Poppi is the beloved brand of prebiotic soda that has cultivated a huge following for people who enjoy soda but want a healthier alternative. While many of the drink company's flavors are delicious (I'm partial to the Cherry Limeade and Strawberry Lemon) there is at least one that was almost universally hated: Root Beer.
Over the years, Poppi's Root Beer flavor has been dissed and dragged through the mud by Poppi drinkers who have taken to social media to voice their distate for the drink. It really doesn't taste anything like root beer, unless it's a dirty, watered-down version.
But there's good news! Poppi has taken its customer feedback to heart and just launched a new recipe for their Root Beer drinks. The company shared the news via Instagram, unveiling a new look and promising a better taste with "bold new flavor." Many of the comments and reception to the drink have been very positive thus far and I cannot wait to try it myself next time I'm at the store.
One commenter said, "it's so good! it tastes more like traditional root beer as opposed to the old one." Another person praised the team for nailing this formula.
Funnily enough, their social media post attracted the few fans of the original recipe who thought it was fine just the way it was, but that opinion was definitely in the minority. Some social media posts in the past have gone as far as to say the previous recipe tasted like mud or dishwater.
Poppi even poked fun at the poor reception in a previous post, sharing screenshots of comments that said the soda tasted like "A1 sauce and coins," and another video they shared featured Poppi employees reading the roasts out loud.
The Root Beer Poppi flavor was first introduced in 2021. A representative for the company told Today that they understood the previous iteration of the Root Beer formula "didn't live up to the flavor expectations" that their customers have come to expect.
So, what's the difference between this flavor and the old one? Well, the company didn't say exactly what, though Today notes the new one includes cassava root fiber along with the other traditional ingredients used in all Poppi drinks: five grams of sugar, prebiotics, and apple cider vinegar.
I'm a big fan of root beer in general, I love a good root beer float. And while I agree the previous version wasn't tasty, I have to wonder how many people trying the root beer actually like root beer. It's a divisive soda flavor, so the fact that the original recipe was so controversial is actually pretty par for the course.
Apparently the development of this new root beer formula was in development prior to the company's recent PepsiCo acquisition.