We all have our preferences when it comes to soda. Many of us are firmly on Team Coke or Team Pepsi. But what happens when we consider the less-expensive store-brand alternatives? Are they truly different, or is it all in our heads? I decided to conduct a taste test challenge, focusing on diet colas, to see if I could distinguish between my beloved Diet Coke and various store-brand versions.
The Competitors
For this challenge, I selected store-brand diet colas from several popular retailers:
- Aldi (Summit Diet Cola)
- Kroger (Big K)
- Food Lion
- Publix
- Sam's/Wal-Mart
I am a big fan of the store brand products. There are two things I will not use store-brand products for. Soda and toilet paper. I was told by a co-worker that I couldn't tell the difference, so this is why I'm doing this challenge. I'll be 100% honest when it comes to anything other than Diet Coke, I don't know that I could tell the difference. That's why I buy a lot of store brands.
Methodology
Each soda was chilled for 24 hours in my refrigerator before the tasting. Subsequently, each soda was then poured over a glass of ice and tasted immediately. I used crackers and lemon to cleanse the palate between brands.
The Taste Test Challenge
Challenge #1: Diet Coke vs. Summit (Aldi)
First up was Summit Diet Cola, Aldi's store brand. One immediately noticeable aspect was the price: a 12-pack costs around $3.50. Summit offers a range of other sodas, including regular cola, lemon-lime, root beer, a Dr. Pepper-style soda, and orange, as well as 2-liter bottles for under a dollar.
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Challenge #2: Diet Coke vs. Big K (Kroger)
Next, I tested Big K, Kroger's diet soda offering. Kroger boasts a wider variety of store-brand sodas, including crisp apple, fruit punch, and mango flavors. Their sodas are available in 12-pack cans (just under $5.00) and 2-liter bottles (around $1.50).
Big K seems to have it together the best out of all of these alternatives. As far as carbonation and flavor being successfully brought to the table and well-balanced, I have to give it up to this Kroger brand. If Coke and Pepsi somehow cease to exist in the near future and diet soda drinkers are left with only these alternatives, I'll be choosing Big K.
I was impressed by the immense amount of carbonation this had. It took quite some time to pour a glass, as the bubbles did not settle easily. I felt that this was a good indication of the carbonation I was going to be getting, and I was right. Tiny prickles danced across my tongue as soon as I took my first sip. In all honesty, this actually tasted very much like a thinner version of Diet Pepsi, as some of the reviews had described. There was a larger taste of cola about it that I didn't get from the ones ranked lower. The profile was fuller with a bolder sense of spices. And it also fully delivered on carbonation. I can see how fans of Diet Pepsi could easily make the switch to this diet soda.
Kroger's Big K brand of diet soda receives mixed reviews from drinkers, with some finding it better than Diet Pepsi or Diet Coke, while others simply note that it's not bad for the price and is better than plain carbonated water.
Challenge #3: Diet Coke vs. Food Lion Brand
I then sampled the Food Lion store brand of diet soda. Food Lion store brands are generally considered good value, with many products supposedly made by major companies under the store's name. Their soda line is also affordable, with 12-packs under $5.00 and 2-liters around $1.50.
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Challenge #4: Diet Coke vs. Publix
This challenge was particularly nerve-wracking, as Publix store brands have a reputation for quality. Publix is where I do 90% of my grocery shopping and I will be the first to tell you, their store brands are on point and save me lots of money. It's hard to find a Publix brand that doesn't come close to the original. I will say, I've tried any of the store brand sodas until this challenge. The one thing I noticed while looking at the sodas, they carry the biggest variety of store brand sodas, even a Ginger Ale Publix brand. I said it at the start, this one made me nervous. Could I tell the difference?
Sam's Diet Cola
Fans of Sam's Diet Cola seem to drink it for its affordability, claiming it doesn't taste as good as Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi, but the price is definitely right. At the time of this writing, at $9.87 for a 24-pack of 12-ounce cans at Walmart, that is hard to argue with. However, there do seem to be complaints about commonly finding a damaged can or two among the cases. The 2-liter I purchased was definitely not flat, as the soda foamed significantly while pouring. But as it hit my tongue, I immediately understood the flat taste that some reviewers online had complained about. It also felt like there were two levels of sweetness that smacked me in the palate, one slightly subdued and the other incredibly loud. And between the two, there was no carbonation to speak of. I know it was there, as I had witnessed its appearance only moments before. Overall, this felt and tasted very much like slightly thick water that had been doctored up with too many packets of Sweet'N Low. Were this the only diet soda to be had, I would switch back to regular or go without soda altogether.
Zevia
Zevia hit the market in 2007, before its sweetening component, stevia, was widely used and approved by the FDA. Today, however, Zevia pulls in over $160 million in annual revenues with its variety of clean sodas, energy drinks, and teas. And when I say clean, I mean don't be surprised when you pour this zero-calorie soda, and it is as clear as water. I went in with an open mind when I tasted this and was taken on a bit of a ride with it. The prickles of carbonation were the first thing to hit my tongue, and I appreciated that. Then the sweetness came in, and it wasn't bad, but rather well-balanced and slightly less intense than some of the others, which I liked. There was a strange flavor, however, that did seem to blossom towards the end and after the swallow. It stayed on my palate, looming with an almost antiseptic and slightly floral taste. While this wasn't horrible and actually tasted very similar to the zero-sugar RC before blossoming into strangeness, I don't know that I could drink this very often, if at all, due to its final flavor notes. The aftertaste was too off-putting to my palate.
RC Cola
RC takes me back home. I am acutely aware that many people are not familiar with RC, as I have been told by my friends who surround me now in the city. Back in the country, Royal Crown Cola was the alternative soda to the fancy, more expensive Coca-Cola. We also had Ski, Nehi, Mr. Pibb, and Faygo to offer us a variety of options. I'm happy to say that this version tasted very much like regular RC. Sadly, I don't think that will mean much to many people. RC has a very different taste profile from other sodas. Underneath the sweetness, the caramel, vanilla, and spice notes of the soda, there seems to be a plain carbonated water aesthetic that breaks through. And that was the main taste profile this zero-sugar version offered. There was a great carbonation factor and a sweetness that wasn't over the top and didn't taste artificial. While this was definitely better than the ones ranked lower in carbonation and flavor, it didn't offer the full flavor of the ones that rank higher. And on the aftertaste, it also fell a bit flat.
Summit (Aldi) Revisited
Summit is a brand of Aldi beverages that offers a diet cola. Since I am new to Aldi and still trying many of its products, I thought I would throw its brand into the mix to see how it stacked up. Upon first taste, I noticed that the sweetness factor of the cola wasn't as high as that of the lower-ranked ones, but it was the first and foremost flavor. But when comparing it to the other sodas, this one tasted less artificial. There was no real aftertaste, although it did seem to leave a residue. The carbonation was a secondary element to the sweetness and tingled the tongue after the taste made an appearance. There was also a depth to this cola that most of the others did not have. There was a rich, citrusy, spicy soda flavor that rounded out the profile more than the lower-ranked contenders. In all actuality, I feel like the Summit cola created something that tasted akin to a watered-down Diet Coke.
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