy vanilla flavors with warm spices and botanicals for a balanced and refreshing soda.
4. Cherry Limeade
Cherry flavored foods often get a bad rap for tasting like cough syrup. But with Poppi's Cherry Limeade soda, the intense cherry flavor is offset with the lightness of lime, which will convert even the biggest cherry haters. It's the closest a canned drink can get to a cherry lime rickey from an old school soda fountain.
3. Ginger Lime
Let's be honest: most ginger ale brands barely pack any ginger flavor into the can. Poppi's Ginger Lime soda is the exact opposite. The zippy, spicy punch of ginger is bold and assertive, but the addition of lime balances it out and makes for a really refreshing sip.
2. Strawberry Lemon
No soda replicates the magic of pink lemonade quite like Poppi's Strawberry Lemon. It's perfectly tart without overshadowing the sweetness of the strawberry. And since Poppi uses real strawberry juice, drinking this soda tastes as close to eating fresh fruit as you can get.
1. Raspberry Rose
Raspberry isn't a common soda flavor, and rose is even less so. But together they make, quite literally, one of the most unique and exciting soda flavors on the market. The floral flavor of the rose isn't at all overwhelming, but instead heightens the bright fruitiness of the raspberry. If you haven't tried this Poppi flavor yet, you need to buy a can immediately (we don't make the rules).
