The 10 Best Cream Soda Brands, Ranked
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Cream soda is one of the oldest recorded sodas that dates back as far as the 1800s. The first recipe for it was written in an 1852 edition of Michigan Farmer, where someone named E.M. Sheldon concocted a recipe that included water, cream of tartar, Epsom salts, sugar, tartaric acid, milk, and an egg. It looks a lot different than the cream soda we know today, which is heavy on vanilla and caramel.
Once brands like Dr. Brown's, Boylan, and Big Red started making cream sodas, they quickly inserted themselves into the carbonated beverage zeitgeist. Cream sodas are as important to the history of sodas such as Coca-Cola and Dr Pepper.
In 2023, there are numerous soda brands making cream soda, but only a select handful can compete with the best of the best. Some cream sodas are truly incredible, and if you're in the mood for these fizzy drinks, it's best to know which brands are the absolute best.
10. Sprecher
The Sprecher brand was established by Randy Sprecher, a Wisconsin man who once served as a Supervisor of Brewing Operations at Pabst's Milwaukee brewery in 1984. Spencer is one of the few brands that prides itself on being a brewery that makes "craft sodas." The Sprecher brand makes everything from root beer to lemonades, but the cream soda is one of its best products.
Though the Sprecher brand is regional, you can buy it online from anywhere in the United States. A 12-pack costs $34.99 at the Sprecher online store as of March 2023. Though you can't walk into any grocery store and pull a 12-pack off the shelf, Sprecher is a household name among root beer and cream soda lovers.
The brewery makes all of its sodas in gas-fired brew kettles, giving it the consistency of a craft beer while being a delicious non-alcoholic beverage made with Wisconsin honey. This soda is served in classic glass bottles, Sprecher is one of the better-tasting cream sodas out there, and others feel similarly.
One reviewer on the company's website raved about Sprecher and claimed that it was the tastiest soda out there, while another noted that there's no other cream soda that comes even close.
9. JONES Soda Co.
JONES Soda Co. is known for having one of the most unique soda brands on the market today. Some of the drink flavors that the brand offers include Berry Lemonade, Fufu Berry, Green Apple, and Crushed Melon. However, the cream soda flavors stand apart from the rest of the pack: You can choose between options like Original or the Pineapple Cream Soda, and each is delicious in its own unique way.
JONES sodas are sold in grocery stores and markets across the country. You can also get a 12-pack for $42.99 or a 24-pack for $76.99 delivered right to your doorstep through the company's online store as of March 2023.
JONES makes most of its sodas with cane sugar, which eliminates the artificial taste that plagues many soda brands. One reviewer on JONES' website noted that it is difficult to find a soda that does not contain artificial colors or corn syrup. This cream soda is one of the healthier options out there, which is important in a world of soda bogged down by sugary ingredients.
8. A&W
Though the A&W brand is best known for its delicious root beer, the cream soda offering is just as great, if not better. It's sold pretty much everywhere, from Target to Walmart to Instacart to DoorDash, and it's available in both bottles and cans. All of that is par for the course for a drink made by a major soda company, but it's nice to have those options.
The drink's caramel-colored appearance is much different than the other versions of cream sodas, but the flavor is undeniable. Much like the brand's root beer, the cream soda puts a lot of emphasis on the cream part, delivering a fluffy, unforgettable experience to your taste buds. Even though there are tastier cream sodas out there, A&W is a lovable, textbook cream soda living in the shadow of a root beer flavor. Even then, it's hard to root against a cream soda as simple and delectable as A&W, so we won't.
7. Faygo
Faygo makes several different types of sodas, from Sparkling Grapefruit to Pineapple Orange. The brand offers numerous different flavors, but the vanilla-flavored Creme Soda is a true highlight of the lineup. Some of Faygo's flavors aren't that dynamic beyond their clever names, but the Creme Soda is rewarding with every sip. You can buy Creme Soda at Walmart or on Amazon and Instacart.
Out of all of the cream sodas out there, Faygo easily goes the heaviest on the "vanilla" part of the ingredients list, which plays into the drink's origins. Bonus points to Faygo for making the presentation of its glass bottles look like they're straight out of the 1940s, which only heightens the retro aesthetic that cream soda already has. Faygo was founded in 1907, and it has been a consistent soda in the lives of many for over a century. This Creme Soda flavor tastes just as nostalgic as ever.
6. Shasta
Even though Shasta is a grocery store staple, the taste is undeniable and surprising. You wouldn't be wrong for assuming that a generic soda brand could top the major names, but Shasta delivers a quality cream soda that tastes like ice cream. Unlike a lot of other cream sodas, Shasta places a higher emphasis on the caramel aspect of the flavoring rather than the vanilla.
