Taste test: 5 sugar-free soft drinks
What’s more refreshing than an ice-cold and way-too-sweet drink? Of course there are sugar-free ones, too, but I’ve never craved those. Let’s see if this changes after this tasting.
Do you enjoy a refreshing ginger beer, an invigorating mate or a Coke with your cheeseburger? So do I. But only once in a while, because the added sugar often exceeds any reasonable calorie limit. The most obvious solution to this is using artificial sweeteners. My problem? I don’t like the soapy flavour sweetened drinks often have.
But I haven’t given up the hope that there’s a sweet but sugar-free drink out there that I like. So I decided to do put five beverages from our range to the taste test.
1. Oishi Kabusecha: the iced tea that packs a punch
This isn’t the first time I’ve had Kabusecha iced tea, which might make it a good benchmark for the new drinks. As the name suggests, this iced tea is brewed from Japanese Kabusecha green tea, known for its especially fragrant, fresh aroma thanks to its special growing method. And sure enough: alongside the typical green tea flavour, I can sense an intense, grassy scent that reminds me of a lush meadow.
The tea flavour doesn’t hit you instantly. But after a while, the bitter notes hit your tongue full force. No fizz, but definitely a punch. Even though there’s no sugar or sweeteners in it, I taste a slight sweetness as I drink. Even more noticeable is the fresh, tangy flavour of the green tea plant. I like it, but the bitter aroma isn’t for the faint-hearted – and neither is the caffeine content of 36 milligrammes per 400 millilitres. That’s slightly more caffeine than a shot of espresso. Reasonable, but I definitely feel the boosting effect.
My verdict: Delicious. As a tea lover, I welcome an authentic alternative to sugary, artificially flavoured iced teas. However, the Oishi Kabusecha won’t make it into my daily rotation – it’s too intense for that. As an occasional pick-me-up, though, it works brilliantly.
★★★★☆
2. Remedy Wild Berry Kombucha: yoghurt in a can
This is a drink a friend recommended to me. She loves kombucha. I don’t. Not a good start. But hey, I’m giving it a go anyway.
Black and green tea form the base, along with sugar and kombucha cultures that ferment the sugar until the drink is unsweetened again. This usually results in a vinegary smell, though I notice it less with the Wild Berry Kombucha. Instead, I pick up artificial blueberry notes, the kind I recognise from forest berry yoghurt. And there’s something else, too:
the scent of sweetener.
My suspicion is confirmed. I look at the list of ingredients and spot stevia and caramel flavouring. The verdict is already taking shape – I’m not going to enjoy this one. I take a sip and yep, I knew it. What I couldn’t pick up by smell now stands out on my tongue: a vinegary taste paired with artificial berry flavours and sweetener.
My verdict: I've found my final boss. Just kidding, it's not quite that dramatic. But it's not great either. I’m not going to try Remedy's Wild Berry Kombucha again. It's not so much the kombucha that's to blame, but rather the sweetener.
★★☆☆☆
3. Peaq Boost: the lifestyle-trend vitamin-caffeine sports drink
All this vitamin-water fuss gets on my nerves. Magnesium, caffeine, vitamins – seriously? It’s all aimed at the self-optimisation hype that I definitely don’t follow. That’s what I tell myself while shovelling in another spoonful of protein pudding. A little self-deception can’t hurt, right?
But I do like the aluminium bottle. It's the first time I've seen this screw-cap format. I take a sniff and get that artificial fruit smell again. It reminds me of gummy bears. Which colour? Hmm...white, green or maybe red? I can’t quite put my finger on it – probably because it’s Pineberry flavour, so a mix between strawberry and pineapple.
The first sip doesn't quite win me over, but by the second, the sparkling vitamin water has hooked me. I do notice the fruit flavour, but it doesn't overpower. I get exactly what I smelled: a subtle, unsweetened gummy-bear taste. Plus 66 milligrammes of caffeine per bottle. Unlike the Wild Berry Kombucha, there's no unpleasant aftertaste.
My verdict: I'll admit it: despite my aversion to fancy vitamin waters, this refreshing drink wins me over. Partly because it only tastes subtly artificial (even though the flavourings are natural), and partly because of the caffeine. As a fizzy alternative to coffee or black tea, Peaq's Boost will definitely be finding its way back into my fridge.
★★★★☆
4. Volvic Essence Mint: water with a twist – just not the one I expected
This was a tip from another friend: Volvic’s flavoured water. My choice? Mint-cucumber. An unassuming choice that surely can't go wrong.
The lemonade (can I even call it that?) smells like lemon water. It instantly makes me think of the water jugs in hotel lobbies, where the same fruit still floats about in the evening as it did at the breakfast buffet.
I take a first sip and taste lemon, lemon and more lemon. Maybe just a hint of mint, but no trace of cucumber anywhere. Is it undrinkable? No. Just not what I’d expected.
With my expectations reset, I actually quite like the lemon water. It tastes exactly like adding a splash of fresh lemon juice to sparkling water – natural and refreshing, but not too sharp.
My verdict: Let’s be honest, if I mix a bit of lemon into water myself, I get the same result. But as a sugar-free refreshment on the go, or an alternative to plain, neutral water, it does the job.
★★★☆☆
5. Dash Raspberry Sparkling Water: the double plot twist
Until recently, I didn't know Dash's drinks at all, but they're popular with the Galaxus Community. Thanks for the tip, crowd wisdom.
The smell test amazes me. It smells as if there were real raspberries hiding in the can. Just to be sure, I take a look inside. No berries, just sparkling water.
I take a sip and I'm surprised for a second time. The sparkling drink tastes completely different from how it smells. Not bad, but sour. This is probably what it's like to eat an unripe raspberry. I imagine this is the flavour that's left once all the sugar disappears from the berries.
My verdict: Not bad. The raspberry smell is deceptively realistic and the light acidity makes the sparkling water refreshing. I get why you all like this drink so much.
★★★★☆
Hidden Track: Living Things Raspberry and Pomegranate: raspberry, but sweeter this time
Just like the old CD hidden tracks, I've saved a secret tasting for last. Why secret? Well, because this one does contain sugar (sue me). But really not much: just under six grammes per can. A can of Coca-Cola Classic of the same size contains five times as much. I can actually smell the sweetness in this drink. It has a mild scent and reminds me more of strawberries than raspberries.
I take a sip an I miss the pomegranate – I can’t taste it at all. Instead, the raspberry soda scores points with its fruity, refreshing raspberry aromas and that strawberry note. Maybe I'm mixing up the strawberry flavour with pomegranate? There's also just over six grammes of fibre and two billion lactic acid bacteria in there. Probiotic and all that.
My verdict: I really like this raspberry soda. It reminds me of sparkling water with raspberry cordial, one of my favourite drinks as a kid. Maybe because of the sugar? No, surely not. I have to give it credit though – for a canned drink, it tastes pretty natural.
★★★★★
The final ranking
The sweetened drink wins. Darn. Living Things' raspberry soda won me over the most. Maybe it's the sugar? No. Never. Definitely not. Oopsie. Still, I could easily see myself going for a chilled Peaq, Dash or Oishi as a refreshment now and then. Volvic's lemon water tastes good, but I could just as easily make that myself. And what about the kombucha? No thanks.
Great idea or just overpriced flavoured water? Tell me what you think of unsweetened soft drinks – or which ones are missing from my list.
Painting the walls just before handing over the flat? Making your own kimchi? Soldering a broken raclette oven? There's nothing you can't do yourself. Well, perhaps sometimes, but I'll definitely give it a try.
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