Sarsaparilla is used to give which soft drink its flavor?
America loves soda: 10 classic soft drinks worth trying
Taste is a subjective thing. Some people love beverages that others wouldn’t dare to drink, and that’s perfectly fine—everyone is entitled to their opinion. However, even subjective preferences can come with recommendations. You won’t find Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper, or Pepsi on this list. Instead, the following 10 entries highlight big regional names and unique local flavors. Have you tried any of them?
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Jones Cream Soda
Cream soda is a sweet soft drink, typically flavored with vanilla and inspired by the taste of an ice cream float. Many brands and variations can be found across America, and its roots can be traced to at least 150 years ago. Interestingly, Jones Cream Soda, which started in 1886, is not even the oldest one around.
This drink is available in both regular and diet options, and it's also one of the most popular mixers for alcoholic beverages. Cream soda is one of those drinks people associate with their childhood, and it's the perfect perfect pairing for ice cream.
Image: Kevin Butz
Dr. Brown’s Root Beer
Root beer is a sweet and classic American soft drink traditionally made using the root bark of the sassafras tree as the primary flavor. Root beer is usually alcohol and caffeine-free, sweet, and carbonated, with a thick, foamy head.
Dr. Brown's version of this classic soda is unbeatable, offering a harmonious blend of sugar and spice. It’s not just sweet—it boasts a distinct celery seed earthiness that keeps every sip interesting.
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Olipop Lemon Lime
Lemon lime drinks have been around for a long time now (just ask Sprite or 7-Up), but Olipop manages to add a new twist to this old classic. This fizzy tonic boasts prebiotics, plant fiber, and botanicals, which not only taste great but also help your digestive health.
Olipop is also low in sugar, but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in sweetness. It uses cassava root and other alternative sweeteners to maintain its delicious flavor.
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Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic Water
Tonic water is often considered a soda for adults due to its bitter taste. However, the brave ones who love this delicious beverage will find Fever-Tree’s Mediterranean Tonic Water has the perfect mix of bitterness for tonic water fans, but a balanced flavor that makes it appropriate for people who are just dipping their toe into the tonic water.
In addition to that traditional quinine flavor, this tonic is infused with rosemary and lemon thyme, adding a layer of complexity to its taste.
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Cheerwine
Named for its color and taste, Cheerwine is a cherry-flavored soft drink with a mildly sweet flavor with strong cherry notes, most notably black cherry. It is burgundy-colored and has an unusually high degree of carbonation compared to other soft drinks.
Cheerwine is widely available throughout the southeastern United States, from Maryland to Florida, but it is best known and beloved in the Carolinas.
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Sangrita Blast Mountain Dew
As the "Limited Edition" tag implies, this product was only available for a limited time, but it was enough to leave a lasting impression. Sangrita Blast, a Citrus Punch-flavored Mountain Dew with a maroon hue, was available at Taco Bell restaurants from 2013 to 2017. It was also released in cans and bottles in 2015 for a short period.
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Cactus Cooler
Cactus Cooler is an orange-pineapple-flavored soft drink sold primarily in Southern California and the surrounding Southwestern region. The orange flavor is very present, with the pineapple appearing a bit behind but adding a layer of complexity to the overall flavor.
This soda has no caffeine, making it a safe product for anyone who gets the jitters from caffeine-infused beverages.
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United Sodas Toasted Coconut
The words "healthy" and "soda" are not usually heard together but this is one of those occasions. United Sodas is a healthy soda brand that offers products with a lightly carbonated fizz and low sugar content.
Their Toasted Coconut flavor stands out with its distinctive coconut taste. Each can contains fewer than 30 calories, has no artificial ingredients, and is organically sweetened—making it the perfect alternative for health-conscious soda lovers.
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Boylan Creme Soda
Even if we started this list with a cream soda, we couldn’t leave out Boylan’s version. This glass-bottled beverage has a rich vanilla flavor and a robust amount of carbonation that make it very easy to drink.
While many cream sodas can be overly sweet, Boylan’s is refreshing, complex, and downright delicious. The use of cane sugar gives it a crisp, clean flavor all the way to the last drop.
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Moxie
The last entry on our list is a bitter and herbal soda named Moxie. It originated in Maine in the late 1800s as a patent medicine called "Moxie Nerve Food." It is flavored with gentian root, sassafras, wintergreen, and other herbs.
Though still somewhat unique to the Northeast, Moxie has become more widely available in specialty and larger grocery stores since Coca-Cola acquired the brand in 2018. Have you ever seen it?
Image: Tom Paolini