As someone who loves exploring new options in the natural food world, I was excited to try Seasons Soda, a Chicago-local soda company that aims to offer beverages with locally-sourced, wholesome ingredients. Seasons Soda currently offers four unique flavors whose names embody a hipster-esque tone, likely to appeal to more consumers who tend not to go for sugar-filled, ‘mainstream’ sodas.
With ingredients like Indonesian Amarum ginger, orange blossom honey and Grade A Vermont maple syrup, these sodas are pure to the core. And they’d be the perfect low-calorie, low-sugar mixers or full-flavored cocktails for a night out. Seasons Soda even includes liquor combinations for each flavor on its website for those who lack inspiration.
As someone who is fairly biased in favor of natural food products, I thought I’d ask a few friends to sample the unique flavors and give me their feedback. The sorority girls-turned-soda-critics, Caroline, Liz, Kristen, Katia, Sarah, Simone and Madison, offered their palates and brutally honest reviews.
Maple Demi-Sec
Caroline: It tastes like bubbly maple syrup. It’s really good – I wouldn’t eat this with a burger. I’d have it with…a gentle sandwich.
Kristen: It’s off-putting because I associate maple with breakfast or winter time, so my mouth is confused.
Simone: It’s very subtly sweet. You get the maple taste after you swallow; the aftertaste is interesting, but it tastes kind of unremarkable when you first drink it.
Madison: I don’t like maple syrup, so I might not be the best review. It tastes like syrup. Authentic.
Overall, the Maple Demi-Sec had a smooth flavor reminiscent of pure maple syrup in drinkable form. The naturally-sweetened beverage had a good aftertaste, but the critics agreed that the flavor was good, though a little off-putting.
Honeymint Demi-Sec
Katia: The aroma is quite nice. It tastes very herby, like the stuff you would have if you’re on a cleanse and you’re really trying to choke it down for the benefits.
Caroline: My body is confused. I’m confused. It tastes like I brushed my teeth and I ate something and the toothbrush flavor came back.
Sarah: It’s mellow. It’s not super honey-y or minty, but I really like it.
Simone: It smells weird. Oh wait, that’s actually good. All the flavors are subtle but it works inits flavor. If you iced it and it was hot out, it would be really good.
The Honeymint Demi-Sec was not a crowd favorite – most enjoyed the smell more than the flavor. If you’re into a minty, toothpaste-flavored aftertaste, this variety might be for you.
Bitter Lemon Tonic
Liz: If you’re going to LYFE Kitchen, this tastes like something you’d have there.
Caroline: I really like this. I’d drink it if I wanted soda but I also wanted to be healthier. It’s a winner.
Simone: Where is the gin? My mouth is confused. It’s good and then it’s so bitter afterwards. I want gin. It will make it better.
Madison: I like it the best so far. It’s kind of like a 7UP, lemon-lime type of flavor.
The Bitter Lemon Tonic was the most popular of the four flavors. Liz and Caroline enjoyed it because it was a tasty yet healthier soda option, and Simone clearly thought it would go well with the addition of some gin. Try this flavor if you’re into gin-and-tonics, or if you want a healthier citrusy soda to sip on.
Ginger Demi-Sec
Caroline: It tastes like someone took the sugar out of ginger ale. My throat hurts!
Sarah: This tastes like super strong ginger beer.
Katia: This one is really bubbly, and bitter. It kind of hurts your throat, but it’s from the strong ginger and I really like it.
Simone: As someone who thoroughly enjoys ginger ale, this is not gingery enough.
The ginger Demi-Sec had very mixed reviews – Sarah and Katia agreed that the ginger flavor was extreme, but Simone didn’t think it was strong enough. When I tasted it, I enjoyed the really strong ginger flavor because it tasted authentic, not overly-sweetened like most ginger ale.
Overall, If you’re into very sugary drinks like most commercial sodas, these may not be for you. However, Seasons Soda is a great choice for someone looking for a lighter soda to enjoy, or an all-natural beverage that packs in the flavor. According to the sorority girl taste-testers, there’s at least one flavor that everyone can enjoy.