There’s a delicate balance at play when kids and soda share the spotlight. Carbonated beverages often show up at parties and gatherings of every kind, and—let’s be honest—it’s a key piece of our culinary folklore. Yet we also know how harmful they can be for health, particularly for growing bodies. So, depriving children of a fizzy, sugary drink at a celebration can feel a touch cruel, while letting them indulge seems equally questionable.
Roxberry has stepped in with a soda alternative aimed at kids, aiming to satisfy their sugar cravings and function as a playful, flavored party drink—without the heavy doses of sugary syrups, questionable artificial additives, or fake fruit flavors. Each 7.5-ounce can contains 5 grams of sugar, 25 calories, and uses real fruit and vegetable juices. I got my hands on all three varieties, and I’ll share an honest take on their flavor and whether they could stand in as a worthy substitute for traditional soda.
Ocean Potion
Ocean Potion—which is Roxberry’s fruit-punch-flavored soda—didn’t strike my adult palate as strongly as some of the others, but I can still see it becoming a hit with kids. When I picture fruit punch, I expect a bold, vivid red juice with real punch, and this Roxberry rendition didn’t hit that classic punch. It also tasted the most health-minded. The combination of fruit punch and fizz can feel quirky, but the drink’s true fruit and veggie notes and its gentle effervescence made it a pineapple-forward, generally pleasing option—perhaps a touch tame, but still tasty.
Galaxy Gulp
Galaxy Gulp brings a citrus-forward option from Roxberry, and I’m typically drawn to citrus flavors, so I was eager to try this one. It delivered a convincing real-fruit profile with a gentle buzz of bubbles. I was surprised to notice there wasn’t any Clementine listed as an ingredient—orange juice took the citrus lead here. The subtle presence of veggie juices and a hint of coconut water gave the orange a distinct tang, making the drink feel more grown-up. It reminded me quite a bit of an orange-flavored San Pellegrino.
Pink Lava
Roxberry’s strawberry-lemonade variant is dubbed Pink Lava. I’m not a major fan of strawberry in drinks—especially when a berry note tastes artificial—but here the strawberry comes through as fresh, garden-picked fruit, while the lemonade provides a tangy canvas for the berry’s juicy sweetness. Even though Pink Lava isn’t my personal favorite Roxberry flavor, I found it the most striking of the trio. The carrot juice comes through more distinctly than in the others, and it adds a subtle earthy grounding that helps the lemon and berry flavors shine without being overly zesty. In other words, this drink is superbly balanced and approachable for both kids and adults alike.
