Welcome to Brews Of Root Extraction Online. This post reviews the Classic Root Beer flavor of Olipop, a soft drink made by OLIPOP Inc. of Oakland, California. Olipop bills itself as “a new kind of soda”, and at the top of the can the root beer claims to “support digestive health”. I purchased a 12 oz can at a local chain grocery store for $2.
The interesting thing about Olipop is that, instead of sugars, syrups, chemical sweeteners and the like, they use a proprietary blend called OLISMART (evidently containing extracts of cassava, chicory, artichoke, cactus, marshmallow, calendula and kudzu) paired with a lesser amount of stevia. The root beer can claims it “combines the classic soda you know and love with prebiotics, plant fiber, and botanicals to support your microbiome and digestive health. Finally, a refreshing soda that’s actually good for you.”
But how does it taste? I use a 1-5 scoring system across five criteria to answer that question.
A. Sweetness: 2. This is the least-sweet drink I’ve reviewed so far. (It’s only 35 calories per can, and it tastes like it.) I don’t like my drinks very sweet, and I HATE overly sweet drinks, so this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But I still feel like this root beer would benefit from more sweetness to balance out the root-vegetable flavors swarming around. In addition, it has an unpleasant aftertaste, which is strange for an all-natural soft drink to have.
B. Lightbody spices: 2. There is a hint of wintergreen and very little else for bite. Given the extra-rooty flavors used (with actual roots of cassava, chicory, marshmallow, kudzu, and burdock), a little more kick from plants (such as ginger or clove) would really benefit this drink.
C. Heavybody spices: 4. Have you ever had a kid ask (or did you ask as a kid) “Does root beer really have roots in it?” With this one, there’s no need to ask; you can taste the roots. I’m halfway surprised carrot is not in the ingredients. Lots of earthy root veggies, plus marshmallow, and something that tastes like honey although honey is not a listed ingredient. Not much anise, but that’s OK given there are so many other heavy flavors.
D. Uniqueness: 5. Without going to a natural foods or other specialty store, I think you’d have a hard time finding a soft drink this unique in the USA. I don’t know how “healthy” it really is, but it certainly tastes more like a health tonic than a soda pop. (Side note: most of today’s mainstream sodas like Coke and Pepsi were originally marketed as health tonics…and tasted much different from their modern versions.)
E. Mouthfeel: 3. For all the heavy root flavors, this soda is surprisingly watery. And the carbonation is not what I’d call bright or lively, although it’s there.
Overall score: 16/25. Not the worst, but far from the best. It’s fine but I found myself really wanting to add clove and a spoon of honey to my glass. Drink if you want to feel like you’re doing great things for your digestive health, and if you don’t mind a strong aftertaste.
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