The Best Brands of Natural Sodas (and colas)
Fed up of the conventional soda brands? Try something new, from artisan brands handmade in England. They are made with natural ingredients and sweetened naturally with real sugar (the upcoming sugar tax means nearly all big brands have added artificial sweeteners, to make more profit).
Check medication before consuming grapefruit or rhubarb sodas (avoid hibiscus lemonade for pregnancy). Also avoid caffeine (cola) or follow NHS guidelines of no more than one a day.
Always pop ring-pulls back over hole before recycling, to avoid wildlife getting trapped.
Why Do Most Sodas Have Artificial Sweeteners?
Most main brands have now added in disgusting-aftertaste artificial sweeteners (same with fruit squash) to try to eek more profits, due to the upcoming sugar tax.
One critic of the new recipe for Ribena (a vitamin-C-rich blackcurrant squash developed to during World War II, when citrus fruits were not available) wrote ‘Adding sweeteners to Ribena was intended to reduce our sugar intake. This has worked, as I no longer buy Ribena!’
Steep Soda Co (handmade in Manchester)
Steep Soda Co stands out for putting a fresh spin on classic soda flavours. This brand based in Manchester takes familiar tastes you love, then packages natural sodas in stylish modern cans.
Lime and Cucumber offers a refreshing blend of flavours, for a hot day.
The lemonade is refreshing and tart, with real lemon juice, for a natural zest that is not too sour. Ideal for a warm day, or to use as a mixer.
And if you like a little spice, the Ginger Beer offers a fiery kick from real ginger root. Again, it’s good alone or as a mixer. Finished with a hint of citrus.
Cherry Lee Natural Soda (with good karma!)
Did you know that one of the best remedies for insomnia, is apparently a glass of tart cherry juice? We’re not sure if a cherry soda is the same, but it’s got to be healthier than a can of artificially-sweetened soda, hasn’t it?
Karma Drink’s Cherry Lee Soda is made with real cherries and Fair Trade sugar, which helps farmers in Sierra Leone to earn a fair price for their crops. Find it in shops everywhere (it’s also sold at train stations and airports).
This new flavour is from the brand that brought us Fair Trade organic cola.
If you like the taste of Lilt or Rio, try their new Tropikool fair trade soda, a fruit blend of mango and passionfruit. Not local, but still a step up from the main tropical drink players. And again this is free from artificial sweeteners.
Fentimans (botanical sodas from Northumberland)
Fentimans has been making soft drinks in Northumberland for over a century, and its unique botanical recipes set it apart. Known for its bold flavours, elegant bottles and natural ingredients,
This drinks brand has an interesting history. Thomas was approached for a loan back in the day, and the ‘security’ was the recipe for botanically brewed ginger beer. The loan was never repaid, so that’s how Thomas became the founder of Fentimans!
This company has been around 100 years. If you look closely on the top label of each bottle, you’ll see an illustration of Fearless, the family dog who still guards each bottle, a century later!
Most sodas are made in minutes, but Fentimans uses botanical brewing, a process that takes seven days. They infuse, ferment, and blend real plants, roots, and herbs. This method creates deeper flavours and a natural fizz that stands out from mass-produced drinks.
Fentimans offers a wide range of flavours. Popular picks include their classic Victorian Lemonade, fiery Ginger Beer, and Rose Lemonade. More adventurous choices like Cherry Cola or Dandelion & Burdock draw on British flavours and botanical blends. Each one is bold, refreshing, and unique.
- Elderflower Rose Tonic
- Sparkling Elderflower
- Victorian & Raspberry Lemonade
- Ginger Beer & Pink Ginger
- Curiosity Cola (also in cherry)
- Dandelion & Burdock
- Lemon Shandy
Fentimans Botanical Boost drinks include extra ingredients, for good digestion and metabolism. Choose from:
- Apple & Elderflower
- Cherry & Blood Orange
- Lemon & Pink Ginger
Fentimans also makes nice tonic waters, to go with your gin or vodka. Avoid tonic waters for pregnancy/nursing due to quinine (and affected medical conditions).
As well as Indian and light tonic water, choose from various flavours including:
- Elderflower Rose
- Ginger
- Pink Grapefruit
- Rhubarb
Dalston’s Sodas (sparkling drinks with bold flavours)
Dalston’s Soda Co has become a real favourite for anyone who enjoys proper soft drinks. Unlike most big brands, Dalston’s promises real ingredients, bold flavours, and a strong focus on being good to the planet.
Dalston’s Sodas stand out because they use real fruit juice in every can. You can taste the difference right away. They skip the usual artificial flavourings and stick with pressed juices, which gives their sodas a fresher, truer taste.
