Adventurous taste buds have enjoyed weird soda flavors for more than a century. Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray soda first appeared on American shelves in 1868 and still has loyal fans in New York City delicatessens today. These strange sodas might seem like novelty products that would quickly disappear, but many have built a strong market presence. Jones Soda’s Turkey and Gravy Soda sold out within days of its limited holiday release in 2003.
Unique soda flavors challenge what we expect from our drinks. Companies keep creating memorable taste experiences. Bacon Soda emerged in 2010 during America’s bacon craze, while Lester’s Fixins Pumpkin Pie Soda shows up each holiday season. Some unusual drinks have surprising staying power – Mauby Fizz Tree Bark Soda has been around for almost two decades. Rocket Fizz Soda Pop & Candy Shops even launched a Buffalo Wing flavored soda in 2012. This piece explores the most interesting weird sodas that offer unexpected yet delightful tastes in different flavor categories.
Savory Sodas That Surprisingly Work
The savory soda category stands at the forefront of beverage breakthroughs. These drinks break away from sweet traditions by mixing food flavors with bubbles to create surprising yet drinkable experiences. Curious consumers looking for new taste adventures have taken to these beverages more than expected.
1. Turkey and Gravy Soda
Jones Soda’s Turkey and Gravy flavor ranks as maybe even the weirdest soda ever made. This holiday special came with zero calories and no actual turkey, which made it suitable for vegans. Salt shows up as the second ingredient, giving the drink a savory kick with 240 milligrams of sodium in each serving.
People who tried it found it oddly salty with hints of thyme-like herbs. The turkey taste doesn’t stick around long – more like a ghost of roasted meat than real poultry. The drink mixed with whiskey creates a balanced cocktail where sweet meets spice.
The product sells out quickly during its limited runs. This shows how unique drinks can create huge buzz even when people can’t agree if they like it or not.
2. Bacon Soda
Several companies jumped on the bacon soda train, including Jones Soda, Lockhart Smokehouse, and Rocket Fizz with their Lester’s Fixins brand. These drinks don’t use real pork, so vegetarians can try them despite their meaty marketing.
Jones Soda spent months getting the bacon taste just right. Epicurious gave it a low 1.58 out of 10 for taste but a decent 4.57 for “bacony-ness”.
Lester’s Fixins version tastes like “bacon grease” before finishing with cream soda notes. A Rocket Fizz store owner in Denver says bacon drinks lead their sales charts, proving this odd flavor found its fans.
3. Ranch Dressing Soda
Lester’s Fixins turned America’s favorite dressing into a fizzy drink. This clear, slightly milky beverage keeps things simple with basic ingredients: carbonated water, sugar, sodium benzoate, gum acacia, natural flavor, and ester gum.
Drinkers’ reactions vary wildly. Some say it “tastes just like smooth and creamy ranch dressing”. Others think it’s more like hydrogen peroxide with a “burn from the ranch”. One person called it “marginally drinkable” with just a hint of cream in what’s basically sugary carbonated water.
Hidden Valley and Olipop worked together to create healthier prebiotic ranch sodas. The line now has Classic Ranch, Hot Honey Ranch, Jalapeño Ranch, and Garlic Ranch – each aiming to capture that herbal, creamy taste.
4. Buffalo Wing Soda
Lester’s Fixins Buffalo Wing Soda comes in bright orange, just like the popular bar snack. Instead of hitting you with heat right away, drinkers first taste citrus sweetness before the buffalo sauce flavor kicks in.
The drink’s standout feature is its warming effect. The heat doesn’t just flash and fade – it stays put in your throat. One reviewer put it clearly: “it’s not just like oh you feel it go down oh it’s a little bit there then it goes away – it is like boom right there in your throat”.
The soda uses regular ingredients – carbonated water, pure cane sugar, citric acid, ester gum, natural flavor, yellow 6, caramel color, and red 40. Yet it still delivers that signature buffalo wing warmth without using actual sauce components.
