Searching for the next best thing in diet soda is like trying to find the Holy Grail. But since I’m no Indiana Jones, I’ve been happy with my Coke Zero and Diet Dr. Pepper.
I’m always open for something new, though, so I was happy to sample a few flavors from Zevia, a “natural” soda sweetened with stevia. Stevia is an herb known for some time as a sugar substitute in other countries but has only recently gained traction in the US.
The complimentary batch of Zevia that I received for tasting had some familiar sounding names and flavors so Nicole and I — along with the kids — were eager to get guzzling. The table below lists each flavor along with our thoughts after tasting them.
| Zevia Flavors | Michael | Nicole | Katia | Shania |
| Tastes too much like Pepsi for me. The cola flavor is sharp. | There’s no after taste! This is an excellent cola flavor. | Its fizzy….but its good. | Do you know how to spell “delicioso”!? I like it! | |
| Wow. Its clear (not dark colored). It has a light cherry flavor. Reminds me of Cherry 7 Up. | This is zero calories!? I think its delicious. | Smells like a cherry. | Hmmmm. Interesting. | |
| I love the root beer aroma. The flavor is more root beer than ginger though. | I have a pre-existing bias against root beer so I decline to taste this! LOL | Its good but I can’t taste the ginger. | I’m not gonna try it because my mommy doesn’t like root beer. | |
| I love the way this one smells. Like flowers and candy. The flavor is very complex, too, with hints of fruit from cherry to citrus. Very good. | Tastes OK but its not Dr. Pepper. Its more like Cheerwine. | Has an aftertaste like cherry medicine. | Its OK. Not the best Dr. Pepper I ever tasted. |
After tasting each flavor, I asked Nicole and the girls to pick their favorite. Shania went with the one she thought was most “delicioso” and picked the Cola flavor. Nicole picked Black Cherry, the one that fooled her into thinking she wasn’t drinking a diet soda. Katia piggy backed on Nicole’s choice and picked the Black Cherry too. I was glad to go with Dr. Zevia which I thought was the most complex and interesting of all the flavors.
Zevia’s website lists eight other flavors all sweetened with Stevia so if you’re a diet soda drinker looking for something new, its likely you’ll find something there to please your palate.
I’m curious to try their Cream Soda, Grapefruit, and Mountain Zevia. Specifically, I’m wondering how they keep with the all natural theme and use coffee and tea to produce the caffeine in what I’m guessing is a taste-alike to the original Mountain Dew.
Zevia is available online and in Whole Foods and Bristol Farms grocery stores around the South Bay.
Have you tried Zevia or other foods sweetened with Stevia? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think!
i love zevia. unfortunately it’s too easy (and much cheaper) to grab a diet soda.
I hear ya, its not like its widely available to the point where you can grab one from a soda machine or market. But check out Whole foods website! Right now they have a coupon for $1 off a 6-pack! 🙂