Ariana Losch
If stevia is your go-to sweetener, you’ve probably heard of Zevia, the brand of zero-sugar sodas, teas, and now energy drinks that originally came onto the beverage scene back in 2007. Or maybe you’ve never tried it and you’re just curious. Or maybe you can’t stand Stevia, and this is your version of rubbernecking. Whatever your reason: welcome. This taste test was a journey for the entire Sporked team, and we’re delighted (and a little apprehensive) to share it with you.
How we sourced the Zevia flavors for our taste test
Do you know there are 18 flavors of Zevia soda? And eight flavors of Zevia iced tea? And eight more flavors of Zevia energy drinks? Yeah, uh, we didn’t either! And while we sipped a lot of Zevia flavors in this taste test—please see the video below—we weren’t able to find and try all 34 cans. Still, we sampled a good chunk from each beverage category—soda, tea, and energy drinks, oh my—most of which we found at Sprouts. If you want to pick up Zevia, Sprouts is your best bet; they actually carry individual cans in the refrigerated aisle alongside six- and 12-packs, so you can mix and match.
What we looked for in the best Zevia flavors
Here’s the thing: Stevia is an acquired taste, and no one at Sporked is particularly fond of it. Purified stevia extract is 250–300 times sweeter than sugar, and that intensity comes with a lingering aftertaste that can be bitter and almost licorice-y, depending on your palate. Pretty early in this taste test, we realized the best Zevia flavors are the ones that manage to mask or balance that aftertaste so well you barely notice it. Sadly, that magic is rare… most Zevia sodas in particular can’t quite escape it.
That said, the more we sipped, the more we adjusted. We probably wouldn’t seek out most of these again, but we do understand how Zevia has a devoted fan base. The best Zevia flavors are actually kinda good, even by our strict standards. So if you’re wondering what cans you should crack open first, or just avoid entirely, we’ve got you covered.
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- Creamy Root Beer
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Creamy Root Beer is the only cola-adjacent Zevia flavor to make the final cut here (they have flavors like Cola, Ginger Ale, Dr. Zevia, etc., but they were all very polarizing to the team). With elements of cream soda and licorice spice, there’s a lot going on with Zevia’s Creamy Root Beer—which is exactly what you need to distract from the sweetener. This isn’t the can to pick up if you’re new to stevia (or this brand), because it still has a strong funkiness to it, but overall, we appreciate what’s happening here.
Credit: Merc / Sprouts
- Orange Soda
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Orange Zevia has a candy orange Sunkist thing going for it, especially right at the start of the sip. It’s pretty palatable, because for a moment you really think you’re drinking diet orange soda, and then the Stevia hits with a fairly potent swoop. Which is fine, if you can tolerate that lingering sweetness. I can totally see this being the best Zevia flavor for some fans… just not us. It’s too much stevia!!
Credit: Merc / Sprouts
- Zevia Peach Passionfruit Energy Drink
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Right off the bat, I’ll say this: I’ve definitely had worse energy drinks than this line by Zevia. I’m so used to artificial sweeteners in sports drinks, so the flavor of stevia here was more expected and, honestly, pretty welcome. Peach Passionfruit delivers a surprisingly pleasant, mellow fruitiness that doesn’t taste overly fake. (My fellow taste testers ranked a couple other energy drink flavors above it, and I’m blaming that lapse in judgment on tastebud fatigue. This one is smoother, brighter, and better than the rest.)
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Black Cherry Soda
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Just like their orange soda, every sip of Zevia’s Black Cherry Soda asks you to reckon with your feelings about stevia. Here’s the thing: Zevia typically gets the other ingredients right. This one starts with a nice, juicy pop of cherry that’s fresh and not medicinal, but then the stevia comes charging in and takes over. If you can tolerate it, this is genuinely very good and, by our assessment, the best Zevia flavor from their soda line.
Credit: Merc / Thrive Market
- Raspberry Sweetened Black Tea
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Okay, okay. Everyone take a deep, calming breath. Because we made it. We made it to the top five; in other words, all of the iced teas we tried, which outperformed the sodas and energy drinks by a mile. These are not carbonated beverages, which made us question whether stevia tastes better overall in still drinks. This raspberry flavor doesn’t exactly stand out, but I quite liked the way the bitterness balances everything.
Credit: Merc / Sprouts
- Blood Orange Sweetened Early Grey Tea
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I’m not really getting tart “blood orange” from this iced tea (just orange), but I can live with that. It has a muted base of Earl Grey that I wish tasted a little stronger, but still adds a nice floral band bitter note that counteracts the sweetness. It’s not the best Zevia flavor by any means, but overall, it definitely works.
Credit: Merc / Sprouts
- Peach Black Tea
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Zevia, I’m telling you, these canned teas are your ticket to greatness. The peach in this black tea tastes vibrant and fresh. This one is a little sweeter than the others, but not in a stevia way—just a natural fruit way. Impressive!
Credit: Merc / Sprouts
- Tropical Pineapple Sweetened Green Tea
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There’s something very cozy about the pineapple in this canned green tea. It’s tangy, but not very bitter at all. (By the way, we love that Zevia has different types of teas in this beverage line—not that the tea itself is particularly strong in flavor, but the variety is still nice.) This flavor is very simple and refreshing; even staunch stevia haters will tolerate it well.
Credit: Merc / Sprouts
- Passionfruit Sweetened Hibiscus Tea
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“I think passionfruit really is the vibe,” said my fellow taste-tester Jordan Myrick, and I have to agree. Not to take credit away from the role of the hibiscus here, which lifts the flavor with a light tartness, but passionfruit can be a hard one to get right, and they certainly did it. Plus, you can barely (barely) taste the stevia leaf. It’s so mellow—which really flies in the face of every other Zevia beverage we tried. Who knew the best Zevia flavor would be tea? Make more of these, Zevia, we’re begging you!
Credit: Merc / Sprouts
Best Zevia Flavors!
Best Zevia Flavors!
Best Zevia Flavors!
Best Zevia Flavors!
Best Zevia Flavors!
Best Zevia Flavors!
Best Zevia Flavors!
Best Zevia Flavors!
Best Zevia Flavors!
Other Zevia flavors we tried:
Zevia Cola, Zevia Vanilla Cola, Zevia Caffeine-free Cola, Zevia Cran-Raspberry, Zevia Ginger Ale, Zevia Lemon Lime Twist, Zevia Grape, Zevia Strawberry Lemon Burst
Gwynedd Stuart
Jessica Block
Justine Sterling
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!