Sweet and Dessert-Inspired Flavors
Sweet enthusiasts can now try their favorite desserts in fizzy drink form. These weird soda flavors reshape the scene by turning beloved desserts into drinks you can take anywhere. Many of them taste just like the real thing, which is pretty amazing.
5. Pumpkin Pie Soda
The specialty beverage market gets excited about seasonal releases like 49th State Brewing’s Frontier Pumpkin Pie Soda. This drink proudly claims to taste “just like a slice of homemade Pumpkin Pie with a generous dollop of freshly whipped cream”. You can enjoy pumpkin pie sodas in several creative ways:
- Pumpkin Pie Float – mix it with vanilla ice cream and add caramel drizzle
- Pumpkin Buck – blend with applejack or American whiskey
- Pumpkin Punch – combine with cider, vodka, and pumpkin puree
Rocket Fizz makes their version with pure cane sugar in premium glass bottles. They market it as both a fun gift and a serious flavor option.
6. Peanut Butter & Jelly Soda
Lester’s Fixins took on this lunch box classic, promising “Real Peanut Butter and Jelly flavored soda with no mess, no fuss, no nothin”. People who tried it have mixed feelings. The first sip tastes like fizzy, watered-down grape jelly before you get the peanut butter taste – which one person said reminded them of “the aftertaste of peanuts”.
The drink has no actual peanuts but creates what many call an “oddly oily” feeling in your mouth that matches the real sandwich. One reviewer gave it 4 out of 10 and didn’t want to try it again.
7. Bubble Gum Soda
Jones Blue Bubblegum Soda has developed an almost cult-like following. A fan’s story goes: “15 years ago at a local gas station I accidentally grabbed one bottle of Jones blue bubblegum soda thinking it was a bottle of cream soda… I have never had a soda that I have loved so much”. This person loved it so much they bought 120 bottles from a distributor when local stores ran out.
Companies like Bazooka (using their bubble gum brand name) and Goody now make similar drinks. They capture that unique strawberry-banana-fruit punch mix that creates the classic bubble gum taste.
8. Butter Soda
Rocket Fizz Butter Soda gets more and thus encourages more strong opinions than any other dessert-inspired soda. One reviewer noted, “There were some who vehemently despised it, while others were more measured in their responses. No one liked it, though”. The kindest comparisons say it’s like “buttered popcorn jelly belly’s,” while others claim it “tasted like detergent”.
Despite its name, it lacks real creaminess. It tastes more like “movie theater butter pumped into a can of club soda with a lot of sugar” with “a hint of salt”. Some suggest mixing it with Sweet Corn Soda (1:2 ratio) to improve the butter flavor by a lot. On its own, ratings go from a modest 5 out of 10 to a harsh 2.5 out of 10.
Sodas with a Health Twist
The world of functional beverages has some truly unique soda flavors that go beyond just weird tastes. These innovative drinks pack both health benefits and distinctive flavors. Health-conscious consumers looking for something different have made these drinks increasingly popular in the beverage market.
9. Tree Bark Soda (Mauby Fizz)
Caribbean culture gave us Mauby Fizz, a fizzy drink that comes from the Colubrina tree species bark, including Colubrina elliptica and Colubrina arborescens. People used to make this fermented drink at home. Now PepsiCo’s Mauby Fizz gives us a commercial, unfermented option.
The taste starts sweet like root beer and leads to a bitter finish that takes some getting used to. Makers boil mauby bark with spices like aniseed, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Studies show this unusual drink can lower blood pressure.
Mauby’s benefits go beyond heart health. The drink might help reduce blood sugar, cholesterol, and ease arthritic pain. The store-bought version uses natural cane sugar with just the right amount of fizz for a refreshing drink.
10. Black Garlic Soda
Black Garlic Soda stands out as a newer addition to healthy sodas. The aging process changes regular garlic into black garlic, which boosts both flavor and nutrition. You get a complex sweet taste with gentle garlic notes in the background.