Shasta is unique. It's rich like a burnt marshmallow. On top of that, this cream soda brand is actually pretty cheap: You can get a 24-pack for just $26.80 on Amazon as of March 2023: It's hard to beat that kind of deal. Combine a delicious soda with low costs, and you have a true winner. Customer responses have been positive, too. One reviewer on Amazon wrote that Shasta is one of the best cream soda brands, while another said that it has been their most loved brand since childhood.
5. IBC
IBC makes great sodas: The flavors range from Root Beer to Black Cherry to Cherry Limeade. The brand had found its niche and had run with it. However, some of the Cream Soda flavors might just shine brighter than the rest. This cream soda is caffeine free and made with cane sugar, so it doesn't have an artificial sheen to it, nor will it give you the jitters!
Despite being made with real sugar, IBC is a rich flavor explosion. The vanilla isn't too powerful and balances quite nicely with the rest of the ingredients list. You can get a four-pack from Instacart, Giant Eagle, or Walmart, and you absolutely should. IBC is similar to Stewart's in branding: Both drinks have really cornered the market with four-packs of glass-bottled sodas. IBC is definitely the richer of the two. So, if you want a sweeter drink, this is definitely the best option for you.
4. Stewart's Fountain Classics
If you're not looking for a cream soda that will overpower your taste buds with richness, look to Stewart's Fountain Classics to fulfill your desires. Stewart's makes a lot of great flavors, like Black Cherry Wishniak, Root Beer, and Grape, but its Cream Soda, Orange 'n Cream, and Cherries 'n Cream flavors are really otherworldly. You can purchase Stewart's through Instacart or at Walmart and Giant Eagle. It's a pretty widely available drink, which gives it bonus points.
However, Stewart's does manage to perfectly achieve a foamy top layer with its sodas. These cream soda flavors are extra creamy, but they also retain a wonderfully balanced flavor. Unlike A&W, Stewart's makes a cream soda that has the warmth and comfort of a beer on tap at a pub. It feels familiar and tastes like a dream. The vanilla and the caramel in the original flavor are perfectly balanced, and the eclectic versions, like the cherries and orange flavors, are good, too, despite being a little bit more niche.
3. Original New York Seltzer
Don't let the small, old-fashioned bottle fool you: Original New York Seltzer's Vanilla Cream Soda is one of the best cream sodas you can buy. It has the consistency of an organic drink but with the punch of a brewery-style soda. Though its flavor isn't as legendary or hypnotizing as some of the other incredible sodas out there, it's still pretty incredible. Original New York Seltzer is already in a league of its own, and we can't recommend the cream soda enough.
The cream soda doesn't overpower the taste buds by having too much vanilla or being too carbonated. It's a perfectly bubbly seltzer that runs circles around traditional sodas. The flavor is mild yet impactful. Like other New York Seltzer sodas, the clear liquid might fool you. But, once you pop off the cap, you'll be in creamy ecstasy.
The main downside to Original New York Seltzer is also what makes it charming: It's sold in small quantities. The bottles are sold in 10-ounce bottles, while other sodas are 10 ounces. You're getting less soda per unit, but the glass bottles are so retro that it's hard not to fall in love with them. To know their formula is just as good as it was 40 years ago is the icing on top. One Amazon reviewer said that New York Seltzer tastes akin to the soda sold in the 1980s, which is part of what makes it so wonderful.
2. Dr. Brown's
Dr. Brown's has been around since 1869, which makes it one of the founding brands of sodas. It helps that the cream soda is one of the most-delicious sodas available. It started in New York City but is now available all over the country, and we couldn't be happier.
Dr. Brown's is like a cream soda on steroids. It brings new meaning to the soda flavor with its delectable, entrancing delivery of rich, creamy carbonation. The vanilla isn't too overpowering and balances out with the caramel notes perfectly. The design of the can make it look like something that'd be sold in Whole Foods, but it's a much more accessible drink. You can buy it on Amazon and Walmart.
The tagline of the soda is "Flavor Favorite For Generations," and we couldn't agree more with that statement. Amazon customers tend to agree. One reviewer said that this soda was practically a kind of love, while another wrote that Dr. Brown's is one of the best cream sodas out there.
1. Boylan Bottling Co.
In our opinion, Boylan Bottling Co., which has been creating sodas since 1891, is the undisputed champion of cream sodas. The Creme Soda flavor is the best that money can buy. The best cream sodas taste like ice cream, and Boylan does just that.
Boylan is a step above all the sodas out there in terms of quality, with a flavor that is rich and mesmerizing. This caramel-colored soda looks beautiful in Boylan's legendary glass bottle. This soda really is the total package, and we can't stop gushing over how delicious Boylan really is.
Boylan uses real cane sugar, which is not unheard of. It gives you the carbonation, the rich vanilla flavor, notes of caramel, and a natural flavor. It contains the perfect alchemy of cream soda goodness. Few sodas across the board can keep up with Boylan, which is why it really is the best you can find.