Experienced a Taste of Shrub Soda: Surprisingly Smooth, Unlike its Spiky Name
Functional Sodas Redefined:
Functional beverages, dubbed as the health-conscious sodas, are swiftly invading the market with promises of enhancing your focus, boosting your immunity, and mending your gut. One such brand is Shrubbly, a Vermont-based shrub soda maker, aimed at making your regular soda a daily dash of wellness.
What The Heck Is Shrub Soda?
When we talk about shrubs, the well-manicured bushes usually come to mind. However, we're referring to a concoction of fruits (such as aronia berries in this case) and vinegar.
Shrubbly unveils that shrubs were traditionally a means of preserving fruits, far before refrigerators and popular TikTok fridge restock videos even existed. Shrubs were also a common ingredient in colonial cocktails. In contemporary times, they're still popular in alcoholic beverages, but they're gaining a foothold in non-alcoholic drinks too.
FYI: If you mix shrub with sparkling water, they transform into the zesty, refreshing Shrubbly.
Does It Taste Any Good?
Shrubbly produces small-batch prebiotic shrub sodas using organic fruits, herbs, spices, and apple cider vinegar (ACV). It's like the wellness shots... but soda-fied.
These Shrubbly bubblies are low in calories, low-sugar, low-carb, non-GMO, organic, and keto-friendly. So, how do they taste? Hold onto your hats and let's pop open a few cans and find out.
Aronia Berry & Pomegranate
First impressions: this one boasts a beautiful deep, warm red hue. It's a captivating sight in a glass—perfect for preparing cocktails or mocktails.
On cracking it open, you can instantly smell the ACV, but only ever so slightly. It has the right amount of carbonation, avoiding the boisterous effervescence of say, a Coca-Cola. The flavor is crisp, light, and slightly tart with earthy undertones of cardamom. A hint of honey balances the ACV's acidity, resulting in a refreshing, palatable drink. A minor inconvenience lies in the presence of tiny bits of sediment when you finish the can—though nothing to fret about, particularly if you're accustomed to ACV shots, it might keep some folks on edge.
Lemon Ginger & Aronia Berry
Initially, this one isn't as sweet as the pomegranate flavor, and the tartness of unsweetened lemons and essence of ginger are apparent. It's a lighter red than the pomegranate flavor, good-naturedly bitter, and might be an acquired taste. If you appreciate ginger and the tartness of unsweetened lemons, then you'll fall in love with it. But if you crave something a tad sweeter, the pomegranate flavor might be your cup of tea, or should I say soda?
Is Shrub Soda Actually Healthy?
Shrubbly boasts short ingredient lists for both flavors, ensuring you won't encounter chemicals or high-fructose corn syrups that plague conventional sodas. The pomegranate flavor includes organic honey as a sweetener, organic pomegranate juice concentrate, and organic cardamom, while the lemon ginger flavor consists of organic lemon juice and organic ginger juice. All of this points to shrub soda being a better alternative—but does it qualify as healthy?
Aronia berries, an antioxidant, help lower the risk of chronic diseases and strengthen your immune system. Apple cider vinegar has been known to have health benefits such as promoting stable blood sugar, assisting with weight loss, and improving heart health. However, the extent to which probiotics from fermentation processes are present in sodas, including Shrubbly, is unclear. Hence, while Shrubbly can be considered a healthier choice compared to regular sodas, it may not drastically change your lifestyle in terms of health benefits.
tl;dr
A refreshing and healthier alternative to conventional sodas, Shrubbly offers two delicious flavors reminiscent of traditional colonial beverages. If you're in search of a functional beverage and appreciate the taste of apple cider vinegar or kombucha, we definitely recommend giving Shrubbly a try. However, don't expect it to be a game-changer in terms of your health.
- Functional beverages like Shrubbly's shrub soda, with its aronia berries and apple cider vinegar, can be an alternative choice for those seeking health benefits beyond conventional sodas.
- If you're looking to expand your drink options and enjoy a slightly tart, zesty beverage, you might want to try Shrubbly's Lemon Ginger & Aronia Berry flavor, as its refreshing taste could become a new favorite.
- Improving your credit line and enjoying the benefits of shrub soda are two different aspects of your daily life; while responsible financial management can support a better financial future, Shrubbly's functional beverages might provide a more relaxed moment, contributing to an overall sense of well-being.