This unexpected flavor pairs novelty with garlic’s time-tested health benefits. Black garlic’s fermentation cuts down the sharp garlic taste and creates umami flavors. The result is a surprisingly drinkable soda.
11. Pickle Juice Soda
Pickle Juice Soda takes a popular health drink and adds some fizz. Research shows pickle juice has several benefits:
- A third cup stops muscle cramps faster than water
- Electrolytes like sodium and potassium help with hydration
- Vinegar might help reduce body weight, BMI, and body fat
- Blood sugar levels stay more stable
The juice also contains vitamin C and other antioxidants that protect cells from harmful free radicals. Natural fermentation creates probiotics that boost gut health by supporting good bacteria.
The calorie count ranges from 0-100 per cup, depending on the pickling mix, and there’s no fat. Each cup has about one-third of your daily sodium needs. People with high blood pressure might want to skip this unusual soda.
Weird Japanese Soda Flavors You’ll Love
Japanese drinks push the boundaries of weird sodas worldwide. Their unique flavors challenge what Westerners expect while keeping loyal fans. These unusual drinks show how different cultures shape new tastes in global markets.
12. Curry Ramune
Japan’s famous carbonated drink Ramune, known for its marble-sealed bottle, took an unexpected direction with curry flavors. This unusual drink captures Japanese curry’s distinct taste – gentler than Indian versions with ginger, garlic, and garam masala notes in a surprisingly refreshing fizzy form.
Specialty stores across Japan sell Curry Ramune mainly as a novelty item. The drink has found its place as both a tourist attraction and a conversation starter for locals. The product proves that food-inspired flavors can work well in drinks without needing widespread popularity to stay profitable.
13. Kimchi Ramune
Kimchi Ramune goes beyond Japanese flavors by bringing Korea’s classic fermented cabbage taste to the traditional marble bottle. Light spiciness mixed with garlic and vegetable hints creates what many call an “acquired taste.” The drink stays in production thanks to its steady popularity.
The drink shows how mixing flavors from different cultures helps stand out in the market. Manufacturers pair familiar bottles with surprising taste combinations to create specialty products. These drinks generate buzz on social media far beyond their actual sales numbers.
14. Strawberry Milk Cola
Strawberry Milk Cola stands out among Japan’s weird sodas because more people buy it regularly. This creamy drink mixes classic cola with sweet strawberry and milk undertones. The result tastes like dessert in a bottle that bridges familiar and new flavor territories.
Big companies like Coca-Cola Japan sometimes release limited batches of strawberry-infused colas. These launches usually see strong sales at first, followed by planned shortages to keep prices high. Even 50-year-old brands use weird soda flavors as short-term products instead of permanent additions. They create collectible items that get people excited beyond just making money.
Truly Bizarre but Surprisingly Tasty
The most extreme corner of the beverage world features weird soda flavors that challenge our taste buds. These drinks break all conventional rules yet somehow remain commercially successful.
15. Dirt Soda
This unique beverage proudly claims to be “shoveled and bottled in the USA”. The makers use real cane sugar to create an authentic earthy taste that sparks diverse reactions. Customers who open a bottle experience a “wave of potting soil stench”, and some say it smells like “plastic pool toys”. The taste reminds people of “mushrooms or possibly radishes”. Despite mixed opinions, this unusual drink holds a strong 3.9 out of 5 stars from 416 Amazon reviews.
16. Mustard Soda
Lester’s Fixins Mustard Soda comes as a bright yellow drink that pairs perfectly with hot dogs and pretzels. The cane sugar-sweetened beverage takes you on a flavor journey – sweet at first, then shifts to distinct tangy, salty mustard notes. A look at the ingredients shows carbonated spring water, pure cane sugar, citric acid, kosher salt, vinegar, and yellow coloring.
