Better-for-you soda is the beverage industry’s current it-girl. As prebiotic soda brands, such as Olipop and Poppi, continue to dominate shelves (and vending machines) everywhere, more and more beverage companies seem to be putting their own, healthier spin on the classic soda. In an attempt to level the playing field, grocery stores such as Aldi are coming up with dupes for the popular cans, and even beverage giants like Coca-Cola are entering the healthy soda chat. Now, Spindrift — known for sparkling water made with real squeezed fruit — is getting in on the fun with the new Spindrift Soda. Given that I drink a can of regular soda daily and love the brand’s sparkling water, I had to give Spindrift Soda a try.
What is Spindrift soda?
Spindrift Soda, like the sparkling water the brand is known for, is made from real squeezed fruit, — never from fruit concentrate — and real ingredients, including vanilla from Madagascar and ginger from Peru. Each can is 20% fruit juice and has no added sugar or engineered sweeteners such as stevia or aspartame. And, perhaps in a nod to those other better-for-you brands, there are “no unnecessary additions like prebiotics or fiber,” according to the Spindrift website.
What are the Spindrift soda flavors?
A modern and refreshing take on the nostalgic sodas of childhood, the new Spindrift Soda comes in five flavors: Concord Freeze, Ginger Ale, Orange Cream Float, Shirley Temple, and Strawberry Shortcake. Each can contains fewer than eight grams of natural sugars from fruit (compared to the usual 35 grams of added sugar in a traditional soda) for a simple, better-for-you version of soda that’s packed with flavor.
Is Spindrift soda good?
Is Spindrift soda good? Yes. Is it soda? Tbh, no. To me, these five new flavors tasted more like sparkling juice (or a juicier version of Spindrift’s sparkling water) than they did soda. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed each flavor, but Spindrift Soda missed the mark when it came to satisfying that sweet soda craving.
My least favorite was Strawberry Shortcake, which is described as a “decadent dessert soda” made with vanilla, real squeezed strawberry puree, apple juice, and citrus. IMO, this one tasted like someone blended up some strawberries and mixed it with some sparkling water. I’ll admit my bias may be showing on this one — I’m not a huge fan of strawberry-flavored anything — but I prefer the competitor’s strawberry sodas over this one. I wasn’t getting decadent or dessert from this can, just sparkling strawberry juice.
Concord Freeze and Orange Cream Float tasted exactly like grape and orange juices with an added bit of bubbles. Grape soda is so nostalgic, and I love Fanta and Sunkist, but ultimately, these just tasted like sparkling juices. Concord Freeze tasted just like, well, grape juice, and the Orange Cream Float missed the vanilla cream I was hoping for, so it tasted more like a champagne-less mimosa than an orange Creamsicle to me.
My two faves were definitely the Shirley Temple and Ginger Ale. I liked the Shirley Temple not because it tasted just like lemon-lime soda and grenadine (give me cans of 7-Up Shirley Temple all day, everyday, please), but because it had the best flavor combination of the four fruit sodas. The cherry was well-balanced by the citrus flavors, and again, it was a great sparkling water — but it was not a sugary, nostalgic, out-to-dinner with mom and dad Shirley Temple soda in a can. I would definitely drink it again, though, if I were in the mood for a sparkling water that had bright and fresh fruit flavors.
The Spindrift Soda closest to its predecessor was, hands down, Ginger Ale. This Ginger Ale was good. What it was lacking in the sweet soda flavor department was easily made up for with ginger flavor that wasn’t too spicy, bitter, or overwhelming, and I did drink the whole can of Ginger Ale Spindrift. This can strikes the perfect balance between sweet ginger soda and spicy ginger beer, and I would definitely recommend as far as a healthier alternative goes.
Overall, I didn’t strongly dislike any of the Spindrift flavors — I just don’t think they’re proper soda. If you want a more flavorful sparkling water or a less-sweet version of fruity sodas, Spindrift Soda may be for you. Personally, I’ll be sticking with my Diet Dr. Pepper.
Where can I get Spindrift soda?
Spindrift Soda is available on the company’s website and Amazon now, and will be launching select retailers later this year. You can try the Spindrift SODA-licious six-pack sampler — which includes all five flavors, plus an extra Strawberry Shortcake — for $18 via the Spindrift website, or a 12-pack featuring Strawberry Shortcake, Ginger Ale, Orange Cream Float, and Shirley Temple for $25 via Amazon. Each individual flavor is also available as a 12-pack for $25.