When I reviewed Olipop Pineapple Paradise last fall, it was my first foray into prebiotic soda. I just hadn’t found flavors that clicked for me up until that point. But those stupid SpongeBob SquarePants cans did the trick, introducing me to a flavor I really enjoyed.
Since that fateful encounter, I’ve worked a steady mix of Olipop and Poppi into my soda consumption. Olipop’s grape flavor is one of my favorites, and I gotta agree with my wife and daughter that Poppi’s new Shirley Temple flavor is fantastic.
The entire family was excited when I brought home three new prebiotic soda flavors last week: Olipop Raspberry Sherbet, Olipop Blackberry Vanilla and Poppi Punch Pop x Love Island.
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Raspberry Sherbet is Olipop’s big limited-edition release for spring. The prebiotic soda company says that Raspberry Sherbet is “inspired by classic ice cream shop sherbet, this flavor blends bold raspberry tang with smooth vanilla to create a sip that feels playful and nostalgic, yet totally new.”
First off, love the can. The neon light effect on the logo is a fun touch. The flavor itself is crisp but subtle. I wish Olipop had dialed things up a bit more, though. After each sip of Raspberry Sherbet, I found myself searching for more of that tang that Olipop promised.
I’m new to Olipop lore, but Blackberry Vanilla was the seventh flavor the company ever produced. Fans have apparently been begging Olipop to bring it back, and now they’ve made it a permanent flavor.
“We brought back fan-favorite Blackberry Vanilla, and this time it’s here to stay,” Olipop said in the company’s announcement. “Just as smooth and craveable as before, this fan-favorite flavor layers bold blackberries, bright citrus, and a silky hint of vanilla.”
I just don’t think the vanilla-tinged flavors of Olipop do it for me. I’ve tried Strawberry Vanilla before. I didn’t enjoy that flavor, and Blackberry Vanilla has the same issue. I think it’s the fruit/vanilla combo that just doesn’t work in a soda, even a prebiotic soda, for me?
While the latest Olipop flavors didn’t score high for me, Poppi Punch Pop x Love Island was a huge hit. I love this one. It’s everything you loved about fruit punch as a kid but thanks to the prebiotic twist, you don’t have to feel bad drinking it. (I never felt bad about drinking fruit punch as a kid. Also, don’t quote me on the health benefits of prebiotic soda.)
While diving into Poppi Punch Pop x Love Island, I realized that I’d actually had this flavor when it was on shelves last year. Back then it didn’t have the Love Island branding, instead coming in a can covered in small, summer-y illustrations. (That can is 100 percent why I bought it last year.) No matter what can Poppi Punch Pop comes, I need to stock up on more.
The Omnicosm founder. Snackology, Popculturology and The Cold Open writer. A Rochester, N.Y., native now living in the Washington, D.C., area. Won’t pass up a Genny Cream Ale.
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