17. Bird’s Nest White Fungus Soda
Wonderfarm from Vietnam creates this unique drink using real swiftlet nests (made from bird saliva), white fungus, and rock sugar. People value this soda because it helps “cool you down quickly and rehydrate after strenuous activities”. The texture feels like “slimy sugar water”, but the taste resembles “vanilla with milk”.
Summing all up
Weird soda flavors without doubt challenge conventional taste experiences. Their surprising commercial success reveals a truth about how consumers behave. These unconventional beverages have found their market niches because of their unusual flavor profiles. Savory Turkey and Gravy Soda sells out during holiday seasons. Bubble Gum Soda inspires 120-bottle bulk orders. Both products show remarkable customer loyalty.
Beverage companies have made curiosity a powerful marketing tool. Products like Mauby Fizz Tree Bark Soda aren’t just novelty items – they’re legitimate taste experiences that last. Companies and entrepreneurs have found these market segments’ potential. They create products that generate buzz with modest production costs.
Weird sodas offer more than just novelty appeal. Health-focused options like Pickle Juice Soda provide benefits through electrolytes and probiotics. Cultural crossovers like Japanese Curry Ramune create memorable experiences that exceed typical beverage expectations.
Your taste buds might surprise you when you try a strange soda flavor at specialty shops or online stores. These beverages have survived and thrived because people found unexpected delight behind their unusual labels. The weird soda market ended up showing how innovation, even at its most bizarre, creates real business opportunities. It builds lasting customer relationships in a saturated beverage world.
Here are some FAQs about weird soda flavors:
What is the weirdest soda flavor?
The weirdest soda flavors include concepts like Ranch Dressing, Thanksgiving Dinner, and even Antifreeze-flavored sodas. Japan takes the crown for weird Japanese soda flavors with options like Curry and Octopus sodas that baffle Western palates. These gross weird soda flavors push the boundaries of what beverages can taste like.
What is the rarest soda flavor?
One of the rarest soda flavors is the limited-edition Jones Soda Turkey & Gravy flavor released for Thanksgiving. Other weird soda flavors like Oreo Birthday Cake or Peanut Butter & Jelly from small craft soda makers are nearly impossible to find. These obscure creations go beyond typical weird Japanese soda flavors in their scarcity.
What soda has 64 flavors?
The “64 Flavors” concept was famously used by the now-defunct “Tower of Soda” fountain machines. While no major brand currently offers 64 flavors, some weird soda flavors collections from Jones Soda and others approach this variety. These include everything from gross weird soda flavors to more palatable experimental options.
What soft drink has 23 flavors?
Dr Pepper famously claims to contain 23 flavors in its secret formula, though the exact combination remains proprietary. This differs from intentional weird soda flavors that highlight single bizarre tastes like Oreo or pickle. While not as extreme as weird Japanese soda flavors, Dr Pepper’s complexity makes it unique among mainstream sodas.
What flavor is dirty soda?
Dirty soda typically refers to a Utah-originated drink combining cola with coconut syrup and lime. This regional favorite is tamer than truly weird soda flavors but represents an unconventional mix. Unlike gross weird soda flavors, dirty soda has gained legitimate popularity beyond novelty status.
What is the #1 unhealthiest soda?
While not among weird soda flavors, Mountain Dew Code Red often tops unhealthiest soda lists due to extreme sugar and caffeine content. Even compared to gross weird soda flavors, its nutritional profile is concerning. Some weird Japanese soda flavors with unusual ingredients may rival it for health concerns.
What is a crush soda?
Crush is a classic fruit-flavored soda brand known for orange, grape and other conventional flavors. While not known for weird soda flavors like some competitors, it maintains popularity for its straightforward taste. This contrasts sharply with extreme weird Japanese soda flavors that prioritize novelty over refreshment.
What is in Beverly soda?
Beverly is an intentionally bitter Italian soda served at Epcot’s Club Cool as a gag beverage. Among gross weird soda flavors, it stands out for its quinine-like bitterness rather than strange flavor combinations. This makes it different from most weird Japanese soda flavors that focus on unusual taste profiles rather than pure bitterness.
