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Forbes
26-04-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Experience A Blissful ' New Day' In The Wellness Rooms At The Dagny Hotel In Boston
Ready to get away from it all — and restore your spirit? Boston's Dagny Hotel features beautiful new Wellness Rooms to seduce you into self-soothing that obviates the travails of travel. The Dagny Well, well, well. These words are always used to emphasize a point or to prepare the listener for an important statement. So here it comes. 'Well' is big actual buzzword for 2025, and I'm happy to tell you about the new Wellness Rooms at the AAA Four-Diamond Dagny Hotel in Boston. In fact, the word 'Dagny' comes the old Norse word for 'new day,' and you are sure to have a health-inducing, calming, restful, vagus-nerve relaxing, recharging, restorative respite when you rendezvous in one of these new rooms. The luxury-laden Dagny officially began welcoming guests in August 2023 after a multi-million-dollar renovation. Located in the Financial District, sort of 'at the corner of work and play,' the hotel caters to business travelers and features a beautiful gold lentil-shaped (biconvex) mural painted onto the ceiling at the entrance, showing Atlas carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. If you are carrying that kind of burden too – or even a smidgen of that – the Wellness Rooms here are just the ticket to healthy transformation. Atlas carrying the weight of the world — that's the mural on the ceiling at the Dagny entrance — and this is just the place to unload and unwind, thanks to its new Wellness Rooms. The Dagny Last year the Dagny introduced dedicated Wellness Rooms and I just stayed in one. Quite impressively, these luxury rooms feature a private Peloton bike plus a TechnoGym bench that includes a foam yoga mat (which I found to be a little too small), elastic resistance bands, dumbbells and knuckle weights, and instructions on how to use them all. Then come the complimentary snacks including Culture Pop soda (18% juice in the flavor of Ginger/Lemon/Tumeric) plus a RX bar, a salted/sweet snack, and a 15% discount to a state-of-the-art medical spa just steps away – KDR MedSpa + Wellness Center, where you can enjoy a wealth of up-to-the-minute aesthetic services from Kathryn Russo, a Board-Certified nurse practitioner (more on this in a minute. Insider tip: If you plan on scheduling there, do it BEFORE your trip, as the clinic is quite busy.) The big bed was also dreamy, featuring 300-thread-count sheets and a Serta Perfect Sleeper Mattress. Blackout shades also ensure sleep-inducing slumber. The Wellness Rooms also feature a Nespresso machine, a leather chaise and desk chair, a gorgeous Dyson hair dryer in a big black leather box, and Lockwood New York amenities. These posh products are made by Gilchrist and Soames, and the Number 23 body lotion for example, features shea butter, avocado oil, citronello and limonene. Its Number 24 handwash is also quite beautiful, in the flavor of rosemary geranium. In fact, I used the rosemary-geranium after I booked a private in-room massage at the hotel, which was quite blissful and enhanced the wellness experience here even more. The massage therapist was excellent, and as it happened, told me she just loves to work on necks-and-shoulders – the very two areas where I had been carrying excessive stress. You can book through the concierge. (Very, very impressively, the hotel has one concierge who is a member of the prestigious Clefs D'Or association of five-star concierges at luxury hotels throughout the world.) You can also book a private in-room yoga session from the hotel's featured/resident yoga instructor, Christen. (Complimentary yoga classes are held every Thursday morning at 7AM for guests, as part of its Wellness Series.) Christen instructed me through my first-ever (and private) yoga class. (I typically do cardio and lift weights, but at age 69, I've got to find a gentler way). It was a