Stiller's Soda Review: A Near-Perfect 10 From Ben

At one point in time, a store's soda rack was filled with nothing but Coke and Pepsi products, with little room for lesser known brands to take up shelf space. What a quaint time that was, for today, there are almost too many drink options, with teas, coffees, and a slew of healthy-sounding probiotics now sharing this prime beverage real estate. Some of these products proudly carry the surname of their inventor, like Barq's, Vernors, Gosling's, and Hires, whose root beer has sadly disappeared from stores. The latest soda joining the fray and hoping to make a name for itself, leaning on its own famous one, is from the brains and whetted appetite of self-professed soda lover Ben Stiller. Yes, that Ben Stiller, the multi-hyphenate Hollywood star, who left a mark with "Reality Bites," struck a pose in "Zoolander," made the laughter rain in "Tropic Thunder," and most recently, gave a new meaning to the term "Severance," with the award-winning show. Now he's channeling his talents into the medium of carbonated beverages, and hoping you'll say 'cheers' to Stiller's Soda.

While we're sure Stiller has the best intentions with this new line of sodas, is this just another bubbly vanity product, or will it ultimately become a famous beverage, joining the likes of an iconic Arnold Palmer, Shirley Temple, or Roy Rogers? The Takeout was curious if these drinks brought the fizz or were flat on arrival. We popped open a can of all the flavors to see where the truth lies — and now the truth can be told in this 'sip & say'.

Stiller's Soda seemed to just drop out of the sky, with no advance warning or explanation as to why they are here. Well then, who better to explain their existence than from the man himself, as Ben Stiller noted on an X post: "This is an actual soda that I think is good, and hope you like. It's in real stores. I think it tastes good and is made with all natural ingredients. It's been a few years in the making, so it's weird and surreal this day is here. I'm excited. Please check it out if you're into soda. My favorite is the Shirley Temple. 🥤😊"

This line of "classic" sodas is labeled as "The World's Refreshing-est Soda," and cheekily marketed as having "no fake stuff" or "no biotics." Stiller's comes in three flavors: the aforementioned Shirley Temple, Root Beer, and Lemon-Lime. Each drink uses base ingredients of water, cane sugar, organic stevia extract, natural agave flavor, and monk fruit extract. The drinks contain only 30 calories, 8 grams of carbohydrates, and 7 grams of total sugars. The added sugar counts range from 5 to 7 grams. They also contain 20 micrograms of vitamin D, 2.4 micrograms of B12, and anywhere from 91 to 93 milligrams of Vitamin C. Stiller's Soda is made by Stiller's Beverage Company.

Stiller's line of sodas are available only in 12 ounce cans. The drinks can currently be purchased in person in the New York City and Tri-State area, which includes Connecticut, New Jersey, and upstate New York. Stiller's Sodas will line the shelves of grocery stores like Key Food, The Food Emporium, delis, gourmet shops, and bodegas. To find a store near you that carries these sodas, Stiller's has a handy dandy store locator on its website. For those who do not live close to this area, the sodas are also available for ordering and purchase nationwide through Amazon, while supplies last. There are plans to expand into more stores nationwide next year.

The cans are sold in stores individually, and in 12 packs through Amazon. On Amazon, each flavor can be ordered as a 12 pack, and there is also a variety pack which includes four of each of the three flavors. The price of the 12 packs on Amazon retail for $29.99, which comes to about $2.49 a can. The price for cans in stores will vary per location, but at a bodega near me, a can was selling for that same price: $2.49. The sodas may be sold and stored refrigerated or at room temperature. Based on the the expiration date on the cans, the contents should remain good for up to 10 months.

My trio of Stiller's Soda taste tests commenced with the Lemon-Lime flavor, mainly due to alphabetical order, but also I figured it would be a good base flavor to start with. Before taking a sip, I glanced at the ingredients on the side of the can, and was happy to see listed among them were the flavors promised: lime juice concentrate, lemon juice concentrate, and natural lemon-lime flavor.

As the bubbly liquid poured into my glass, I noticed that this soda wasn't necessarily going to be as crystal clear as its fore-bearers are, like Sprite and 7-Up. Stiller's citrusy brew had a slightly muddled look to it, but in the end, this was a mere observation, and not at all a knock against it. Leaning in for a whiff, that familiar lemon-lime scent that one would imagine it should have was definitely alive and present.

