The pros: Trader Joe's Rhubarb and Strawberry Soda is new, actually contains rhubarb and strawberry juice and is something fun to try.
The cons: I would still reach for Trader Joe's French Berry Lemonade to get my strawberry soda fix over this.
The verdict: Confession time: I love soda. Having a Diet Coke is my joy. To me, there is something special about that nondescript artificial flavor. However, I have been trying to get away from it more and more. I have started to drink seltzer to replace my need for fizz. So I was kind of excited to see that Trader Joe's was jumping into the soda arena. Currently the only sodas I've seen them sell are Hansen and San Pellegrino. They do sell lots of seltzer, but real soda is usually limited.
Now, I'm a fan of strange flavors of soda. Strawberry and grape tend to be my favorites, but they can be so very sweet. So I was excited to see a non-cola variety. I was even more excited to see that this actually has fruit in it. So while it is still sweetened, at least the flavors here are natural.
The flavor here is pretty balance between the strawberry and rhubarb. The sweet strawberry hit my palate first, but then the tart rhubarb set in. The fizziness of the drink was good, but mine sprayed me a little more than I would like when I first opened the package. If you are a soda drinkers, then this flavor may be worth a try. I would have been content with just the strawberry flavor on its own. While this is still pretty much just empty calories, there still aren't quite as many calories when compared to a regular soda.
For $3.49 you are getting four cans. This is a better format that the French Berry. It's portable too, but it is a bit pricey. If you like off beat flavors of soda, then feel free to give this a whirl. One flavor did not overwhelm the other. But it would be just a bit too basic of Trader Joe's to make just a strawberry flavor.
Here is the visual run down of what you get if you buy this product:
The box of Trader Joe's Rhubarb and Strawberry Soda:
The nutritional information and ingredients:
How Trader Joe's describes this soda:
Out of the package you get:
Would I buy this again? No, I would not buy Trader Joe's Rhubarb and Strawberry Soda again. It was fun to try, but I prefer some of their other fizzy drinks over this.
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe’s for a searchable list.
Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
My family grew up on strawberry rhubarb pie, so when I brought a pack of these home they were very popular. But you might have to be a strawberry + rhubarb fan to love them, like we did. We’ll definitely be getting them again, especially since they’re so light and refreshing (I just can’t stand sweet sodas). They’d probably be great for mixed drinks, for those inclined to experiment 😉
Hey Sara! Glad you enjoyed it as much as I did. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts!
Bought these because I love rhubarb and was not disappointed. Only trouble now is the closest Trader Joe's is 100 miles away
Hey Carolyn! Wow, you are a long ways a away from the TJs. I'm glad you took the time to share your thoughts on this. I hope you can get more of these yummy sodas soon.