remarkably insightful session, and she told me – which was quite unbeknownst to me – that 'Hips are your shock absorbers – they hold all of your grief, trauma, stress and stuck energy. Just opening up your hips will lower cortisol and release stress.' This Wellness Room King Suite features leather furnishings, a Serta Perfect Sleeper Mattress, 300-thread-count sheets, and upscale bathroom amenities, plus a TechnoGym bench and Peloton bike. The Dagny A great insight. I opened my hips as I slept that night — you lie down, put the soles of your feet together, and turn out your knees into a diamond shape. Then I dozed into Dreamland. I also brought my own self-soothers to the hotel, which are things I typically pack for every trip, to add as much joy to my journeys as possible: A satin pillowcase and eye mask; a cult-favorite Knesko Gemclinical-technology sheet mask for my face (I chose the Green Jade Calm Serum in 'I Am Grateful' that balances the heart chakra); Dr. Nigma Talib Super Vitamin C cocktail packets; and my favorite Marin Lip-Treatment balm, made in Maine, with marine glycoproteins to replenish the skin, in the flavor of delicious S'mores. (Yup, I am really into health, wellness, and a smorgasbord of self-soothing steps, because I typically find the travails of travel so very tiring.) I don't know if it was me, but I kept upping the heat because my room typically felt cold; a quick call to Maintenance solved the problem. The only other thing that I really missed was having a bathtub, because I really wanted to bring Epsom salts from home, so that the magnesium would relax my weary body even more. The theme of wellness continues through the hotel. Wellness waters are offered, complimentary, from pitchers in the lobby (such as raspberry-lemon on the day I was there), and on Friday, the hotel provides complimentary 'refreshers' in the spring and summer, such as fruited lemonade. If you want something more spirited, the hotel frequently offers 'pop-ups,' and recently offered a whisky-tasting featuring, from Scotland, Oban Distillers and Johnnie Walker Blue, which was ENORMOUSLY popular, with similar events planned later this year. In the bar, I was told you could order the award-winning espresso martini. In the whimsical library featuring books by Boston-based authors such as Edgar Allen Poe, every Wednesday, you can enjoy 'checkers and chocolate' featuring goodies by Lindt in the colors of gold and navy. The hotel has two restaurants that are quite noteworthy. Fin Point Oyster Bar & Grille (which is always crowded) offers super selections including roasted-mushroom flatbread, roasted-beet salad with pomegranate seeds, and the roasted salmon featuring baked acorn squash with black barley. (And healthy me, I try to eat 100 grams of protein a day, so I chose a double-order of just the salmon.) The other restaurant, Tradesman, is enormously popular, especially in the morning, by all the business people in the area. Here, you will find great goodies including an especially delicious Mediterranean avocado-toast, along with all kinds of sandwiches, chia pudding, overnight oats, croissants in the remarkable flavors of red-velvet, Boston cream pie and tiramisu (my thighs opted out on those), and fresh-squeezed juices. (Less than a mile away is Boston's famous North End, where you can also indulge in great Italian food, and super-famous cannoli from Mike's Pastry.) After all that, it's good to know that you can step outside the hotel and jog. The Dagny is also close to beautiful running routes —including the waterfront along North End (less than half a mile away), the piers in Seaport (less than 0.5 away), and the Charles River Esplanade. Up on the third floor is a great, 2000-sq-foot fitness center with all-new Peloton and TechnoGym equipment including a Smith machine, treadmills, ellipticals, kettlebells, a wealth of weights and assorted other equipment. Guests are just steps from the outdoor RKG outdoor workout classes in the summer, too. Last