REVIEW: Sprite Chill Strawberry Kiwi

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Can we all agree that “strawberry kiwi” has its own distinct flavor? I know that sounds a little weird, like, “Yeah, duh, dude.” But hear me out: some fruits go together, and when you eat a thing containing the pieces, you notice each. When you eat a lemon-blueberry loaf, you go, “Oh, that’s a blueberry,” and then, “Yep, there’s lemon.” Ditto cranberry-orange and, to a lesser extent, strawberry-watermelon. I feel like strawberry kiwi, however— heretofore known as strawi—is most recognizable as a singular entity and less a sum of its individual components.

Or maybe I’m just on one because I’m really digging this new Walmart-exclusive Sprite Chill Strawberry Kiwi.

I’m not an overly regular Sprite consumer. One of the reasons I drink soda is as a caffeine delivery mechanism, and so it has an inherent strike against it. But every once in a while, I’ll see Sprite and think, hey, that looks refreshing. But this new offering moves beyond “refreshing” and goes straight to, “This is the sort of soda that I should totally be drinking poolside on an 85-degree summer day.” (Okay, and I’ll also admit that this is, perhaps, influenced by the fact that it is almost 80-degrees here in the midwest at the end of March— what I believe we call 2nd Fool’s Spring. We’ll have snow once more before Spring is actually official, mark my word.)

Anyway, the strawi is strong here, sweet and crisp at the beginning of the sip, in the middle, and all the way through. It’s a perfect strawi, too, a bit tart, a lot sweet, with that balanced melon-like smoothness emblematic of kiwi. You couldn’t ask for a better representation of the popular multiple-seeded fruit combination. It complements the Sprite perfectly— you never lose sight of the fact that you’re enjoying the lemon-lime soda you know and love. It’s just enhanced. And although this is one of Sprite’s “Chill” varieties, I wouldn’t have known if it wasn’t plastered on the can. There was no mentholated “chilling” effect to the soda, which I wasn’t exactly sad about. That whole random “cooling” gimmick that started up within the past year or so does nothing for me; at its best, it’s unnoticeable, and when it is present, it’s just bad.

My only beef with this product is that there doesn’t appear to be a zero sugar version, and by virtue of that alone, I’d be unlikely to repurchase. Unless, you know, it’s 85 degrees. And I’m at a pool.

Purchased Price: $6.86
Size: 12-pack
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (12 fl oz.) 140 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 65 milligrams of sodium, 38 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 38 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Simply Pop by Coca-Cola

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I’m not sure why I have a thing for prebiotic sodas like Olipop and Poppi. Maybe I feel guilty and would like to do something nice for my digestive system instead of letting just McDonald’s Meal Deals and Mountain Dew flow through it.

But I’m not the only one with “a thing” for the better-for-you beverages. The segment is growing fast enough that Big Soda wants to be a part of it. However, Pepsi and Coca-Cola have taken two different routes. Pepsi recently purchased Poppi, and Coca-Cola decided to develop its own prebiotic soda offering — Simply Pop.

Simply Pop differs from others by adding more fruit juice. While the bigs in the prebiotic soda game have juice levels between 4%-19%, all Simply Pop flavors go beyond that: Citrus Punch (30%), Fruit Punch (25%), Lime (28%), Pineapple Mango (26%), and Strawberry (29%).

However, despite the use of fruit juices and natural flavors, the best way I can describe them is to say they taste somewhere between the top prebiotic soda brands and flavored sparkling water, but closer to the latter. I’ve tried many Poppi and Olipop varieties, and if you enjoy the sweet fruitiness of those, the taste level of Coca-Cola’s offering will burst your carbonated bubbles. Simply put, despite what the cans say, these flavors simply don’t pop. Also, some of them aren’t very good.

