The New Protein Soda from Koia Is Here and We Tried It

It was only a matter of time before protein soda existed. People demand protein and they won’t settle for powders and shakes anymore. Nay. They want fizzy, refreshing drinks with as much protein as a couple of hard boiled eggs—and a popular protein shake brand is getting in on that action. Koia Protein Pop, which has 10g plant protein in a 12oz can, recently launched in four flavors: Sour Squeeze, Rocket Freeze, Pink Twist, and Capri Splash.

Now, I’m pretty new to the protein soda space—aren’t we all?—but the protein soda I had during our recent root beer taste test was…upsetting. Did Koia do any better? We tasted all four flavors to find out.

New Product!

Koia Protein Pop

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Pros: Well, it’s soda that contains protein. Aren’t you happy? Isn’t this what you wanted?? My assessment is that Koia Protein Pop tastes as good as it’s able to, considering that “protein soda” might be against god’s plan for our lives. But let’s talk pros. As we established, each can contains 10g of clear plant protein, which comes from peas, apparently. This protein soda also contains prebiotic fiber. It’s low calorie at 70 cals a can, and even though it does contain cane sugar, it’s sweetened with a blend of natural sweeteners (chicory root, stevia extract, and monk fruit extract), so there are only 2g actual sugar in a 12oz serving. Because products like this choose to employ natural ingredients over artificial sweeteners, welp, they taste different than regular sodas or even diet sodas. I’ve previously complained about my aversion to stevia and that lingering aftertaste is pretty extreme in these.

Cons: Maybe it’s in my head, but I swear protein soda has a strange mouthfeel. It’s carbonated but also just a touch milky. If what I just said made you feel upset, protein soda probably isn’t for you! And while all the sweeteners and flavors Koia uses are, presumably, natural, they’re extremely aggressive. The Pink Twist is like fake-y watermelon candy straight to the dome. Rocket Freeze? More like rocket fuel. The cherry flavor reminded me of the smell of permanent markers. I appreciate that they really wanted to channel “soda” rather than sparkling water with these, but getting through a whole can will be a struggle for a lot of people.

Rating:

4/10

Sporks

About the Author

Howdy! I’m Gwynedd, Sporked’s managing editor. I live in Los Angeles and have access to the best tacos the U.S. has to offer—but I’m a sucker for a crunchy Old El Paso taco night every now and then. I’ve been at Sporked since 2022 and I’m still searching frozen mozzarella sticks that can hold a candle to restaurant sticks. Why you should trust me: I’ve been a journalist for 20 years (yikes), a consumer of food for 40-plus years, and I’m truly hard pressed to think of foods I don’t like (or that I can’t tolerate at the very least). Oh and one time I cooked my way through Guy Fieri’s cookbook and wrote about the journey through Flavortown. What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s Original Savory Thins. Fat free plain yogurt (usually Fage or Nancy’s). Honeycrisp apples. Sweet cream coffee creamer for my at-home Americanos. A frozen cauliflower crust pizza and some jarred mushrooms to top it with. Old El Paso Stand ‘N Stuff taco shells and Gardein Ground Be’f, even though I think “be’f” is a nightmarish contraction. Favorite ranking: Stouffer’s frozen dinners. I don’t own a microwave (I get my cancers the old fashioned way!), so I love taste testing things that I don’t really buy to eat at home. Least favorite ranking: Soy sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I love soy sauce—but consuming that much sodium in one sitting is probably illegal in some countries. Our frozen enchilada taste test was a close second; the smell of microwaved corn tortillas still haunts me.