summer, Pilates-guru Jill Rothenberg taught classes there, before joining the Wellness Series for six months of hotel mat Pilates on Wednesdays. After all that, it's really fun to enjoy a discounted pampering procedure steps away at the KDR MedSpa. Wellness even continues outside the hotel, as The Dagny offers 15% discounts on aesthetic services just steps away at the upscale KDR MedSpa + Wellness Center. KDR Med Spa The Dagny, in keeping with current wellness trends, has partnered – quite impressively – with Kathryn Russo, a leading, Board-Certified nurse practitioner in Boston, who is a master at facial aesthetics and impeccably trained in injectables. The hotel offers 15% discounts at her KDR MedSpa + Wellness Center to all of its guests. Ms. Russo told me that she had spent many years working with leukemia patients who were undergoing bone-marrow transplants, at among other prestigious institutions, Sloan-Kettering in New York and the Dana Farber in Boston. 'When you work in leukemia – it's the cowboys of medicine,' she said. 'You have to know about every organ in the body. Once you do that, you can go anywhere in medicine– 100%.' After that, she worked with an ocular-plastic surgeon. 'And that was it,' she emphasized. She opened her medical clinic/spa 16 years ago, and some of the insights that she told me were completely fascinating. 'The focus in aesthetics is to have it so that people will look at your best feature – whether it's your eyes – or your sexy lips.' And quite fascinatingly, she said that her Boston office, especially, has an extensive amount of men who visit for hormone replacement, and at that same office, she sees younger and younger women – many in their twenties – who come in for Baby Botox and more. At both of her locations (the other one being in Newton) she offers a wealth of state-of-the-art treatments including injectables and fillers, professional-grade peels, and probably the hottest thing in aesthetics right now, the Platelet-Rich Plasma Treatment (no not the vampire facial), especially under the eyes, to stimulate the production of collagen. It's no surprise to me that she told me that many, many Boston physicians are her patients. 'I love this field,' she told me, and it's obvious. That The Dagny has this kind of beauty/feel-good partnership is very on-point. According to the Global Wellness Institute, wellness tourism is part of a massive, growing trend. The United States continues to lead the world as the largest wellness economy by far, boasting the largest markets in nine out of eleven wellness sectors – spanning physical activity, healthy eating, mental wellness, beauty and personal care, wellness tourism, wellness real estate, and more. (Similarly, and also very interesting, for example, One&Only Palmilla, the iconic ultra-luxury resort in Los Cabos, is now partnering with prestigious global skincare brand Dr. Barbara Sturm to craft its own wellness program bringing her advanced therapies and personalized treatments to Mexico for the first time. Utilizing Dr. Sturm's high-performance molecular ingredients, paired with the beauty brand's advanced-science skincare treatments, the One&Only Spa will offer guests a trio of facials designed to recharge, revitalize and rebalance skin, found only at One&Only Palmilla.) Fido will also feel good, as The Dagny welcomes dogs and even offers a cushy plush bed. The Dagny And to make The Dagny all the more desirable for your Boston travels – it is canine- friendly. So you can bring your pooch and sleep with him or her in that big, beautiful bed if you want. (And let's face it – isn't every dog a therapy dog?) The hotel offers a branded dog bowl, bed, and mat that comes with a $75 cleaning fee. Soon, there will even be treats from the special local Polkadog bakery in the Seaport. So remember – Bring your Dog(ny) to the Dagny! Fido is sure to also have a feel-good getaway. For more about my Wanderlust and Wellness travels, please Follow me on Instagram at @DebbiKickham.