Citrus Punch tastes like an underripe Cuties mandarin orange; Strawberry reminds me of biting into a soft, overripe strawberry; Fruit Punch is like drinking watered-down Kool-Aid; Pineapple Mango has a flavor like the liquid from canned diced pineapples in water; and Lime, the worst of the bunch, tastes like I’m biting into lime rinds. I didn’t enjoy any of them, and I’m unwilling to repurchase them for my tongue or gut. I’ll be sticking with Olipop and Poppi.

However, with that said, something I noticed about these is that it’s hard to tell they’re prebiotic sodas. Again, I don’t like how they taste. But with Poppi, the apple cider vinegar in them is noticeable, and with Olipop there’s something about them that makes them taste, well, healthy-ish. With Simply Pop, I don’t notice anything that could be considered healthy-ish; they just lack a strong flavor.

So what makes Simply Pop a better-for-you soda? They have no added sugars. Instead, whatever is in the juices and monk fruit extract sweetens them. However, their most significant health benefit is fiber content, which they get from soluble corn fiber. I thought the part of the vegetable that the fiber comes from was corn husks, but after going down a corn hole about rabbit fiber. I mean, a rabbit hole about corn fiber, I learned that it actually comes from the kernels. However, while every can provides an impressive 21% of your daily fiber, Olipop flavors have an even better 32%.

Overall, Simple Pop is simply not as tasty as what Olipop and Poppi offer.

Purchased Price: $2.50 each (on sale)
Size: 12-ounce cans
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) Citrus Punch 60 calories, 0 grams of fat, 25 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber, 10 grams of sugar (including 0 grams of added sugar), and 0 grams of protein. Fruit Punch 50 calories, 0 grams of fat, 25 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber, 9 grams of sugar (including 0 grams of added sugar), and 0 grams of protein. Lime 60 calories, 0 grams of fat, 25 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber, 10 grams of sugar (including 0 grams of added sugar), and 0 grams of protein. Pineapple Mango 60 calories, 0 grams of fat, 25 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber, 10 grams of sugar (including 0 grams of added sugar), and 0 grams of protein. Strawberry 60 calories, 0 grams of fat, 25 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber, 10 grams of sugar (including 0 grams of added sugar), and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Coca-Cola Orange Cream

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I have to admit, I was a big fan of the Coca-Cola Orange Vanilla (and that hilarious car chase commercial) from a few years back. So when I heard the company was dropping a new Orange Cream flavor, I was pretty excited.

I mean, like, stalking and refreshing the Walmart app, waiting for it to show up within a 50-mile radius of me excited.

At last, after a few false alarms and failed attempts, it’s mine. All mine.

If I were to arrange the words “Orange Cream Coke” by the strength of the flavors in this beverage, they’d be in the reverse order: “Coke Cream Orange.”

The Coke flavor, that familiar kind of spicy, kind of earthy taste, is first and foremost as it should be. The cream flavor comes next, but it’s a bit tangy and has an almost yogurt-like taste, although not too strong. Then comes the orange at the end, even fainter in its flavor. The aftertaste is also orange-y, but in an even more mild way. What’s missing is that sweet vanilla-y, almost cream soda flavor the previous incarnation from 2019 had.

The orange has that artificial citrus quality, kind of like orange gummies or Kool-aid do, but in a pleasantly mild, background note kind of way.

This soda isn’t bad, but it’s not great, either. As a fan of the aforementioned Coca-Cola Orange Vanilla, I have to say I’m a bit disappointed. It’s not as well-rounded or boldly flavored as its predecessor. But if you’re looking for a soft drink to fill the void that the other one left in its wake, it’s not a bad option.

Purchased Price: $2.38
Size: 20 fl oz bottle
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bottle) 240 calories, 0 grams of total fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 55 milligrams of sodium, 65 grams of total carbs, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 65 grams of total sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dr Pepper Blackberry

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Call me weird, but I go to the store when it opens so I can take my time without tons of other people around me. Slowly wandering from aisle to aisle and checking items off my list with 90s muzak in the background is my zen. During a recent grocery trip, the new Dr Pepper Blackberry interrupted my state of zen. While excited about the flavor, I wasn’t quite willing to commit to a 12-pack, but luckily, I found a 20-ounce bottle near the registers.

