The Olipop Soda You Should Avoid Buying At All Costs

Since bursting onto the beverage scene in 2018, Olipop has carved out a unique niche among soda drinkers looking for healthier options. With more than a dozen flavors and a fun name, soda fans can try healthy takes on classic root beer or cola, or try fruity flavors meant to evoke the good vibes of summertime. There are many flavors in its arsenal that Olipop does really well, but one flavor needs to stay out of shopping carts at all times.

We tried and ranked 17 different flavors of Olipop soda, and ranked Watermelon Lime as the worst flavor. While the name alone sounds bright, bold, and flavorful, the taste leaves a lot to be desired. The green and pink can looks inviting — as does the pink liquid inside — but that's where the anticipation ends. Upon cracking the can open, we got a brief scent of watermelon followed by a musty smell reminiscent of onions or garlic.

Things improved slightly once we tasted it, but not much. We got the watermelon flavor right away, but the fruity notes we wanted to stick around quickly transitioned into the taste of stevia. With each sip, we barely tasted any lime, and the watermelon didn't last long enough to cover the drink's unpleasant aftertaste. As we noted in our ranking, we somehow wound up thirstier after tasting it than before.

There's just something about crunching on a piece of watermelon in summertime that feels so right. We can appreciate what Olipop tried to do with its Watermelon Lime flavor, but it doesn't feel, or taste like summer — and unfortunately, Poppi's watermelon flavor is too saturated, so the "healthy soda" trend hasn't quite nailed this fruit yet.

Olipop markets Watermelon Lime as having "that candy like flavor, but in liquid form," with a mix of lime juice, tart cherry juice, apple juice concentrate, and watermelon juice, among other ingredients. But, the ingredient list also includes Stevia leaf and OLISMART, which eventually overshadows the fruit flavors from a taste perspective.

Reviews of the flavor from Olipop drinkers on the company's website seem mixed as well. While some enthusiastically describe it as crisp, refreshing, and like drinking a watermelon Jolly Rancher, others describe it as different (as in odd), not watermelony enough, and in one case, tasting like two-day-old pizza. Olipop's Watermelon Lime may not evoke warm and fuzzy summertime feelings, but some of the company's other offerings — like Tropical Punch and Strawberry Vanilla — are worth picking up for a warm-weather refreshment.