Look, we get it—life is boring when you’re just drinking water (or your umpteenth can of Diet Dr Pepper, whatever floats your boat). You gotta spice it up sometimes, which is why we’re always on the lookout for new sodas. We hunt them down. We taste them. We tell you if they’re worth a damn—it’s what we do! And we get paid to do it, which helps. Pursuant to our duties, we tried a lot of new sodas in 2024. Soda that tastes like cookies. Soda that tastes like, er, other drinks made with soda. And A LOT of new Mtn Dew flavors. Here are the nine highest rated sodas we tried in 2024.
- Canada Dry Fruit Splash Zero Sugar
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It’s not every day we love a zero sugar soda, but weirdly enough, the zero sugar version of Canada Dry Fruit Splash was actually tastier than the sugar-sweetened version. Wild, right? If you’re not famils, Fruit Splash is Canada Dry’s new cherry ginger ale. Yup, this was a big year for Shirley Temple-adjacent sodas (read on for more). This one has a classic maraschino cherry flavor and, as the name indicates, actually contains a “splash” of real juice. The zero sugar version is just a tad sweeter than the sugar-sweetened version, which made that fruity flavor shine.
Read the full review of Canada Dry Fruit Splash and Fruit Splash Zero Sugar
- 7UP Shirley Temple
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Finally, an honest-to-god Shirley Temple soda. It’s a pretty solid mocktail, with a strong grenadine flavor that takes front and center. And though I believe Shirley Temples are all about cramming as many maraschino cherries as possible into a glass so you get a drink and a nice little snack, 7UP’s take is as good as they come in a can. Be forewarned: We did not like the zero sugar version. If you want a diet Shirley Temple in a can, grab the Fruit Splash instead.
Read the full review of 7UP Shirley Temple
- Wild Bill’s Blue Raspberry Ring Pop Craft Soda
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Ring Pops are a staple of candy culture, and this new soda truly does those sugary baubles justice. It’s perfect for people who have a sweet tooth—or sweet teeth, to be more exact, because much like the sticky blue film that ends up coating your mouth when eating a Ring Pop, this soda is sweet. But hey, if you’re reaching for a blue raspberry-flavored Ring Pop soda, you probably know what you’re getting yourself into.
- Mt Dew Purple Thunder
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As we said, Mtn Dew did a lot this year. A couple releases may not have been our favorites, but otherwise no one was Dewing it quite like the Dew. They started strong with Purple Thunder, a delicious take on grape soda that is just true enough to the original Mtn Dew flavor to satisfy your neon-beverage cravings. And don’t worry—if grape just isn’t your thing, there’s plenty more Mtn Dew on this list. Just keep scrollin’.
- Pepsi Peach
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As Sporked editor-in-chief Justine Sterling put it, this is the soda for people who love peach rings. It may not be the soda for people who want fresh peach flavor, or fresh peach juice, or fresh peach anything—but I don’t think peach rings are a bad compromise. This flavor was released alongside Pepsi Lime, but it’s the peach version that won our hearts.
Read the full review of Pepsi Peach
- Mtn Dew Infinite Swirl
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A bright blue, Pineapple Berry concoction was Mtn Dew’s second home run of 2024. It’s not trying to be something it’s not: just good, old-fashioned tropical flavors without the acidity of those pesky pineapple enzymes. It’s a refreshing take on a classic flavor that Mtn Dew nails yet again.
- Mtn Dew VooDEW 6.0
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Everyone loves a mystery—but Mtn Dew’s annual mystery flavor can be hit or miss. This year’s VooDEW flavor was a hit with the Sporked crew. Rather than borrowing its secret flavor from a specific candy, Mtn Dew VooDEW 6.0 tastes like strawberry candy—maybe Laffy Taffy? Maybe Starburst? Either way, it was one of the best sodas we tried in 2024.
Read the full review of Mtn Dew VooDEW 6.0
- Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut
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This Dr Pepper flavor may have been released in the summertime, but don’t worry—it doesn’t taste like sunscreen. According to Sporked managing editor Gwynedd Stuart, this new soda has the perfect balance of Dr. Pepper-iness and coconut creaminess. It’s refreshing but it still has some bite. This was the perfect soda for those hot summer days, but we kept sipping it all year long.
- Mtn Dew Star Spangled Splash
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O say can you see…how amazing this Mtn Dew flavor is? It was one of three patriotic flavors released for the summer this year, but Star Spangled Splash was the best of the bunch. It may be an entirely Red 40-packed, strawberry-raspberry concoction, but what isn’t these days? Sadly, Star Spangled Splash was a limited release, but we’ll we crossing our fingers it returns when summer 2025 rolls around. (But not too soon; we’re enjoying the chilly weather.)