Irish Daily Star
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Star
A cult favorite soda brand just launched a new flavor and one sip takes you back to the '90s
Culture Pop, a health-focused soda brand, has unveiled a new grape juice soda flavor. The new soda is poised to quench consumers' thirst and serve as a refreshing pick-me-up for the warmer months ahead. Its release coincides with the growing interest in gut health and increasing scrutiny over alarming ingredients , following the World Health Organization's link between Aspartame, a popular sweetener found in diet sodas, and cancer . This healthier alternative to traditional grape juice contains 20% real fruit juice and is enriched with probiotics to promote gut health, according to Culture Pop, which describes its products as "if soda grew on trees." Read More Related Articles Four signs to look out for in your walk that could mean you have dementia Read More Related Articles Dog behaviourist shares 'worst thing' to do when your pet barks or cries Processed foods with refined sugars, such as sodas and candy, are under attack from the Trump administration's "Make America Healthy Again" under the controversial leadership of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., leading two states to propose legislation to ban the sweets. Pop Culture's grape soda is now available nationwide at major retailers like Target , Whole Foods, and Amazon. Designed to satisfy the cravings of '90s babies, the new flavor has been promoted with eye-catching images that pay homage to the decade, featuring iconic references like the Olsen twins, Tamagotchis, Grape-flavored Bubble Tape gum, and more. The soda flavor is described as "a refreshing take on a beloved OG" with "brisk, bright sips of true grape goodness" and "a slight hint of elderflower crispness." A 12-pack of Culture Pop's Grape soda can be snapped up for $32.99 at all participating outlets, putting it in competition with other fashionable, health-focused soda brands like Olipop's Classic Grape soda ($35.99/12-pack) and Poppi's Prebiotic Soda Grape ($23.19/12-pack). The company has directly appealed to those who grew up in the '90s, stating that "growing up doesn't mean letting go of what you loved- it means finding a version that's grown with you." "We've curated an honest blend of ingredients to create a drink unlike any others in your fridge," it said, adding that "The combination of real, organic fruit juices, steeped ground spices and herbs delivers a delicious, refreshing twist on familiar flavors - without a need to add refined sugar or any fake sweeteners." The soda comprises 20% real fruit juice, blending white grape juice, Concord grape juice, and lemon juice to achieve natural sweetness without using refined sugar or artificial substitutes. It also contains probiotics, promoting gut health. The brand announced the new product on Instagram: "GRAPE SODA GREW UP... and it tastes even better than you remember." Fans were quick to flood the comments section with enthusiasm and praise for their new "favorite." One Instagram user wrote: "I have had one can and can tell you it's my favorite and I now crave it! ! So good," Another chimed in with: "This is the best flavor yet! That is saying a lot because all flavors are great, but you nailed it with this one." A third fan gushed: "Making all my teenage soda dreams come true! Love Grape Soda." "Omg drooling! Sounds so good," exclaimed one enthusiast. A satisfied customer shared on a review site: "Great taste and nice package! Feels healthy and tasty." Another fan couldn't hide their excitement online, saying: "Really impressed with this new flavor!" And yet another happy consumer declared: "SO yummy! ! ! ! It is the perfect flavor for those who love grape soda but don't want all the sugar. 10/10!"
Associated Press
17-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Grape Soda Grew Up with Culture Pop's Newest Flavor
