We all know and love prebiotic sodas. With a low calorie count, significantly less sugar than traditional sodas, and bacteria-feeding prebiotics good for your gut — healthy soda is a no-brainer option for a midday refresher.
While the most popular prebiotic soda brands are Poppi and Olipop, there are many smaller healthy soda brands popping up in the market now, as well. But with so many on the market now, it can be hard to know which ones taste good. That’s where I come in.
Over the past few months, I’ve become somewhat of a self-proclaimed prebiotic soda expert. On top of Poppi and Olipop, I’ve tried Evolution Fresh Real Fruit Soda, Culture Pop, Sanzo, Spindrift, and more. Having tested and reviewed many of these drinks, I know what a good, natural-tasting healthy soda should taste like.
Most recently, I’ve tried and tested out Popwell. Made by the creators of Sparkling Ice, Popwell is an up-and-coming healthy soda brand that makes drinks equally as delicious as the bigger brands.
What’s so special about Popwell soda?
Popwell prides itself on crafting its sodas cold. This process uses natural preservatives to keep the ingredients in Popwell sodas fresher and true to their original flavor for longer. Similar to other prebiotic soda brands, Popwell uses stevia as a sweetener in addition to the one gram of natural sugar in its cans. Each soda also contains 6 grams of fiber.
Some of the Popwell flavors contain about 40 grams of caffeine. Sourced from green tea, these flavors can be differentiated by their white can rim.
What flavors of Popwell are there?
Popwell currently offers six flavors: Cream Soda, Orange Cream, Lemon Lime, Blackberry Lime, Cherry Citrus, and Tropical Mango. The first three flavors are caffeinated, while the latter three are not.
Personally, I am not a fan of cream sodas, so I found myself never fully enjoying the Cream Soda and Orange Cream flavors. These two sodas did have a nice smooth texture to them, but the stevia aftertaste was quite apparent.
Lemon Lime tasted like a less sweet and more lime-oriented Sprite. This flavor was very nice and refreshing, but I found myself reaching for it less than the other fruity flavors because I didn’t want to have caffeine in the afternoon.
Blackberry Lime is exactly what you’d expect. With a bold berry flavor complemented by acidic lime, this soda has a nice balance of flavor that would taste deliciously sweet alongside a lunch or snack.
Cherry Citrus has a very distinct sour cherry flavor, but once you get past the first through sips and puckers, it tastes divine. This flavor is for all the cherry lovers out there, as it straddles the line of tasting like a cherry-flavored candy and real tart cherry.
My favorite of all the Popwell offerings, though, is Tropical Mango. One sip of this soda will transport you to a vacation in Hawaii or the Bahamas. This flavor isn’t overly sweet, as a more complex flavor, and is just so refreshing.
How does Popwell compare to other prebiotic soda brands?
Overall, Popwell to me is on par with most prebiotic sodas, but not outstanding. The stevia flavor is a bit overpowering, and some of the flavors are not fully appealing to me. Even my favorite Popwell flavor is definitely overshadowed by another brand’s mango flavor. I think Popwell can benefit from making morning-oriented flavors containing caffeine, especially since some people don’t want to drink caffeine halfway through the day.
As a fruity soda person, I much prefer Evolution Fresh Real Fruit Soda’s offerings. For those who enjoy cream soda or more traditional soda flavors, I’d opt for Poppi or Olipop instead. I do think Popwell is worth trying still, as it runs slightly cheaper than other brands. This soda is definitely for those who don’t mind a stronger stevia flavor, or like more potent flavors in general — Popwell’s taste can sometimes overwhelm one’s taste buds, but for others its flavor level might be perfect.
Where can I buy Popwell sodas?
Popwell sodas are nationwide at Kroger and Albertsons-Safewar, as well as at select retailers across the country. You can also purchase bulk 12-packs of Popwell on Amazon, selling for $24. Unfortunately, Popwell does not offer combo packs, so you have to commit to one flavor if you’re trying this soda out for the first time.