Are Name Brand Sodas Really Better? Rhett & Link Find Out

On today’s episode of Good Mythical Morning, Rhett & Link dig deep into their flavor memories and try to identify the name brand sodas from a line up of four unlabelled glasses, three of which contain grocery store knockoffs. As true, unbiased YouTube scientists—and using what they learned in a previous episode—they made sure that the sodas all came from the same size and type of container. Though this isn’t the first time they’ve tried to find the name brand drink, this is the first soda exclusive episode. So, are the name brand sodas really worth it? Here’s what they found out.

Diet Coke

Decoys: Big K, Signature Select, & Sam’s

Rhett is a Coke Zero man, so this round proved to be a bit difficult for him. He liked the Signature Select knockoff’s flavor, so he assumed that it was Diet Coke. Now, if you were hoping that Link might be a reliable taster today, I’m sorry to disappoint. After sipping all of the options, he said, “They are all so different and none of them are good, and I’ll drink Diet Coke as a treat but I don’t really like it.” I’m sorry, what?! Despite his self-proclaimed love-hate relationship with Diet Coke, he was confident with his guess. It was, of course, wrong. You’ll get ‘em next time, Link!

Rhett’s Guess: Signature Select

Link’s Guess: Sam’s

Related: These Diet Colas Are Way, Way Better Than Diet Coke

Sprite

Decoys: Great Value, Signature Select, & Big K

Great Value was definitely the prettiest of the four drink options. The guys admired the big, glassy bubbles. But…it was all a lie! They found it seriously lacking in fizz when they tried it. Next up was Signature Select’s knockoff. While Link liked it—and let the record show that he liked all of them—Rhett found it “too sweet.” The real contest was between the last two: Sprite and Big K. Big K’s lemon-lime had “less bite, but good flavor,” so Link gave it the “flavor award.” Sprite, on the other hand, got the “bite award.” The guys were surprised by the amount of bite it had and didn’t remember Sprite tasting that way, so they guessed Kroger. However, they both claimed that bite was more important than flavor, so they liked the Sprite more. They just didn’t quite believe that Sprite could be that good. If only they’d tried McDonald’s Sprite… 

Rhett’s Guess: Kroger

Link’s Guess: Kroger

Related: The 7 Best Lemon Lime Sodas 

Dr Pepper

Decoys: Big K, Signature Select, & Great Value

Link doesn’t like a whole lot of things. That includes Dr Pepper. Link, however, made it clear that he was confident in this round because his wife loves Dr Pepper. His proposed technique? “I’m gonna see if I can taste my wife’s breath.” “Can you hit the undo button?” Rhett asked (on behalf of literally everyone everywhere). While this round should’ve been easy for Rhett, he struggled a bit initially. “None of them taste like Dr Pepper. I think I’ve been drinking so much Diet Dr Pepper,” he admitted. But there were some hints that led the guys to guess correctly. Big K’s Dr K tasted “grapey.” Signature Select’s Dr Dynamite and Great Value’s Dr Thunder were too “candylike.” Dr Pepper, however, was the only one that didn’t taste “too fruity.” It’s safe to say that Dr K, Dr Dynamite, and Dr Thunder were trying way too hard. You just can’t beat the original.

Rhett’s Guess: Dr Pepper

Link’s Guess: Dr Pepper

Related: All the Dr Pepper Flavors, Ranked 

Canada Dry Ginger Ale

Decoys: 365, Big K, & Great Value

Rhett & Link only drink ginger ale on airplanes. Relatable. So, for the sake of fairness, Rhett said, “I feel like we should get as high as we possibly can.” Of course, they’re talking about altitude here. That stuff can really dampen the taste buds. So, after climbing on top of a sofa—although I don’t think that’s necessary considering Rhett is 6’7”—they started drinking. And getting high was indeed the right move. They easily identified the Canada Dry Ginger Ale. Not only that, but it was their favorite by a long shot. “It’s the best one, it’s fizzier,” Link said. Though they were all pretty good, Rhett actively disliked Big K’s.

Rhett’s Guess: Canada Dry Ginger Ale

Link’s Guess: Canada Dry Ginger Ale

Related: The 6 Best Ginger Ales Aren’t Just for Belly Aches & 15 Canada Dry Flavors, Ranked  

Barq’s Root Beer

Decoys: Signature Select, 365, Great Value

In this round, the guys were yet again at a disadvantage. Rhett said, “I like root beer but I don’t think I’ve had enough of it.” Link, in very Linklike fashion, admitted he dislikes root beer because it tastes too much “like medicine.” He said that he drinks Topo Chico every night. “It has no flavor. And I look forward to it. Every time I pull one out of the fridge, I just get a little boost of happiness and I’m like, ‘Gather around family and smell my breath! Nothing to smell! Hello!?’ It’s great. It’s nothing but bite. It’s like drinking bite. None of this medicine. If I want medicine, I’ll go to the doctor, I won’t go to the grocery store.” Still, he seemed hooked on the creaminess of 365’s root beer. Does Link like root beer now? In my imaginary world, yes. Rhett dug deep into his childhood memories, “got inside that silver can,” and guessed Barq’s correctly. 

Rhett’s Guess: Barq’s

Link’s Guess: 365

Related: Best Root Beer: An Updated Ranking of the Best Root Beers 


About the Author

Navya Hari

Navya Hari is a writer, baker, and utter nuisance who would gladly take the salt out of every recipe and replace it with ten cloves of garlic. When she’s not whipping up some medieval pie, trying to create food from a video game, or covered in flour, you can probably find her asleep in bed dreaming about Indian mangoes.

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