The “So Delicious” Apple Drink That Made Me Say So Long to Pumpkin Spice (My Fridge Is Stocked!)

It seems like everyone (including myself) is all about pumpkin spice in autumn, but let’s not forget the OG flavor of fall: apple. While I enjoy the fruit in any kind of dessert, whether it has a candy-red coating or is baked in a crumble, I also love apple cider: chilled in a glass, hot in a mug, sparkling in a champagne flute — I’m in. But recently I discovered a new apple beverage that completely blew me away: Olipop’s Crisp Apple Soda. It literally smells and tastes like a just-picked apple, and it’s replaced pumpkin spice sips and regular cola as my go-to drink for fall. In fact, it’s such a tasty treat that I’m ordering it by the case!

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As you might know, Olipop is a brand that makes soda using natural ingredients and prebiotics. There are currently 18 flavors available, including classics like Vintage Cola and Ginger Ale, creative twists like Banana Cream and Watermelon Lime, and seasonal flavors like my beloved Crisp Apple, which was just brought back by popular demand and is here to stay all year-round (yay!). The reason it tastes so much like a real apple? It’s made with apple juice concentrate and natural green apple flavor! While Olipop’s soda is sold in grocery stores and on Amazon, it can also be ordered directly from their website. A 12-pack costs $35.99, or $30.59 if you subscribe for regular delivery every 2, 4, or 8 weeks. 

The first thing I noticed when I cracked open a can of Olipop’s Crisp Apple Soda is that it really smells like an actual apple — not artificial in any way. Despite how good it smelled, I was still dubious about how it would taste, because some fruit-flavored sodas I’ve tried from other brands have been sickeningly sweet or taste like candy. After pouring the soda into a glass with ice and giving it another sniff — this time the scent was even more heavenly — I gave it a sip. I was so surprised by how good it was that I literally said “Wow!” out loud (I was alone at the time). The soda was crisp and refreshing like ginger ale but tasted as if I had just bitten into a freshly picked apple. I was getting notes of Red Delicious and green apple, with a sweetness that was light and not overwhelming. 

Since that first sip, I’ve been drinking Olipop’s Crisp Apple Soda pretty much every single day. It hit the spot on those still-warm days leading up to fall, and it just feels right when the temperatures are chillier. There’s something very festive about it as well, and I definitely plan to serve it during the holiday season at parties and dinners. And now that Olipop has made Crisp Apple one of the permanent flavors on their lineup, I can raise a glass all year round. Cheers to that!

Buy: Olipop Crisp Apple Soda, $35.99 for 12