Tag Archives: Sprite

Lemon Lime Soda Battle

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Tap here to watch our taste test

Earlier this month, news broke that Pepsi was discontinuing Sierra Mist. The soft drink giant wanted to introduce a new lemon lime soda to better compete with Sprite, the Coca-Cola Company’s wildly popular lemon lime beverage.

To date myself, I remember when Sierra Mist didn’t even exist. In fact, I remember its predecessor—Slice. I guess it comes as little surprise that Pepsi’s latest lemon lime incarnation would also begin with an “S.” Always a sucker for new sodas, I would be lying if I said that Starry didn’t intrigue me.

To satisfy my curiosity, I purchased a 2-liter of Starry on Friday evening from Walmart. But I didn’t stop there. In order to honor my personal nerdiness and to provide something fun for my family to do, I also grabbed 2-liter bottles of Sprite and 7UP. We were going to conduct a taste test…

On Friday night, I purchased 2-liter bottles of Sprite, Starry, and 7UP.

The next day, I surprised Sloan by telling her that she would get to sample THREE different sodas. I explained how it would work and convinced Sidney to participate too.

Sloan received the opportunity of a 5-year-old’s lifetime when I told her she would get to sample three lemon lime sodas.

Out of the sight of my wife and daughter, I prepared the cups of different lemon lime sodas. I assigned a number (between 1-3) to each beverage and then invited Sloan over to the kitchen table to sample. Sid had a more bougie experience as I brought the samples to her as she sat on the couch. After all, it was her birthday.

A look at the set up of the taste test. I arranged the sodas differently from the order they appeared in the previous photos.

Sloan sampled the sodas and had a clear consensus on her preference: she identified newcomer on the block, Starry, as her overall favorite. Sprite was her runner up and 7UP finished in last place. Sidney had a completely different take as her taste buds caused her to trend in the opposite direction. She rated the sodas in the following order: 7UP-Sprite-Starry.

It looked like I was going to have to settle the tie. Sidney set up the experiment for me and my preferences matched that exactly of my daughter. I chose Starry-Sprite-7UP.

As we convened to discuss our varying results, we realized something. Our palates weren’t necessarily reporting differently on how the sodas tasted but rather our personal preferences were favoring certain tastes.

For example, Starry is definitely sweeter than its competitors. This is mostly pronounced in the aftertaste. Once you swig it back, a strong kick of lemon lime artificial goodness hits. For Sloan and I, we welcome the unique taste that resembles what a lime Mr. Sketch scented marker smells like. For Sid? Not as much. She prefers a crisper taste with less pronounced flavoring, much like what 7UP delivers.

Starry was #3 in the lineup and it proved to be the overwhelming favorite of Sloan and I.

So I think we can conclude that Pepsi created a lemon lime product that distinguishes itself from other lemon lime sodas. Now we have to see how people feel about that distinction. It will no doubt be a mixed bag (as evidenced by the three of us) but if it trends in the direction that Pepsi hopes it will, there is a chance that Starry could close the gap on Sprite’s stranglehold of the lemon lime soda market. Bottoms up. Don’t Blink.

My Top 5 Favorite Sodas

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I grew up drinking very little soda. My parents rarely kept it in the house and my coaches always told me it was detrimental to my body. However, as I grew older, and especially since I moved to the south, I have enjoyed soda more and more. Although I will still opt for water or milk before a soft drink, I am at the point now where I drink soda multiple times per week.

Because I enjoy making “top 5” lists based on my food and drink preferences, it is only natural that I do one on soda. So, without further ado, I give you my top choices for when it comes to deciding on a highly carbonated and sugary drink.

5. Pepsi – If there ever happened to be soda in the refrigerator, or, as we called it, “pop,” it was Pepsi. My mom grew up in a home where there was an endless supply of the stuff and she never lost her taste for it. My grandpa owned a restaurant and would always bring home cases of “Pepsi-Cola.” Because I was exposed to Pepsi at a young age and because we regarded it so highly, to this day I still enjoy it. I will always choose Pepsi over Coke and I will always enjoy a slight taste of nostalgia when I drink a can.

4. Sprite – My taste for Sprite and other lemon-lime sodas has evolved over the years. My taste for it started when I had braces. My orthodontist advised that if I did drink soda, which I rarely ever did, to drink light colored formulas. This pretty much left me with Sprite. I grew to like it, a preference that continues to this day. I like the mellow, light taste of the drink. If I am eating something really heavy, such as a McDonald’s quarter pounder meal like I had on Friday, I try to neutralize it with a Sprite. Come on man, obey your thirst.

3. Orange Soda – Call me a kid but every now and then I enjoy an orange soda. If it is 100 degrees outside and I feel dehydrated, order me up an orange soda. The way I see it, no other soda hits the spot like an orange one. I don’t even care if it is Fanta, Sunkist, Crush, or the various other brands out there…an orange soda is an orange soda to me.

An orange soda is so refreshing.

2. Wild Cherry Pepsi – My favorite soda logo, I find a can or bottle of Wild Cherry Pepsi aesthetically pleasing. But besides the attractive design, I genuinely like the taste. If I want to sit on my couch and drink a soda on the rocks, Wild Cherry Pepsi is my first choice. It is tasty, refreshing, and satisfying. Also, the smell that escapes when you crack open a can or twist open a bottle is the absolute best.

1. Dr. Pepper – Did you know that Dr. Pepper is actually the oldest soda? Well, in my book, the oldest is also the best. When it comes to types of soda that I see people addicted to the most, I can narrow it down to three major ones: Diet Coke, Mt. Dew, and Dr. Pepper. In my opinion, Diet Coke is flat out not very good and Mt. Dew is way too sugary. But with Dr. Pepper I can understand the mania. Dr. Pepper has that smooth and unique taste that allows you to drink more than one…just ask Forrest Gump. In all honesty, I just really enjoy Dr. Pepper. Like I said, there is no other taste like it (besides imitators). If you had to fill a refrigerator for me of only soda, I would say stock it up with Dr. Pepper.

Yes, I like Dr. Pepper so much I even have a Dr. Pepper shirt.

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I know what you are asking right now…why don’t you just drink Cherry Dr. Pepper? Although I do like that particular flavor, it doesn’t beat my top two flavors when they are served individually. Thanks for reading! Don’t Blink.