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I tried every flavor of Culture Pop probiotic soda I could find and ranked them from worst to best

June 26, 20240
Culture Pop’s lemon-lime flavor was very different from a Sprite or 7-Up.

Ted Berg

I found that every flavor of Culture Pop required at least a small adjustment of expectations.

I’m not accustomed to soda with relatively little sugar and no artificial sweetener, and a lot of the Culture Pop varieties tasted like a halfway point between traditional soda and flavored seltzer.

However, Culture Pop’s lemon-lime flavor was so different from a Sprite or 7-Up that it was a little jarring. I found it to be very tart and didn’t like the taste.

My wife agreed that this was the least appealing of the bunch.

The black-cherry flavor had a bit of an unpleasant aftertaste.
The lime flavor was a bit more prominent than the wild berries.

Ted Berg

All the Culture Pop flavors I tried listed white-grape juice as one of the primary ingredients, giving each soda a tangy acidity.

In this case, however, the lime flavor was a bit more prominent than the wild berries, which presented as a hint of blueberry aroma. Otherwise, I thought this soda was vaguely fruity.

The strawberry-and-rhubarb flavor surprised me.
Both the ginger and lemon flavors were distinct.

Ted Berg

Once I selected my top three Culture Pop flavors, it was tough to choose my favorite. However, the ginger-lemon-and-turmeric variety probably could have taken the top spot if I tasted it on a different day.

The ginger and lemon flavors were both distinct, but neither was overpowering — there was a slight, spicy bite from the ginger, then a bright tartness from the lemon.

It was harder to make out the turmeric flavor, but in general, the soda had the vibe of a pleasant herbal tea. I even thought it tasted slightly closer to the taste of ginger beer than most commercial ginger ales I’ve tried.

Culture Pop’s orange-mango-and-lime flavor was my wife’s favorite.
Culture Pop’s watermelon-and-lime soda was crisp and refreshing.

Ted Berg

When I opened the can of watermelon-lime Culture Pop, it had such a strong watermelon scent that I worried the taste would be overbearing.

However, the actual watermelon flavor was mild and nicely balanced by the tartness of the lime.

This was immediately the most refreshing tasting of the seven flavors I tried. It was light and crisp, and though I couldn’t quite distinguish the rosemary that’s listed in the ingredients, there was something pleasantly herbaceous about the soda that added a nice nuance.