This Root Beer Brand Tastes Too Much Like Apples For Our Liking

Good old root beer ... some love it, some hate it. And if you're a fan of this sweet and spicy soda, you've probably at least wondered which root beer beats the rest. We did a blind taste test to determine the best root beer so we could answer that burning question ourselves, and the one that ended up on the bottom for us was definitely SunSip. This brand comes from Health-Ade and is marketed as a healthier, prebiotic soda alternative. While there's a time and place for bubbly stand-ins, this one really misses the mark in taste thanks to the apples in it.

According to the ingredients list, SunSip root beer's second ingredient is apple juice, and really, that's where most of the flavor in this drink comes from. Maybe the root beer vibe is supposed to come from the "natural flavors" because everything else is a vitamin, an acid, fruit and vegetable juice coloring, or sweetener. To us, this drink is fine if you want an apple-based beverage, but marketing it as a root beer replacement is just setting people up for disappointment.

The lowest review on Walmart's website tells a tale of someone who disliked this soda so dang much that they couldn't even finish the sip they took and just spat it out. Others who disliked this soda claimed that it had a bitter aftertaste. Some folks also found it lacking in the flavor department in general, giving only a hint of inaccurate root beer-ish flavor instead of the strong punch lovers of this classic soda know and adore. Redditors don't seem to have a very rosy opinion, either. Though some do enjoy it and like that it's a stevia-free drink, many say the monk fruit used as a sweetener isn't a win and complain about the medicinal taste. 

If you've already had the misfortune of buying a pack and don't love it, you can try it out as a soda marinade for pork chops or mask the taste by adding some ice cream or froyo for a root beer float instead. Don't forget to frost your glass for the best root beer floats – SunSip's root beer is going to need all the help it can get, after all. Once you're done, just pick up a better option, like our number one choice — Stewart's — or a stalwart like A&W or Mug. After all, the classics are classics for a reason.