The 9 Best OLIPOP Flavors to Bring to Your Next Picnic (or to Drink at Home), According to Our Soda-Loving Editors

Remember feeling like the luckiest kid at the barbecue after snagging the last orange soda in the cooler? This throwback will bring you back to that joyous moment. An elevated take on the original, it hits all the right notes, except you can taste that it’s made with real, wholesome ingredients, like clementine and mandarin juices. Might we suggest adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream to your glass for a Creamsicle-inspired float?

This flavor smells like candy and contains real strawberry juice and vanilla bean. It’s among the sweeter picks of the lot, as it tastes like strawberries and cream in liquid form, but it’s still far from cloying. “It kind of reminds me of the strawberry milk I get at H-Mart, but with a hint of carbonation,” says editorial assistant Delia Curtis. “It’s very nostalgic and fun without being overly sweet, and it has just the right amount of oomph to quench my thirst.”

Coke is easily the most popular soda in the U.S. and OLIPOP’s take on the classic drink does not disappoint. Natural vanilla and cola flavors are spruced up with lime juice, a touch of salt and green tea caffeine for an energy boost. “It reminds me of Coca-Cola but a less sugary version, and I don't feel guilty about drinking it,” explains assistant news and entertainment editor Karelle McKay.

Behold: banana cream pie in a can. With notes of double-fold vanilla and sweet banana puree, this drink is a true treat. “I’m obsessed with the banana cream flavor,” raves assistant commerce editor Natalie LaBarbera. “It has that tropical drink taste that makes me wish I was on a beachside resort, without the tummy ache you can get from consuming a ton of sugar.”

Ready your taste buds for a bonafide island getaway: This bev boasts pineapple, passion fruit, mandarin and apple juices to create a solid substitute for the vibrant red punch that ruled your youth. Associate SEO editor Marissa Wu loved it so much that she had four cans after trying it for the first time. “It was fruity and bubbly but not so sweet that I felt like I was going to gag after five sips.”

Sure, it may be more of an acquired taste than cola, but root beer is just as timeless a flavor. Thankfully, OLIPOP hit this one out of the park, too. “It’s a lighter take on traditional root beer,” says VP of editorial Candace Davison. “It’s not as syrupy, but still has the classically creamy, sassafras-meets-vanilla flavor you’d expect.”

“I’m a root beer girl myself and it satisfies my craving without making me feel jittery or like I consumed way too much sugar,” adds associate fashion commerce editor Stephanie Meraz.

Made with real Concord grape juice concentrate, this take on grape pop is equal parts sweet and tart without being overwhelmingly sugary. “Mmm, grape all day long,” asserts senior editor Dana Dickey. “It’s not too syrup-strong but still has a fruity, fun taste that makes me feel like a kid on a summer afternoon.”

If key lime pie and lemon seltzer had a baby, it’d be this crisp, clean pick, made with quince, lemon and key lime juice concentrates. “It doesn’t taste like Sprite, which I thought it would, but it’s sweet and refreshing nonetheless,” says wellness director Sarah Stiefvater. In other words, it’ll do the trick if you’re a Sprite or 7Up diehard who’s trying to cut back on sugar.

Laced with notes of rich vanilla ice cream and fluffy marshmallow cream, this drink brings us back to elementary school. “It’s sweet without tasting super sugary and is the closest ‘healthier’ alternative I’ve found to regular cream soda,” says commerce editor Olivia Dubyak.