Review: Solar - Yerba Mate Brew - 16 oz

We’ve been fans of Revive Kombucha since first sampling its products. The company's latest effort, “Solar,” is no exception. Made with kombucha that uses organic and fair trade yerba mate, the product has the familiar base flavor of kombucha, but with a little bit more zing to it than The O.G. does. This is due in part to the raw cold-pressed ginger and lemon juices that the company has added, along with almond and vanilla extract. In terms of flavor, it’s like yerba mate mixed with lemon lime soda and ginger ale. The kombucha and vanilla add to the drink’s finish, which is clean and crisp. All in all, this is a very enjoyable product that is still one of our favorite flavors of Revive. On the packaging and branding front, we’re big fans of the 16 oz. swing top bottle. In its prior rendition, the “Solar” branding wasn’t overly clear, but the new version, which features a cyclist, doesn’t exactly help clarify what Revive is attempting to achieve. It seems conceptual or random and makes us wonder why the company doesn't put more emphasis on the yerba mate or the ginger. Of all the labels, this one feels like it needs the most refinement. Still, this is some of the better tasting liquid, so we’ll still give it high marks for that. Overall, we feel as though a change to the messaging is in order, but the flavor is spot on.