Zevia and Blue Sky Free

Submitted by Dana on Mon, 2010-08-09 12:40

One of the great things about the Low Carb Meet-and-Greet is that it gave me a chance to get feedback on Zevia and Blue Sky Free, the two new all-natural sugar-free sodas. This was needed, because, as I've mentioned, I loathe all soda pop, and a series of reviews all of which said "BLEEARGH! HOW CAN PEOPLE DRINK THIS STUFF?" just wasn't going to be very useful to you, the consumer.

So we had both of 'em, all the flavors we had on hand, on ice, and next to the coolers a pad where we asked people to record what sort of soda they tried, a 1-5 rating, and any other comments. Here's what we got:

Kind Rating Comments

Zevia Ginger Ale 3 Too sweet
Zevia Orange 4 Not quite enough "orange" flavor
Blue Sky Jamaican Ginger Ale 3 Felt there could be more "Oomph"
Zevia Orange 3 Sweet, needs more orange
Blue Sky Root Beer 4 Good root beer flavor, but no bite
Blue Sky Jamaican Ginger Ale 4 Nice sharp bite, lots of bubbles
Zevia Twist (lemon-lime) 4 Could use more lime flavor
Blue Sky Cola 4 Little too sweet
Blue Sky Jamaican Ginger Ale 2 Too sweet
Zevia Root Beer 4 Good flavor, not too sweet
Zevia Root Beer 5 The best Zevia flavor
Blue Sky Root Beer 2 Some after taste

One other note: One guest pointed out the Zevia label, which says "100% Natural Stevia," when the soda is sweetened both with stevia and with erythritol. She said she felt this was misleading. It is true that the federal government, in their Infinite Wisdom (yeah, right), has decreed that stevia may be added to foods, but may not be used specifically as a sweetener -- it's a "supplement." This may be why the sodas both use erythritol as well, or it may be that the flavor is better with the blend of the two. I certainly find stevia problematic to work with. But since it was a concern, I thought I ought to mention it.

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Zevia and Blue Sky carb count

Submitted by TAJ_1 on Wed, 2010-08-11 12:32.

Back to the original topic - I bought a six pack of Zevia cola and a six pack of Blue Sky cola when they were both in the 99-cent clearance cart at my local Kroger store a couple of weeks ago. After I got them home, I noticed the calorie count was zero but the carb count was 17 grams! How can that be? I'm confused. I know the erythritol is not supposed to be metabolized but I still don't believe it has zero net carbs.

I drank one can of the Zevia and was very disappointed. It didn't taste any different from any other DIET cola out there (I hate them all!). I was so hoping it would taste like my beloved and much missed regular Pepsi. I haven't tried the Blue Sky yet. I'm scared off by the carb count.

BTW - I love Truvia and Splenda together in my Iced Tea and Mock Danish. Closest I've tasted to real sugar.

Carb Count of Erythritol

Submitted by Dana on Wed, 2010-08-11 12:44.

So far as I have been able to glean, we really do absorb virtually none of erythritol. How that jibes with erythritol's lack of gastric effects I do not know, but I'm glad for it.

Not a supplement anymore

Submitted by Tracebooks on Wed, 2010-08-11 11:26.

Actually, the FDA changed the law (how they can change it themselves??) on December 23, 2008, which I considered a wonderful Christmas present! Stevia can now be used as a sweetener. Two major erythritol blends with stevia are out there; Coke funded one and Pepsi funded the other. This is because there are so many compounds in the stevia plant that different people will taste different things. Some people will get a licorice-like flavor with some brands. I don't. Some people get a bitter aftertaste. I don't.

Stevia needs a bulking agent, because it is 200-300 times sweeter than sugar, depending on the individual plant (just as one tomato may be more tart or more sweet than the exact same kind of tomato grown down the block). Maltodextrin is the usual bulking agent, but it does add some carbs. Erythritol is so low on the glycemic index that it adds fewer carbs.

Both Coke and Pepsi, funding Cargill and ConAgra, worked to find a way to pull out the compounds contributing to sweetness while leaving behind the ones that caused bitterness. Zevia actually did this process on their own, while Blue Sky uses Cargill's Truvia.

I tend to buy Trader Joe's myself, for everyday use. I believe it's made by KAL, which is reputed to be the best-tasting non-erythritol stevia blend. It's less-expensive than Truvia, and it doesn't have the "fresh" minty flavor from the erythritol, which can work well in things involving citrus or mint, but not so well, I've found, with your Peanut Butter and Jelly Pie.

Well, thanks!

Submitted by Dana on Wed, 2010-08-11 11:29.

Truly useful info!