Culture Pop, the soda brand made with real, simple ingredients, has launched its 9th flavor, Grape – and it tastes even better than you remember. WATERTOWN, Mass., April 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Culture Pop Soda, the better-for-you soda brand made with real, simple ingredients, has officially dropped its ninth flavor: Grape. It's everything you loved about classic grape soda – refreshingly grown up. Made with real fruit juice and live probiotics, it's packed with bold, vibrant flavor and free from refined sugar, stevia, and artificial ingredients. It's a deliciously refreshing take on a beloved OG. Brisk, bright sips of true grape goodness perfectly balanced with the slightest hint of elderflower crispness. The new flavor is launching alongside a nostalgic 'Grape Grew Up' marketing launch campaign, inspired by the '90s and reimagined for today. Because growing up doesn't mean letting go of what you loved—it means finding a version that's grown with you. 'We wanted to take a flavor that so many people grew up with and make it feel refreshing, delicious and new – without losing any of the flavor or fun,' said Tom First, Founder and CEO of Culture Pop Soda. Culture Pop recently launched across the country in Target and on where the new Grape flavor will be available alongside seven other flavors. You can also find Grape at Whole Foods, Amazon, and is coming soon to Albertson's and Safeway stores. Founded in 2020 by beverage industry veteran Tom First, co-founder of Nantucket Nectars, Culture Pop is on a mission to bring soda back to its roots—crafted, real, and made with ingredients you can feel good about. About Culture Pop Soda Founded in 2020, Culture Pop Soda is a crafted, probiotic soda made with real, organic fruit juice, organic spices and herbs, and live probiotics — with no refined sugars, no high-intensity sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit, and no artificial ingredients. Each of Culture Pop's nine flavors are inspired by familiar, fruit flavors that are delicious, refreshing, and perfectly sweetened. Every 12 oz can is packed with billions of live probiotics to support digestive health, which aids gut health. Culture Pop Soda is vegan, certified non-GMO, gluten-free, plant-based, shelf-stable, and kosher. You can find Culture Pop in over 18,000 stores nationwide including Target, Whole Foods Market, Walmart, Albertson's & Safeway stores, Sprouts, & other major retailers. Find the closest retailers to you HERE. Culture Pop is available online in 12 packs at and on Amazon for $32.99 and free shipping. Press Contact: Haley Martin, Director of Social and Brand Communications Email: [email protected] Campaign Grape Photography: HERE Photographer Credit: Lindsay Kreighbaum View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Culture Pop Soda
USA Today
17-03-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Pepsi to acquire prebiotic soda brand Poppi for nearly $2 billion. What we know
Pepsi to acquire prebiotic soda brand Poppi for nearly $2 billion. What we know Show Caption Hide Caption Poppi soda faces lawsuit after gut health benefits claimed misleading Poppi soda faces lawsuit after its marketing for gut health benefits were claimed misleading. Cheddar Opening Bell PepsiCo announced on Monday that it will purchase Poppi for $1.95 billion. Last summer, Poppi was sued over claims that its drinks don't contain enough prebiotic fiber to cause "meaningful gut health benefits." The class-action lawsuit remains ongoing and it is unclear how it will affect PepsiCo's acquisition of the brand. Poppi has denied the allegations in the lawsuit. Pepsi is buying Poppi, the prebiotic soda sued last year for alleged deceitful marketing. PepsiCo announced on Monday that it has entered into an agreement to purchase Poppi for $1.95 billion, according to a news release. The acquisition will allow PepsiCo to "evolve its portfolio" and expand its "better-for-you offerings." PepsiCo did not share when the sale would finalize. Last summer, Poppi was sued over claims that its drinks don't contain enough prebiotic fiber to cause "meaningful gut health benefits." It's unclear whether the ongoing lawsuit will affect its acquisition. Lawsuit aside, PepsiCo's purchase will mark the company's first step into the prebiotic soda industry, which has grown in recent years with the popularity of brands like Olipop, Culture Pop and most recently, Coca-Cola's Simply Pop. With the acquisition underway and a lawsuit ongoing, here's more to know about Poppi. Why was Poppi sued? In June, Kristen Cobbs of San Francisco sued VNGR Beverage LLC, the Texas-based corporation that manufactures, markets and sells Poppi. The class-action lawsuit alleges that one can of Poppi contains only 2 grams of prebiotic fiber, which means "a consumer would need to drink more than four Poppi sodas in a day to realize any potential health benefits." If a consumer were to drink this