9 Cherry-Flavored Sodas, Ranked Worst To Best

Soda is a popular American beverage. For those who partake in sugary, fizzy drinks, there are so many available options to choose from, including a vast range of popular sugar-free sodas and prebiotic soda brands. Personally, I love my favorite ginger ale brands when I'm feeling under the weather, and classic Pepsi with some of my meals. But, I'm also a really big fan of fruity flavored drinks, with cherry-flavored sodas being one of my favorites. Of course, there are so many cherry-flavored options out there that it can be hard to tell which will provide the crispest, most fruit-forward flavor profile — and when the craving strikes, you want the best. So which of the many available options reign supreme?

The only way to answer this question is to conduct a side-by-side taste test of some of the most popular cherry-flavored sodas. Thankfully, I was given the opportunity to do this and report my results so you can benefit from my findings. I put my food industry background and other relevant experiences to work assessing each soda based primarily on taste. You can find my full methodology at the end of this article. Now, ready to discover which soda will best satisfy that fizzy cherry craving you have? Let's get into it.

Before this taste test, I didn't have much experience with the new low-sugar sodas taking over the drink aisle, including those of the prebiotic variety. And after this taste test? I don't think I'll be purchasing them for myself unless I need to try them for another ranking, because I'm definitely not impressed. 

Each can of Poppi Cherry Limeade Prebiotic Soda contains 35 calories, 3 grams of fiber, and 5 grams of sugar. It's made from sparkling water, organic cane sugar, cassava root fiber, organic apple cider vinegar, cherry juice concentrate, natural flavors, lemon juice concentrate, lime juice concentrate, organic agave inulin, stevia leaf extract, and vegetable juice (for color). 

Right off the bat, I liked that there were few calories and little sugar, but unfortunately, the drink wasn't even palatable. Initially, there was an overwhelming taste of cherry cough syrup and unripe citrus. This was followed by a nasty, lingering aftertaste of bad cherry juice and orange concentrate that hadn't been diluted with water. Along with this flavor was a fizzy feeling that just felt... off. This off-putting fizz was dominant among the prebiotic and probiotic sodas on this list. Instead of feeling like I was drinking a carbonated beverage, it made me feel more like ants were crawling into my mouth and down my throat. If you really want to push through for one of the non-traditional sodas, there are slightly better options on this list.

Each can of Culture Pop Black Cherry Probiotic Soda contains 45 calories and 8 grams of sugar. The ingredients list includes carbonated filtered water, organic white grape juice, organic sour cherry juice, malic acid, natural flavor, sea salt, fruit juice, vegetable juice, organic cacao, and a live probiotic.

To me, this tasted more like seltzer water than soda — and not the good kind, either. I know that some soda drinkers aren't fond of seltzer water, but I enjoy them when they're done right. However, this one paired that distinct seltzer taste with unexpectedly sour and bitter flavor notes. The fizz was weird in the same way as Poppi's Cherry Limeade, which made me think this is a common occurrence among healthier soda brands. I really don't have anything positive to say about this black cherry soda except that the calories and total sugar were low, which I appreciate. While this and the Poppi option nearly tied for last place, this Culture Pop option ranked higher because it didn't have a lingering aftertaste.

You couldn't pay me to drink this again. I definitely suggest steering clear, and choosing a better healthy soda. Oh, and keep in mind the difference between this probiotic soda and prebiotic sodas on this list.

The Zevia Black Cherry Soda contains zero calories and zero sugar. It's primarily made from carbonated water, natural flavors, citric acid, and stevia leaf extract. On a positive note, I loved that there's a limited list of ingredients and no calories. On a negative note, the stevia taste here was so strong that it overwhelmed the cherry flavor until it was just a faint ghostly taste. All of that stevia also made the drink so sickly sweet it tasted like pure sugar with minimal flavor extracts, and I can't imagine that's a good thing for anyone. The carbonation, however, felt just right instead of off — so that's something, at least.

I do want to take a moment to say I've had quite a few options from Zevia before this, and I've actually quite enjoyed some of them. It's one of the few zero-calorie soda options I've liked, although this taste test has told me not every flavor can be a hit. If you want to try Zevia, I recommend opting for the orange creamsicle, creamy root beer, or strawberry lemon burst. As for the Zevia Black Cherry Soda? I won't buy or drink it again, and recommend you skip it, too.

If you're dead-set on having a prebiotic, probiotic, or zero-calorie soda from this list, this option from Olipop is your best bet. Unfortunately, that really isn't saying much. Each can contains 50 calories, 9 grams of fiber, and 5 grams of sugar. Primary ingredients include carbonated water, cassava root fiber, chicory root inulin, Jerusalem artichoke inulin, Nopal cactus, marshmallow root, calendula flower, kudzu root, tart cherry juice concentrate, apple juice concentrate, cassava root syrup, natural flavors, lime juice concentrate, stevia leaf, Himalayan pink salt, and green tea caffeine. 

The smell here was actually pretty nice. Although I wouldn't have ever guessed it to be cherry cola, it definitely had defined cherry notes punctuated with a faint but notable sweetness. Unfortunately, this scent wasn't even close to indicative of what I could expect from the taste. My first sip honestly tasted like alcohol — like inside of the can was a mixture of club soda, vodka, and grenadine. This paired with the ant-crawling, off-putting fizz feeling and a nasty cherry cough syrup aftertaste to create an unpleasant sipping experience.

I wouldn't purchase this again, nor would I drink it if offered to me by someone else. I suggest skipping it unless you're truly desperate for a prebiotic cherry soda.

