Zero Calorie, All Natural Soda: How Does It Taste?

Wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy soda without the calories or chemicals? With Zevia, you can.

Zevia is the zero calorie soda line sweetened with stevia, which makes it both all natural and calorie-free. It comes in 15 different flavors, from Cola to 'Mountain Zevia' and can be found in stores like Whole Foods, Target, Kroger and Safeway nationwide. Prices are competitive with mainstream soda lines.

Registered dietitian Tanya Zuckerbrot says Zevia is a great alternative to diet soda. "It's an all-natural soda that gives you the fizz of a carbonated drink and sweetness from Reb A, commercially known as stevia." She adds that stevia is "a naturally sweet botanical leaf whose extract produces a zero-calorie sweetener that is about 100 times sweeter than sugar, but it does not prompt sugar cravings."

Sounds great, but how does it taste? Here are some reactions from various testers:

“Tastes like a watered down version of cherry coke.”

“Tastes like a crisp cold delicious soda … but slightly off. I don’t know if it’s the stevia in it or all the other ‘zero ingredients.’ I wouldn’t necessarily crave a Zevia anytime soon, but it’s not that bad.”

“I know it's probably bad for my health, but diet sodas and no-calorie sweeteners are a regular part of my diet. I've tried Zevia soda before, but not their new flavors. When I tried their zero calorie, no sugar grape soda, it tasted exactly like grape soda, but without the overpowering sugary taste. However, it does have that slight bitter aftertaste that stevia sweetener has. Maybe I'm just used to the taste, but I would definitely drink it again.”

“I had the grape and it went down smooth but the aftertaste was like a punch in the face. I still appreciated the fact that it was all natural.”

“The Cherry Cola tasted like cherry cough syrup or those Flintstone chewable vitamins for kids — not my cup of soda. The Ginger Ale did taste like Ginger Ale, but it had a funky aftertaste that tasted like sugar.”

“I tried the Cream Soda … it had a bit of that chemical aftertaste (even if it’s all natural). But I like the fact that the label states gluten-free since it’s an issue for me.”

Final verdict? If you don’t care about the all natural, zero calories aspect, Zevia probably won't replace your ordinary soda. If you do like all natural, zero calorie products, you might want to give it a try.