I enjoy Dr Pepper, but think it’s best when mixed with another flavor. The 23 flavors of the original drink create a base that other flavors can build on. I love ordering a Dr Pepper and adding cranberry flavor every time I visit Sonic. So, it stood to reason that the new Blackberry variety should be a home run for me.

The initial aroma was a blend of the classic Dr Pepper spice with a medicinal blackberry chaser. As a lover of “herbal” sodas (Olipop is my jam), I was into it. Pouring it into a cup allowed it to aerate, and the smell mellowed a bit. This first impression definitely got me excited to try it.

My first sip was confusing. Despite the strong smells from opening and pouring the drink, the taste was very muted. I took a swig of water, hoping it would help reset everything. My second sip, unfortunately, yielded the same results as the first: a faint blackberry flavor that got lost in the drink quickly.

Even though the initial scent of the Dr Pepper Blackberry hinted at a promising blend of classic Dr Pepper spice and a unique blackberry twist, the actual taste fell short of expectations. With each sip, the subtle blackberry flavor faded into the background of the familiar Dr Pepper base. The soda was still decent enough to finish, but I don’t see myself purchasing it again.

Purchased Price: $2.28
Size: 20 fl oz bottle
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bottle) 250 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 95 milligrams of sodium, 67 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 65 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Pepsi Wild Cherry & Cream

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In 2024, we saw Coke discontinue its Cherry Vanilla flavor, and perhaps sensing this void in the market or wanting to get in on the dirty soda trend, Pepsi is starting the new year by introducing a new permanent flavor, Wild Cherry & Cream. I’ve always been more of a Coke person if I’m going to choose a cola, but I enjoy Wild Cherry Pepsi, so I was curious to see how it would fare when given the soda shop addition of a creamy vanilla twist.

Opening the bottle, I got those familiar, slightly spicy scents of Pepsi with a cherry hint. The cream wasn’t immediately obvious, and after a few sips, I still found it to be not very pronounced. It rounds things out on the back end of a swig, but it isn’t a strong cream soda flavor. The wild cherry is similarly kind of tame here, being more mild than in your face. I think “wild cherry” in the soda flavor world is just a way to make “cherry” sound more exciting and not necessarily a nuanced flavor based on certain cherry varieties, but I wish these cherries were bringing more exuberance to the party. C’mon, cherries, knock over a lamp or something. Spill some more cream in the communal pitcher of Pepsi.

I wish these flavors were a bit more amped, but that isn’t to say this drink is bad. In fact, it’s quite good. These are classic tastes, and they work together in harmony. I enjoy that the cherry and cream aspects obscure some of the things I don’t always love about Pepsi to begin with. It’s sweet and the cherry brings to mind candy, but I don’t find it too sweet in the way I sometimes do an original Pepsi.

This drink could work alongside a meal, at the movies with popcorn, or by itself. The flavor combo isn’t groundbreaking, but it is solid. If you’re a Pepsi fan, I could see this becoming your new favorite. If you hate Pepsi, I could see you not refusing this and perhaps even admitting that it doesn’t suck.

While Wild Cherry & Cream is currently available in cans and bottles, the bottles are only for a limited time. Also worth noting, I tried the zero sugar variety and it does not hit the same pleasant notes for me. Pepsi drinkers, rejoice in your new blend of old favorites! Everyone else, opt for full sugar if you’re going out on a limb and giving this a try. It may not be wildly innovative, but it’s a worthy addition to the Pepsi lineup.

Purchased Price: $2.49
Size: 20 fl oz bottle
Purchased at: I received a free bottle from Jewel-Osco and purchased a bottle of zero sugar, also from Jewel-Osco
Rating: 8 out of 10 (regular), 4 out of 10 (zero sugar)
Nutrition Facts: (1 bottle regular) 260 calories, 0 grams of total fat, 55 milligrams of sodium, 69 grams of total carbs, 69 grams of total sugars, and 0 grams of protein.