Fruit and bubbles are always a winning pair, as we see in this week’s reviews, which features fruit-flavored cane sugar sodas from Pura Soda alongside a pair of bubbly lemonades from Lemonati. To submit your beverage product to BevNET for review, click here. And to browse past reviews, check the archive here.
Pura Soda is a new line of naturally flavored sodas made with real fruit extracts and pure cane sugar. The lineup includes four flavors (Cranberry, Cucumber & Lime, Lemon & Elderflower, and Seville Orange) each packaged in a slim, 10-ounce can that highlights the brand’s clean, modern design. With 13 grams of sugar per can, Pura Soda positions itself as a lighter, more refined alternative to mainstream soft drinks, emphasizing purity, natural flavor, and a crisp, less sweet experience.
Things that stand out:
- The use of real fruit extracts results in accurate and enjoyable fruit notes that stand out without overwhelming the palate. Crisp carbonation and a lower sweetness level create a refined, adult-oriented drinking experience. Clean ingredient list aligns with the “pure” positioning of the brand.
- The flavor lineup is interesting and unique rather than just regular soda flavors.
- Packaging is bold and consistent across flavors, with bright colors and clear branding that make it pop on the shelf.
Things to consider:
- The dual emphasis on cane sugar (“13g cane sugar” appears multiple times) could be counterproductive, as consumers are more likely to value less sugar, not more.
- The “0% juice” callout above the nutrition panel clashes with the product’s “real fruit extract” messaging and could confuse consumers.
- Made in South Africa, which could raise cost and margin concerns for U.S. distribution.
- While attractive, the label hierarchy could better highlight the “lightly sweetened” message to clarify the brand’s differentiation from traditional sodas.
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Lemonati is a fresh spin on classic lemonade with its new line of sparkling lemonades, available in Original and Blueberry varieties. Packaged in sleek 12-ounce cans, the drinks emphasize their use of a proprietary “Lemonati™ lemon” that they claim needs less added sugar. Both versions contain 90 calories and 18 grams of added sugar per can, relying on a modest 12-13% juice content to provide authentic citrus flavor. The result is a light, crisp beverage that aims to bridge the gap between soda and traditional lemonade.
Things that stand out:
- Light carbonation adds refreshment and lifts the citrus flavor profile. Sweetness feels restrained compared to mainstream lemonades. Both of these attributes make for something that’s familiar but feels modern and unique.
- Blueberry variety offers a pleasant, natural-tasting berry accent without overpowering the lemon base.
- The cans are bright, modern, and shelf-friendly, with clear flavor cues and color differentiation.
Things to consider:
- The main Lemonati logo blends into the background due to its metallic finish and could be more prominent.
- The “Lemonati lemon” branding concept could use clearer storytelling to reinforce its point of difference. There’s a bunch of content on the company’s website, but this isn’t obvious if you are just looking at the package (as most consumers will be).
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