Jonathan Szeto

The Superfood Company’s selection of probiotic sodas includes eight flavors of Superbooch® and three kefir sodas. Each drink is dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan and offers a different experience with ingredients ranging from mangosteen to mesquite pods.

Ever dreamed of enjoying your favorite sodas but with less sugar and fewer calories? Enter probiotic sodas, with the added benefit of potentially improved gut health.

For centuries, fermented drinks like kombucha have been kitchen staples across Europe and Asia. Now, they’ve been reimagined for the modern market by brands like The Superfood Company. With a diverse lineup of vegan, probiotic sodas made with fresh ingredients, Superfood’s products encompass both familiar and exotic flavors in its kefir sodas and carbonated kombuchas, Superbooch®. We tried them, and here are our thoughts about eight flavors, ranked from most to least favorite.

Peaches and Cream: Our favorite out of all the options, Peaches and Cream has a classic fruit punch taste that takes us back to our younger years drinking CapriSun and other packaged drinks. It’s juicy and refreshing, and despite all the different fruits contained within one bottle, the individual hints of peach, apple, lemon and vanilla are still distinguishable and combine to create a great burst of flavor.

Green Apple Jasmine: For those who prefer a drink milder in flavor, Green Apple Jasmine is the right choice for you. Exactly as the name suggests, this soda combines lemon green tea with herby, floral undertones. The apple and lemon pairs well with the earthiness of the jasmine. It’s a great option for any time you’re looking for something that’s not too sweet.

Hibiscus Ginger: Ginger lovers are sure to enjoy Hibiscus Ginger, which fully captures the essence of the pungent spice. The root dominates in both smell and flavor, and the drink reminded us of ginger tea. Learning to appreciate this drink may be difficult for those without a previous affinity for the root, but it certainly rewards the brave.

Signature Seven (Superbooch®): Signature Seven is kombucha with a mix of seven uncommon ingredients: lucuma, goji berry, bilberry, aronia berry, mangosteen, mesquite pods and reishi mushroom. When put together, they make for a drink that’s crisp, fruity and creamy at the same time, reminiscent of honeydew. However, the fermentation also introduces a faint overripe or rotting note that may not appeal to everyone’s taste. Even if you’re looking for probiotic sodas just to help with digestion, we definitely recommend trying this one at least once for its flavors and ingredients. 

Passion of the Elders (Superbooch®): This drink infuses traditional kombucha with flavors from exotic fruits, including passionfruit, elderberry, and cupuaçu from the Amazon rainforest. It balances sweet and sour well, and its strong carbonation and tangy quality give it a refreshing feel.

Watermelon Lime: While typical beverages made from watermelon juice deliver the familiar sweet flavor we all know and love, Watermelon Lime goes beyond and captures the freshness of the rind as well. The tartness from the strong fermentation, reminiscent of kimchi or fermented radish, proved a bit too sour for our taste. Still, the lime adds a crisp, slightly sour profile that’s both unexpected and invigorating.

Real Root Beer: This new take on a classic drink uses sarsaparilla, the root in root beer, along with vanilla, cupuaçu and various tree barks. Real Root Beer stays true to the classic sweetness of root beer, along with its iconic taste. At the same time, its flavor is a bit more complex, with woody undertones and hints of vanilla and cinnamon. Though the earthiness was a little too strong for us, and the sediment at the bottom of the can was slightly off-putting, root beer lovers looking for a variation on the traditional drink may find this option right for them.

It’s POG!: Named after its three primary ingredients: passionfruit, orange and guava, It’s POG! evokes tropical flavors while also incorporating a hint of tangy citrus. We can’t quite put our finger on why, but this drink and its aftertaste felt a bit stale and unnatural. Though not among our top favorites out of the entire selection, it’s still a solid option for fans of POG, the classic Hawaiian beverage.

The Superfood Company presents a diverse selection of choices for those looking to improve gut health through its kombucha and water kefir options. Overall, most of the probiotic sodas we tried tasted natural and refreshing, each with a distinctive taste and unique blend of ingredients you won’t find in other drinks.

The carbonation, fermentation and flavor profile of each drink form an excellent bridge between the familiar and unfamiliar and create an experience fitting both for those wanting a healthier alternative to soda and for the adventurous looking to go beyond typical probiotic drinks.