10 - Poppi Root Beer
Poppi is a pretty new brand in the soda world. Allison Ellsworth began exploring alternatives to soda in 2015, creating new drinks in her kitchen that she hoped would be healthier. Eventually, she created “Mother Beverage”, a drink based on apple cider vinegar with some flavor infusions that she sold at a local farmer’s market.
A rep from World Market tried the drink out and was interested in selling it in their stores. Eventually, she went on Shark Tank and rebranded to Poppi. Amazingly enough, Poppi got popular on TikTok and was sold in stores and on Amazon right out the gate.
PepsiCo bought out Poppi in May 2025.
Which brings us to their Root Beer, which is the only drink I really care about since this is a Root Beer review website.
Branding
Personally speaking, I find the branding kind of boring. Poppi goes for pastel colors, so they don’t really stand out as a bright colored drink. On the other hand, since all their drinks have muted tones and a similar look to them, you will be able to recognize them quickly on the shelf.
Taste and Ingredients
Unfortunately, the first time you take a sip of this drink, you will find that it hits you like a gut punch. The flavor is very medicinal, probably due to the apple cider vinegar. On the other hand, you do smell the root beer odor, and there is a definite taste of root beer buried in there. You’ll also probably note some kind of minty flavor in the background, too.
Here’s a full listing of the ingredients for you to peruse:
The Wrap Up
Poppi drinks are not really my thing. This is supposed to be a healthy drink, and maybe it is when contrasted with a regular root beer. However, if you pick this up thinking it is normal root beer, you will most likely be unpleasantly surprised.
On the other hand, if you are trying to cut back on soda or need apple cider vinegar for some reason, then maybe Poppi is right for you.