The first time I heard the expression “beverage goblin,” I realized that my need to sip multiple drinks at once wasn’t just my own personal quirk. Most of us goblins opt to keep a hydrating drink, a caffeinated drink, and a fun wildcard drink on hand all day long. That way our taste buds are never bored. The wildcard is my favorite to shop for, and it’s how I’ve discovered drinks like pineapple ginger beer and the prebiotic soda brand everyone is obsessed with: Olipop.
Olipop belongs to a growing category of fizzy soft drinks made with dietary fibers called prebiotics. Fiber-added prebiotic sodas are increasingly popular, with manufacturers branding them as healthier alternatives to traditional sodas, which contain more sugar. Each can of Olipop contains 6 to 9 grams of plant fiber depending on the flavor. But honestly the health claims aren’t what swayed me — I tried Olipop out of curiosity after seeing it all over social media. It was refreshing enough that I started picking a different flavor from the chilled case each time I visited the grocery store.
So when I spotted Raspberry Sherbet Olipop on the shelf in bright neon pink, I reached for a can immediately. I cracked it open, took a swig, and realized I needed to grab a few more.
Since it’s a seasonal flavor, consider this a heads-up to try it while you can.
Olipop’s Raspberry Sherbet Tastes Nostalgic and New at the Same Time
As a kid, I loved orange soda, lime slushies, and those round foil-covered plastic bottles of “juice” in unnatural shades of blue and green. But drinking too much sugar now gives me a headache, and heavy-handed artificial flavoring turns me off after a sip or two. Olipop is sweet but not aggressively sweet, and flavors like strawberry vanilla and tropical punch taste like grown-up versions of the drinks I enjoyed when I was younger.
Raspberry sherbet has always been a favorite of mine, and I wanted this soda to deliver the sweet, bright, lightly creamy taste that defines sherbet — without the dairy. It totally delivered. The taste is fresh and decidedly raspberry: red raspberry and lemon juice work together, with raspberry sweetness hitting your palate first and then fading into a tart, clean finish. There’s no funny aftertaste, but there’s just enough vanilla to remind you of its sherbet inspiration. The combination calls to mind fresh berries and whipped cream.
Although Olipop’s Raspberry Sherbet is carbonated, it has a moderate level of bubbles — just enough fizz to complement the drink’s acidity without overwhelming the dessert-like flavor notes.
Source: Olipop’s Raspberry Sherbet Soda Captures a Classic Frozen Dessert