many sodas, the suit states, Poppi's high sugar content would offset most, if not all, of the reported gut health benefits. In a statement previously provided to USA TODAY, Poppi said stands behind its products. "We are on a mission to revolutionize soda for the next generation of soda drinkers, and we have diligently innovated to provide a tasting experience that millions of people have come to enjoy," the company said. "We believe the lawsuit is baseless, and we will vigorously defend against these allegations." Neither PepsiCo nor Poppi immediately responded to USA TODAY's request for comment on Monday. What is Poppi? Known for its bright and bold cans, Poppi is a soda that contains prebiotics from agave insulin and cassava root fiber; apple cider vinegar; fruit juice; and sugar, according to the company's website. One can of soda is reported to contain 5 or less grams of sugar and 35 or less calories. Poppi made its first public appearance in 2018 on the ABC series, "Shark Tank," when founders Allison and Stephen Ellsworth accepted a $400,000 investment in exchange for 25% of the company from Guest Shark Rohan Oza. Known as the time as Mother Beverage, the soda was rebranded and first Whole Foods Market shelves. "With the help of an investment on Shark Tank, Poppi has gone from farmers'-market-favorite to sitting pretty on the shelves of every major retailer across the nation," the company's website says, noting that the sodas are "beloved" by stars like Post Malone, Hailey Bieber, Kylie Jenner, Billie Eilish, Russell Westbrook, Jennifer Lopez and Olivia Munn. According the the lawsuit, Poppi's sales topped $100 million by 2024, and those numbers continue to grow as the drink represents 19% of the U.S. market share, surpassing Coke but 1.5 times. Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@
Buzz Feed
16-02-2025
- Health
- Buzz Feed
"This Is Going To Make Me Sh—": My 16-Year-Old Son And I Did A Complete Ranking Of "Gut Healthy" Sodas After Talking To Two Experts Amidst This Never-Ending Poppi Controversy
I would be lying if I didn't say I've become intrigued by pre- and probiotic sodas after the Poppi vending machine controversy started blowing up my whole TikTok feed. So, as someone who is constantly trying to kick their soda habit, I recently spoke to a couple of dietitians to see just how good they were for you. Turns out, they are a great alternative with a fraction of the sugar! That being said, the jury is still out on which one of these sodas actually tastes the best... So, my 16-year-old son Evan and I decided to do a taste test of the two popular prebiotic sodas Poppi and Olipop, along with probiotic soda Culture Pop for good measure. I have no vested interest in any of these brands, and Evan has never tried any of these drinks. I tried one several years ago, but I don't remember what brand it was or what it tasted like. Krista Torres Noting that there are other pre- and probiotic sodas on the market — like the recently launched SunSip — but many are not widely available in grocery stores as of now. We went to Whole Foods and chose flavors that my coworkers and people on TikTok recommended*. The Classic Grape Olipop was one that people raved about over and over and over again. However, they didn't have the Grape Poppi to compare it to. Still, we made the executive decision to get it as a "tester" (we needed to know if these would upset our stomachs before we dove into an entire taste test). Because we are insufferably impatient, we busted it open in the car. Before I could even explain to Evan that we have to take small sips because Olipop has 9 grams of fiber per can, he took a big swig and said, "I feel like this is going to make me shit; there's something about it. But, it is a solid 9 out of 10. YUM." Krista Torres And I was also truly blown away. 10/10. This was a huge surprise because I was going in with low expectations, thinking it would taste like medicine, but it tasted super refreshing, like a sparkling Welch's grape juice. It didn't taste fake or like it was artificial. So, before we even started, the bar was super HIGH. While we let our stomachs digest the goodness of the grape-flavored Olipop, we decided to let our drinks get really cold in the freezer. Here are the flavors we decided to try: Krista Torres Poppi: Watermelon, Orange, Cherry Limeade, Doc Pop Culture Pop: Watermelon & Lime, Orange/Mango & Lime, Wild Berries & Lime, Ginger Lemon & Turmeric