As a low-calorie drink, but not a zero calorie one, I wasn't exactly sure where its taste would lead me. After my first sip, I was neither repulsed, nor blown away by it. As I pressed on with further sips, my opinion came sharper into focus. It didn't contain that awesome sugary snap that Sprite delivers, but I quickly made peace with that. What it did have was a really nice and light, clean delivery. It contained a true fruit flavor, that leaned more lime than lemon. All in all, I was ready to devote more time to this Lemon-Lime.

Next up was Stiller's Root Beer, which came in a burgundy brown can that I assumed would match the color of the contents within. Twisting the can to its backside, I examined its ingredients, which included organic root beer flavor, and natural caramel color. Pouring this one into a glass, the liquid did line-up with the color of its can, but with a slightly less opaque complexion. I hovered my nostrils over the glass, inhaled, and was a little surprised at how weak the scent of root beer was.

I've had my fair share of diet root beer drinks in the past, and for the most part, they have been able to replicate the same classic flavor where sassafras (which isn't in root beer anymore), vanilla, and/or birch do a magic melded dance together. One sip in, and I could instantly tell that Stiller's Root Beer misses the mark. I mean, it's still a drink that your mouth will accept, but it doesn't mean you have to accept it. Since I cannot analyze the elements that make up this drink's "organic root beer flavor," I can at least conclude that it's lacking something to give it a signature root beer cutting edge. I guess one could surmise that the reality of this root beer's bite ... bites?

While no one should play favorites of their children, it was surprising to learn that Ben Stiller admitted that his Shirley Temple is his pick of the litter. Granted, the very thought of a Shirley Temple drink transports us all to special times in our youth where we ordered up one or five, at a wedding or Bar or Bat Mitzvah.

The Shirley Temple formula is simple — a lemon-lime drink with a splash of either maraschino cherry or grenadine syrup. Stiller's version mixes dark sweet cherry juice concentrate, natural grenadine flavor blend, and natural lemon-lime flavor in with the other standard ingredients. A Shirley Temple (a drink which Shirley Temple herself actually hated) is usually a stark red beverage that stands out in anyone's hands. Stiller's diet version has a restrained appearance, with an almost dull light pink color. Leaning in for the smell test, a faint essence of cherry emanated into the air.

My very first impression was that the drink had an artificial taste to it. Then again, it's not like an actually Shirley Temple drink is swimming in wholly natural flavors. And yet, the more sips I had of Stiller's Shirley Temple, the more I came around to really liking it. Like the Lemon-Lime soda, this one also offered a crisp and refreshing drinking experience. It may not replace the genuine service, but it was miles and away a better Shirley Temple product than the 7-Up take on the classic drink that debuted in 2024.

After taste testing each Stiller's soda individually, I kept on taking sips of them, one after the other. As time wore on, the Root Beer one eventually received less love from my mouth than its brothers. I had trouble picking a favorite of the remaining contenders, going back and forth between the Lemon-Lime and the Shirley Temple. The Lemon-Lime one was a great overall light and clean beverage, but just like with "Mary," there was something about Shirley Temple.

I turned to my Mrs. for her opinion, and she simply said the drinks tasted like water that washed fruit. I then turned to my daughter, who picked the Shirley Temple as the best — because it was pink. I personally couldn't choose an ultimate favorite, but will be happy to keep the debate going, as I still have three cans of each left in my variety pack. The Lemon-Lime could even work wonders as a mixer for whiskey, and perhaps I'll add a shot or two of vodka to make a round of Dirty Shirleys. Now what to do with those leftover Root Beer ones?

Beyond the taste of the two drinks I really liked, I want to lavish particular praise on the design of the cans. Even if you weren't aware of their connection to Ben Stiller, these cans will shine bright, aesthetically on any shelf. Their colors are appealing to the eye, the name is decked out in a really cool, yet classic-looking font, and in general it all reminded me of my favorite soda line, Dr. Brown's. I'm sure Mr. Stiller has drank plenty of cans of those in his day, and was in some way inspired by them. If that's the case, for the next round of flavors, Ben, can we get your take on Cel-Ray, but at only 30 calories?