Each can of Dr. Pepper Cherry Soda contains 160 calories and 42 grams of sugar. The ingredients list primarily contains carbonated water and high-fructose corn syrup, along with less than 2% of caramel color, natural flavors, artificial flavors, sodium benzoate, phosphoric acid, caffeine, and sodium phosphate. This also happens to be our lowest-ranked standard soda option.

The easiest way to describe this soda is that it tasted like a less intense Dr. Pepper that had a cherry lollipop dissolved in it, although the multi-faceted blend of the famous 23 flavors is still there. The less intense part was great for me since I'm not a huge fan of Dr. Pepper to begin with. Its hallmark flavor profile was overshadowed by the intense cherry, which bordered on cough syrup but laid a little closer to cherry candy, thankfully. The carbonation is nice, and exactly what I'd expect from standard soda.

I wouldn't personally buy this again, nor would I drink it if offered to me by someone else. Honestly, I recommend opting for the standard Dr. Pepper over the cherry variety, since the classic version ranked as the best Dr. Pepper variety.

Each can of Pepsi Wild Cherry & Cream Soda contains 150 calories and 41 grams of sugar. It's made of carbonated water, high-fructose corn syrup, natural flavor, artificial flavor, caramel color, phosphoric acid, caffeine, and citric acid.

I'm a big fan of the Pepsi brand, so I had high hopes for this soda. But, it just really fell flat for me. The initial taste was distinctly that of Pepsi Wild Cherry, with the bold traditional cola flavor lightly accented by cherries — and more like real cherries than the cherry cough syrup taste dominating the bottom of our ranking. But, this was followed by the alleged cream flavor that was more like straight milk, and not in a good way. There were no vanilla tones, and the mouthfeel was weirdly solid, which I didn't like. Once I actually swallowed, there was a weird aftertaste like cherry lip gloss that was challenging to get out of my mouth. The carbonation was exactly what I expected, however. Still, I wouldn't purchase or drink this again, since I think the standard Pepsi Wild Cherry is a much better fruity option.

I did a review of Coca-Cola's Cherry Float Soda when it was first released to the American market, so I already knew I'd enjoy it. What I didn't know was how it would stand up to other cherry-flavored sodas when compared side-by-side. Now I know that it actually does quite well. Each can of Coca-Cola Cherry Float has 150 calories, and 42 total grams of sugar. It's created primarily from carbonated water and high-fructose corn syrup, with less than 2% each of caramel color, natural flavors, phosphoric acid, and caffeine. 

There was a multi-level flavor profile that came in waves. It started with a defined Cherry Coke flavor and was followed by a sweet, creamy dairy taste that can only be called liquid ice cream. There was a nice cherry scent, and the carbonation was lively. I honestly don't have anything blatantly negative to say about Coca-Cola Cherry Float Soda, and the major reason it didn't land in the top spot was personal preference. However, since this drink was very sweet and tasted like a dessert, I wouldn't consume it as a daily beverage.

I would definitely drink this again and will likely buy it, albeit not frequently, since I don't think it's better than my usual favorites. If you were a fan of Cherry Vanilla Coke, this option comes pretty close, so you'll probably enjoy it.

Based on the results of this cherry soda taste test, in the Coke versus Pepsi war, Pepsi reigns supreme. Honesty, this was a shock for me because I've always preferred Coke's flavored options more than I have Pepsi's. But, I can't lie about product quality, no matter my previous preferences.

Each can of Pepsi Wild Cherry Soda contains 160 calories, and 42 grams of sugar. The drink is made up of carbonated water, high-fructose corn syrup, caramel color, sugar, phosphoric acid, natural flavor, caffeine, and citric acid. A hallmark standard cola flavor was imbued with intense (but not overwhelming) cherry notes and just a bit of extra sweetness than Coke. These cherry notes showed themselves in the scent, which was quite pleasing, and the carbonation was strong and invigorating. Overall, I have nothing bad to say here, and the main reason this didn't take the top spot was personal flavor preference. Although this and the top option were closely matched for the top spot, this Pepsi option felt less original than the winner. 

I will definitely purchase this soda again in the future. If you haven't already tried it, I highly recommend grabbing yourself a 12-pack on your next shopping trip.

When I tell you that this Stewart's Cherries 'n Cream Soda blew my mind, know that this isn't an exaggeration. I'd never had any of the brand's glass bottled drinks, and now that I have, I can't help but wonder if some of the other flavor options are equally as good.

Each bottle of Stewart's Cherries 'n Cream Soda contains 190 calories, and 46 grams of sugar. The soda is created using carbonated water, cane sugar, natural flavors, artificial flavors, citric acid, sodium benzoate, red 40, and blue 1. A strong cherry flavor was dominant when I took my first sip, paired with light vanilla notes and a distinct sugary sweetness. There's a really nice pure cherry scent to this soda, and the carbonation is a little lighter than some standard sodas — but I think this works really well with the flavor profile. I also love the glass bottles, which aren't only more environmentally friendly, but have always seemed to make drinks taste a little less metallic to me.

I will definitely be buying this again, despite the higher calories. I highly recommend you grab a four-pack of glass bottles for yourself so that you can see why it ranked as our top cherry-flavored soda.

I chose cherry-flavored sodas for this list based on their availability to me. Sodas were purchased from my local Shoprite and Acme grocery stores in Vineland, New Jersey. I aimed to select as wide a variety of brands as possible, with no more than two offerings from any single brand being selected. Each soda was consumed exactly as-is, without alterations, and then ranked primarily based on taste. Smell, balance, fizz, texture, and visual aesthetics played small roles — only where these aspects were particularly notable.

To make my assessments, I relied mostly on over 15 years of food industry background. Regular consumership of sodas (both cherry-flavored and otherwise) and prior experience creating rankings for Daily Meal also contributed. Although personal preference played a role in this ranking, I aimed to be as unbiased about product quality as possible.