Olipop: Watermelon Lime, Orange Squeeze, Tropical Punch, Cherry Cola Here are the main ingredients in each one's orange flavor and their price before tax in LA: Poppi (PREbiotic soda): $2.49 *4 g of sugar (3 added sugars) *2 grams of fiber *25 calories *0 mg of sodium *6 grams of carbs *Sparkling water*Organic cane sugar*Natural flavor*Organic apple cider vinegar*Apple juice concentrate*Organic agave inulin*Citric acid*Orange juice concentrate*Stevia*Beta carotene for flavor Olipop (PREbiotic soda): $2.49 *5 grams of sugar (5 added sugars) *9 grams of fiber *45 calories *35 mg sodium *16 grams of carbs *Carbonated Water*Kassava root fiber*Chicory root inulin*Jerusalem artichoke inulin*Napal cactus extract*Marshmallow root extract*Calendula flower extract*Kudzu root extract*Lemon juice*Apple juice concentrate*Mandarin juice concentrate*Cassava root syrup*Clementine juice concentrate*Rose hip extract*Acerola cherry extract*Stevia leaf extract*Himalayan pink salt*Orange extract CulturePop (PRObiotic soda): $1.99 *8 grams of sugar (0 added sugars) *0 grams of fiber *45 calories *45 mg sodium *10 grams of carbs *Carbonated filtered water*Organic juice blend from concentrate (white grape, orange, lime, mango)*Natural flavor*Citric acid*Organic chili powder*Sea salt*Beta carotene*Live probiotic (bacillus subtilis) After an hour, our tummies were thankfully feeling just fine so we began. We started with the Poppi Doc Pop, Olipop Cherry Cola, and Culture Pop Wild Berries & Lime since they didn't have a "soda" flavor. Krista Torres Poppi Doc Pop — 30 calories, 3 grams of fiber, 5 grams sugar (3 added) Evan: It tastes like Diet Coke to me. It's carbonated like soda, but I probably wouldn't drink it again. 5/10 Krista: Prebiotic "soda" flavor sounds gross, but it was actually not bad. The flavor is good; I would say it tastes most like Diet Pepsi. That being said, it's not super fizzy so it's like drinking a diet soda you got from the fountain that's been sitting for, like, five hours. 6/10 Olipop Cherry Cola — 50 calories, 9 grams of fiber, 5 grams of sugar (5 added) Evan: This tastes exactly like Buzz Cola from the Simpsons World at Universal Studios! Buzz Cola is just okay, though, so 6/10. Krista: I really like this at first, but then there is kind of a weird aftertaste; I can't put my finger on it. I like the cherry cola flavor, though, that is definitely there, and it tastes less flat than the Poppi one, so it gets 0.1 more points than Poppi. 6.1/10 though. Culture Pop Wild Berries & Lime — 45 calories, 0 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar (0 added) Evan: It tastes like sparkling flavored that brand, Spindrift? I think that's it. 6/10 Krista: I think it tastes like a Truly hard seltzer, and I am so sick of hard seltzer, so I am not a big fan. Obviously, this is hard to compare to a cola flavor, but even as a berry flavor, I don't like it. 4/10 Overall winner: Olipop wins if we are going specifically on taste. That being said, if you want half the calories and a bit less added sugar, I would reach for Poppi. Moving on to the orange family. We have Poppi Orange, Olipop Orange Squeeze, and Culture Pop Orange, Mango & Lime. Krista Torres Poppi Orange — 20 calories, 2 grams of fiber, 4 grams sugar (3 added) Evan: It is a typical orange syrup-like flavor, kind of reminds me of the orange squirt stuff you can put in drinks (like Mio) but carbonated. 6/10 Krista: Despite my stomach literally making a loud digesting rumble after this one went down, it is not bad, but it does have a slight artificial taste to it. 7/10 Olipop Orange Squeeze — 45 calories, 9 grams of fiber, 5 grams of sugar (5 added) Evan: This tastes like an orange energy drink. Again, I don't hate it but I feel like I gotta go with 6/10 again. Krista: This one does taste more ~natural~ but something isn't sitting quite right with me. It is hard to describe, LOL. 6/10 Culture Pop Orange, Mango & Lime — 45 calories, 0 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar (0 added) Evan: I'm getting kombucha vibes on this one. The flavor is okay but I think I prefer it over the others. 7.2/10 Krista: I hate to say it, but this brand is not for me. I really wanted to like it, but I just don't, unfortunately. It's also slightly less carbonated than the other two and I love carbonated drinks. 