Flavours include:
- Cherry
- Elderflower
- Rhubarb (check medication)
- Lemon
- Peach
- Ginger Beer
Quenched: Thirst-Quenching Soda Drinks
Quenched brings a simple refreshing take to busy days, and special occasions. These fizzy fruit-flavoured drinks are ideal for warm days, or when you wish to skip the booze.
Sold in three flavours, each can contains just sparkling water, real fruit and a little thirst-quenching bicarbonate of soda. For a light, flavourful refreshment to enjoy any time.
- Lime and soda is not too heavy or sweet, ideal with a touch of Rocks organic cordial.
- Blackcurrant and soda is a classic childhood treat, with a sweet-tart balance to appeal to all ages.
- Orange and soda blends juicy, sun-ripened oranges with the lively fizz of soda water. Summer in a glass!
Nuisance Botanical Sodas (from The Cotswolds)
If you love unique drinks with a botanical twist, Nuisance Drinks delivers a sparkling taste of the Cotswolds. These non-alcoholic drinks bring together wild and foraged ingredients to create a refreshing alternative to sugary sodas.
The unique flavours are inspired by the founder and his mum, who spent summer foraging to make homemade cordial. 1% of sales from this brand go to rewilding projects, which help to foster natural homes for native species like beavers. The range includes:
- Nettle & Elderflower blends wild nettles with fragrant elderflower, delivering a light, grassy fizz and floral notes. Perfect for a summer picnic or as a mixer.
- Rhubarb & Ginger suits autumn evenings or a lively lunch with friends. The ginger isn’t overpowering, giving just enough warmth without stealing the show.
- Wild Bramble & Rosemary is a nice non-alcoholic spritz, as an alternative to tonic or lemonade.
- Damson & Rosehip has a subtle floral tang. Not too sweet.
- Cucumber & Mint offers a fresh, crisp profile that’s perfect on a hot day. A great base for mocktails or simply with crushed ice.
Idyll Sustainable Sodas (with foraged ingredients)
For those who love a cool sparkling drink on a warm day, Idyll Drinks bring something special to the table. These drinks focus on flavour, natural ingredients, and a fresh style that makes them stand out. 5p from each can is also donated to a rewilding charity.
Idyll Drinks are not afraid to mix things up. They combine fruits, botanicals, and herbs to create one-of-a-kind flavours that are carefully balanced. These aren’t your everyday sodas—they offer something new with every sip.
The range includes:
- Wild Gooseberry (berries from a regenerative Essex farm with South African wild rooibos)
- Wild Apple (with Herefordshire cider vinegar, sweet woodruff and hogweed seeds). Tastes like ‘apple infused with warming spices, orange zest and a hint of hay!)
- Wild Rhubarb (low-calorie alternative to rhubarb crumble, which is good too!) A refreshing take on classic cream soda, with meadowsweet and vanilla.
- Pine Forest Soda (Douglas Fir and Scots Pine – who ever thought of drinking a Christmas tree, but there you go! Nice with gin or serve in a whisky highball.
Fair Trade Colas (alternatives to the big brands)
Steep Cola is a blend of sweet and spicy notes, with a gentle fizz and smooth flavour from pure cane sugar. It’s also available in a ‘light version’, sweetened with stevia.
Cola is one of the world’s most popular drinks. If you like it, then search out for alternate brands, which are made with more natural ingredients, support artisan brands and also taste nicer!
Natural brands are made with real sugar, so don’t leave them around, or you’ll get bees and ants swarming around!
Karma Cola is the main brand which you’ll find in many indie shops and cafes, and it’s even sold in train stations. This brand pays a premium price for kola nuts to farmers in Sierra Leone, to ensure good welfare and income.
It also comes in a light version (still made with natural ingredients, and sweetened with stevia).
Like cocoa beans for chocolate, most cola beans are bought in bulk by big companies for low prices, which means that despite huge profits for industry, the farmers see very little financial benefits.
This brand does things differently. And also makes raspberry lemonade, orangeade and other fizzy drinks, ideal for those who like sodas, but also helping to support farmers abroad.
Fentimans Curiosity Cola is botanically brewed in Northumberland, and has cinnamon undertones. It’s popular in artisan bars and hotels, and tastes more like proper cola used to taste, when it first was invented.
This brand was founded by someone who was given a recipe (instead of money) to pay back a loan! The company dog used to look after staff over 100 years ago, and his face still appears on all the bottles!
You’ll also find traditional lemonades and rose lemonades, as well as ginger beer and other goodies, along with a range of natural tonic waters (avoid for pregnancy/nursing, due to quinine).
