Popular Soda Brands Ranked Worst To Best

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These days, when it comes to the fizzy drink market, it may feel like the most popular options are always sparkling waters or seltzers. Sure, we love carbonated water, but whatever happened to good, old-fashioned soda? Hear us out: We know it's not the healthiest beverage you could possibly enjoy, but every once in a while, it doesn't hurt to have a can of your favorite sugary, fizzy drink.

Whether you choose a caffeinated version to give yourself a little pick-me-up in the middle of the day or you decide to go with a caffeine-free drink that's just supremely thirst-quenching, enjoying an occasional soda can be a nice treat. And we love the extra bit of flavor soda can give us that, frankly, sparkling water can never match.

But how do you know what kind of soda to get? Of course, there are the standards out there that we all know and love, but there are some lesser-known versions that taste just as good — if not better. That's why we've decided to rank some of the most popular soda brands on the market, covering everything from colas to citrus drinks to orange soda. We'll start with the worst and end with the best of the best. Keep in mind, though, that you might want to try these sodas out before you judge for yourself.

Surge is technically a Coca-Cola brand, but it has its very own identity and unique taste apart from the cola empire. And don't think it's anything like Coke, either. Instead, it tastes more like a spin-off of Mountain Dew. But while it may be slightly less stomach-turning, it's still not a soda we'll be stocking in our fridges anytime soon.

You see, this soda was a cult classic in the '90s (via Player.One), but it eventually left store shelves. So when it came back into production in the mid-2010s, people got excited to try the drink they remembered from so many years ago. But tastes change and nostalgia doesn't forgive all sins. We're guessing that, for many, the actual flavor or Surge came as a surprise.

Though it may have tasted good to childlike palates in the '90s, now it tastes unbelievably artificial. A customer on Amazon expressed the same disappointment: "I read the reviews, got curious about it, ordered it and ... what a disappointment! I hate it. Almost 240 calories a can for a totally artificial flavor. Yuck!"

We agree. It definitely doesn't taste remotely like citrus. Instead, it tastes like what massive food companies thought citrus tasted like in an era where we were all eating way too much processed and pre-packaged food. We think that Surge deserves to stay in the past.

Haven't heard of Dr. Brown's soda before? You're not alone. It may not be as big as Coca-Cola or Pepsi, but it's still widely available at plenty of stores and online. So, you may be wondering: Is it worth it to give it a try? Well, that depends on what you're really looking for in a soda, but we would argue that you should probably just pass it up if you want the best possible soda experience available.

Dr. Brown's is most known for its cream soda (although there are plenty of other flavors to choose from), which sadly leaves a lot to be desired. The flavor isn't necessarily bad, but there's nothing about it that sticks out or makes it special. Rather, it's just kind of bland and a lot more watery than you might expect, too. The carbonation isn't that intense, either, which may leave you questioning why you even picked up a can of this stuff in the first place.

The Soda Jerks had their own, more complementary opinion of this drink: "I personally like a smoother feel in my cream soda ... I'd drink this again if offered, but I don't see myself buying multiples." So, no, you're probably not going to want to spit this stuff out, but it certainly shouldn't be your first choice.

We already told you how we feel about Mug Root Beer, and it wasn't great. But that doesn't mean that every root beer brand out there is bad. One we like slightly better is A&W Root Beer. This is perhaps one of the most classic root beer brands out there, with a lot of name recognition. Chances are, you've tried one of these in your life before. We'll admit, it's not our favorite root beer brand of them all, but it does the trick if it's all you can find at your local vending machine.

Still, there's not too much that's interesting about this brand, which does little more than offer up the root beer status quo. It's sweet but not too intense, which means it likely has wide appeal. That being said, don't expect to be blown out of the water by a bottle from this company.

One reviewer had this to say about the drink: "A&W is definitely a root beer tailored to the mainstream. [Its] flavor is very inoffensive and it is smooth from beginning to end with no bitter aftertaste ... The flavor is average, not overly strong or weak and is very traditional."

There you have it. This is a plain, somewhat boring drink that you probably won't want to go out of your way for. If you do try it, though, you're not likely to complain.

Pepsi is one of the biggest names in soda, and it owns a ton of other soda brands. But you can't mess with the original. Pepsi hit the market just 13 years after Coca-Cola, so it's been around for quite a while. While it may be well-known now for that cringy Kendall Jenner commercial referencing police brutality (which was called out for its racial insensitivity), this soda's flavor is still what most people think of when the brand comes to mind.

We hate to say this because we know it's a controversial opinion, but Pepsi just isn't as good as Coke. It's fine on its own, with that typical cola taste, but it has some flaws when compared to the actual good stuff. It's a bit watery, for one, and it even feels flatter than other colas out there.

At the same time, we think it also tastes less sweet than a lot of other sodas, which we appreciate. While we certainly wouldn't turn down Pepsi at a restaurant, we think we speak for most people when we say we'd ask for a Coke first.