3/10 Overall winner: Poppi Orange if we add up our votes but Evan thinks Culture Pop takes the cake here. Here is when we decided to switch it up and blindfold ourselves for two reasons. First, we wanted to see if we could guess which brand was which. Second, so we didn't develop any kind of bias. Krista Torres Poppi Cherry Limeade — 25 calories, 2 grams of fiber, 5 grams sugar (5 added) Evan blindfolded: This tastes like Culture Pop. *takes a few more sips* Eh, it's okay. I keep saying 6s, but it is what many of them are! 6/10 Krista blindfolded: It tastes a little bit like a Sonic cherry limeade. *also takes a few more sips* Yum, it is kind of growing on me and I think it is Poppi. 7.2/10 Olipop Tropical Punch — 35 calories, 9 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar (3 added) Evan blindfolded: Oh my gosh this is really sweet. This has to be Olipop. I think this one tastes the best. So finally, a 7/10 Krista blindfolded: I like this one; it is kind of sweet, though, and reminds me of Hawaiian Fruit Punch. This one has to be Olipop. (Despite this one having fewer calories and less sugar than its others, I was surprised to find this one was WAY sweeter!) 7.2/10 Culture Pop Ginger, Lemon & Turmeric — 45 calories, 0 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar (0 added) Evan blindfolded: It doesn't taste good. I can tell this is the ginger lemon one, though, and I can't remember what brand that one was. Too bitter! 4/10 Krista blindfolded: Disgusting! I already know it is Culture Pop and I feel so bad because I want to like the brand! fine 2.4/10 And, our last blind taste test proves that you truly can't say you like one brand over the other because it truly just depends on the flavor you try... Krista Torres Krista Torres Poppi Watermelon — 25 calories, 2 grams of fiber, 5 grams sugar (5 added) Evan blindfolded: It has a very strong watermelon smell and taste. I feel like it is Olipop. 6/10 Krista blindfolded: It tastes like a bad watermelon sucker, but something about it is making me want to keep drinking it. It's the most fake watermelon I've ever tasted but I could probably drink the whole can for some reason. I think it is Olipop because it is really sweet. It's fake but I don't hate it. 7/10 Olipop Watermelon Lime — 40 calories, 9 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar (3 added) Evan blindfolded: That does not taste good. That is pretty bad, I am so infatuated with how bad it tastes but now I want to keep drinking it. It reminds me of the cucumber Gatorade, bad but you want to keep drinking it. Okay, I am changing bad to "weird" as the taste. I think this is Culture Pop just because of how weird it tastes. I love to hate it. 7/10 Krista: This is the Poppi one, I think. It tastes like Watermelon Pop Rocks, it is pretty tied with the other one but for different reasons. 7/10 Culture Pop Watermelon & Lime — 45 calories, 0 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar (0 added) Evan blindfolded: Wait, now I am confused because I think this is Culture Pop. It tastes like the Spindrift. It has a hint of watermelon but I don't really care for it. 5/10 Krista blindfolded: I could already tell when it got near my nose that it was the Culture Pop. Sorry but yuck. 2/10 Overall winner: Olipop Watermelon Lime Finally, I have to add that last night I needed to grab something at Kroger (where I snapped the pic of all the Poppis on sale at the top of this article) and felt I had to grab the Grape Poppi to see if it could top the Classic Grape Olipop. I did drink the entire can, but sadly, we agreed it does not compare. Grape Olipop is superior, and I will forever hate that I will now be tempted to spend nearly $3 on a can every time I am at the store. 😭 🍇 The overall unbiased winner when it comes to flavor — in me and my son's opinion — is Olipop. That being said, I feel like it truly depends on the flavor you like, not the brand. I also want to mention that if you're looking to add fiber, Olipop is a for-sure win (backed by an expert!), but if you're more focused fewer calories, I would opt for Poppi. Lastly, if you need probiotics and don't want any added sugar, try Culture Pop! Krista Torres Since we didn't want to waste — or mess up our stomachs with too much fiber — we saved these drinks in the fridge. While I can't speak on if it's a good idea to leave these unopened in your fridge, I can tell you they are STILL carbonated after two days, so that is a plus because I know a can of soda would be completely flat after a day! Thanks for reading our review. 😊