Stewart's isn't one of the best-known soda brands out there, but you might still want to try it if you're curious about other options. This brand is most known for its root beer and cream soda, both of which are solid. We're going to warn you: These drinks really are sweet. But even with all that sugary flavor, we still think that this is a great brand overall.

While the root beer and the cream soda are definitely tasty, there are other flavors that you'll likely want to try as well — and some of them are downright delicious. The grape soda is seriously really good and doesn't taste as artificial as some grape sodas you'll find. The cherries 'n cream is a little out of the ordinary, which makes it a great option if you're trying to find something new. But as far as we're concerned, the Key lime soda is the best of the bunch.

Is this the absolute best soda brand out there? We don't think so. But if you want to try something new and you're curious about what Stewart's has to offer, we think that you should give it a try.

You may argue that all citrus sodas taste the same, but that's just not true. There's one citrus soda that rises above all the others, and that's Sprite. Sprite is Coca-Cola's answer to 7UP, per Forbes, but we think that it's actually way better. Trust us when we say that the original is the way to go. Sprite's got that lemon-lime flavor you love without any caffeine. It's also light, crisp, and refreshing in a way that'll make you want to take one more sip — then another, and another. And while Sprite may taste sweeter than brands like 7UP, that intense carbonation makes it hard to notice how much sugar you're downing.

You can find both ginger and cherry-flavored Sprite, but they're not particularly tasty. And when it comes to the tropical mix Sprite? We don't suggest trying it. Like most other sodas out there, we don't really like the alternative sugar options either. But because the original is so good, it still ranks toward the top of our list.

Another thing that might make you love Sprite: according to Atlanta magazine, it's an excellent hangover cure. That's because the ingredients help your body break down an enzyme that's responsible for how miserable you feel when you've had one too many the night before. Therefore, it can help shorten the amount of time you spend in bed on Sunday morning with the blackout shades drawn.

Faygo may not have the very best flavor compared to other soda brands, but when it comes to selection, you really can't go wrong with this company. There are so many different sodas for you to choose from just within the Faygo brand. Ultimately, no matter what flavor you like, you can pretty much guarantee that Faygo is going to carry it. From traditional cola to fruit punch to pineapple orange to grape, you're going to want to try just about everything at least once.

Of course, that sort of variety means that there will be some misses alongside the hits. We'll admit that there are some pretty gross soda varieties in this product lineup. After all, have you ever really wanted to drink cotton candy soda? Too bad, because you're going to get it from Faygo. The candy apple might just turn your stomach, too, as will the overly sweet and artificial peach soda.

On the other hand, you'll also get to choose from favorites like black cherry and the relatively well-balanced raspberry blueberry. Since these flavors are so hit and miss overall, you just have to give them a try and see what you think for yourself.

You didn't think we would forget about Coca-Cola, did you? Coke is absolutely iconic in the soda world. In fact, it's so entrenched in American culture that, in some parts of the country, "coke" is used to refer to the entire category of soda. It's been around for well over a century, and it doesn't look like it's going anywhere anytime soon. There's something about that brown fizzy drink we all love — and no, it's not the cocaine (they took that out in 1903).

By all measures, Coca-Cola is far too sweet, but we love it anyway. It has a rich, intense flavor that's similar to root beer in some ways but also more subtle and less pronounced. It's not spicy, per se, but it does have a slight bite that sets it apart from other colas on the market.

Of course, you know all about the different types of Coke you can find lining store shelves. Some of the most popular include cherry and vanilla Coke. Are they good? It depends on your preferences. They both taste even sweeter than the original, so keep that in mind if you want to try them out. Truthfully, Coke shouldn't taste as good as it does, but we can't help but love it anyway. We'll continue using it as a mixer for our favorite cocktails and using it to replace our afternoon coffees.

We know that not everybody likes orange soda, but hear us out, even if you're a bit skeptical. And if orange soda is your thing, then you must know that Fanta is where it's at. The original Fanta is the orange one, and it really is amazing. It's super sweet, yes, but the artificial-tasting orange flavor with the heavy carbonation somehow makes it really drinkable. But there are lots of other Fanta flavors too, including grape, peach, and fruit punch. The Fanta piña colada is worth a try if you want to try something really different, and the pineapple is also really interesting. However, the orange flavor Fanta really is the best of the bunch.

If you're not from the U.S. or you've taken a vacation elsewhere in the world and ordered a Fanta, you may realize that you don't get the same drink. Countless blogs have pointed out the differences, which can vary a bit depending on your location. If you get an orange Fanta in Italy, for instance, it's more likely to taste like carbonated orange juice than the artificial-tasting American stuff. The color is bound to be quite a bit lighter, too. But really, no matter where in the world you get Fanta, you can bet on it tasting pretty darn good.