Review: The Prebiotic Soda Wars Just Got A Lot More Carbonated With Coca-Cola's Simply Pop

There's been a lot of talk these days about probiotics and prebiotics, and it shouldn't be long before in-the-middle-biotics hit shelves. For the past few years, colorful prebiotics drinks like Poppi and Olipop have grabbed the most attention, as these "healthy" sodas are said to help benefit the microorganisms that reside in our guts, although many have questioned that claim about probiotics, too. While these healthy sodas have eaten away at the bottom line of regular sodas, how long could a giant like Coca-Cola sit on the sidelines and do nothing? In 2025, Coca-Cola finally answered the call and is throwing its liquid hat into the ring, hoping to take down these soda disruptors with the new Simply Pop line (which should not be confused with Jolly Time's Simply Popped popcorn).

Coca-Cola has been doing things "Simply" since 2001, when it launched its Simply Orange juice. That juice is simply that, without added water, sugar or preservatives. And 24 years later, the beverage king is Simply expanded the brand to include its very first prebiotic sodas, which include 6 grams of fiber, Vitamin C and zinc, no added sugar, and 25% to 30% real fruit juice from concentrate, all to help nourish our innards. It comes in five flavors: Citrus Punch, Fruit Punch, Lime, Pineapple and Mango, and Strawberry, with the potential for more, if all goes well.

So, first and foremost, are Coca-Cola's Simply Pop sodas too simple for their own good, or are these beverages something greater, and will reach the top of the "Pop" chart? The Takeout cracked open a can of each to form a gut reaction see where the truth lies for this sip and say.

Recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Coca-Cola is launching its Simply Pop line in February 2025. It will initially be sold at retailers in the West and Southeast of the United States, as well as online nationally via Amazon. According to Coca-Cola, "as part of our strategic rollout of Simply Pop, we are targeting specific regions we aim to build momentum and a following for the product before upscaling to a national audience at retail."

Simply Pop comes in five flavors Citrus Punch, Fruit Punch, Lime, Pineapple and Mango, and Strawberry, and are sold individually in slime 12-ounce cans. They are sold at room temperature, do not require refrigeration, although Coca-Cola recommends that they be chilled for maximum enjoyment. The suggested retail price of each can is $2.49, but price may vary by retailer.

As I ogled over the pretty Simply Pop Citrus Punch can with its imagery of oranges and its color with the matching name making for a sunny design, I expected the liquid that would come out of it to follow suit. I was taken aback when what flowed looked more like a watery looking pineapple juice. My first whiff of this drink smelled like orange Tums, and on a second pass, the astronaut-friendly Tang.

My first sip brought about an immediate orange-like flavoring, but that quickly succumbed to the effervescence of the carbonated water. Further sips resulted in more of the same, a hint of orange, before being pushed to the side by the bubbly base. Overall, it was a light and airy drink, almost seltzer-like, which was a non-offensive, easy sipper. I wouldn't say I was enamored with the flavor, as it didn't exactly register a lasting impact.

Simply Pop Citrus Punch is a sunny blend of carbonated water, pear, apple, clarified peach, orange, and lemon juices from concentrate, soluble corn fiber, and less than 0.5% of monk fruit extract, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), zinc gluconate, natural flavors, and beta-carotene. A single serving size is a 12-ounce/355 milliliter can, which is good for 60 calories, 25 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of dietary fiber, 10 grams of total sugars, with zero added sugar, and 100 milligrams of potassium.

I'm not sure what you think a "fruit punch" is supposed to look like, but say those dynamic duo words to me and the first thing I'll think of is the hyper-red coloring that gives Hawaiian Punch that truly visual punch. Again, I was surprised with the coloring here of this drink. Obviously this is meant to be a more natural line, but I didn't expect to see a hue I could best describe as Champagne sullied by pear juice. Luckily, the smell hit the mark, conjuring up that traditional fruit punch essence, where cherry and pineapple play nice.

Like with the Citrus Punch, the Fruit Punch was also light and easy to drink, but sadly, its taste was also rather restrained. The Fruit Punch seemed to have more of a variety of fruit flavoring than the Citrus one, which is odd, since the latter actually features one more fruit in its ingredient list. The one fruit that seemed to stand out in this punch is pineapple, but it's flavoring isn't as sweet as I would have liked it to be, and again, just taste like a lightly fruity seltzer.

Simply Pop Fruit Punch is a mixed bowl of carbonated water, pear, pineapple, cherry, and lemon juices from concentrate, soluble corn fiber, and less than 0.5% of monk fruit extract, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), zinc gluconate, and natural flavors. A single serving size is a 12-ounce/355 milliliter can, which is good for 50 calories, 25 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of dietary fiber, 9 grams of total sugars, with zero added sugar, .6 milligrams of iron, and 100 milligrams of potassium.

After pouring some Simply Pop Line into a clear glass, we were finally getting somewhere color wise. The Lime flavor's body had an appealing light green tint to it — like a pulp-less limeade. Leaning in for a whiff, my nostrils immediately swooned to its aroma. It smelled like a lime rickey, which is truly a delightful drink if you've never had the pleasure before.

Like with the others Simply Pop flavors above, this one felt like a tampered down version of the fruit flavor it's trying to mimic, and leaned more on its carbonation as its main flavor. Yet, the lime flavoring here was far more appealing and winning. It had a freshness to it, and with the hint of sourness that caps each sip, it added a needed bite that the other two seemed to lack.

Simply Pop Lime consists of carbonated water, pear, apple, and lime juices from concentrate, soluble corn fiber, and less than 0.5% of monk fruit extract, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), zinc gluconate, and natural flavors. A single serving size is a 12-ounce/355 milliliter can, which is good for 60 calories, 25 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of dietary fiber, 10 grams of total sugars, with zero added sugar.

Luckily I know which liquid was in my glass because I poured it there myself, because otherwise, I may confuse the Pineapple Mango Simply Pop drink for the Citrus or Fruit Punch ones, with their similarly dulled yellowish-coloring. A quick smell did check the box of one of the two promised fruits in the title — pineapple. It actually smelled a bit like the syrup one would find diced pineapples preserved and swimming in, in a school lunchbox.

Taking a quick sip, both the pineapple and mango flavors make their presence known. All the other multi-fruit-flavored ones seem to lean to one fruit over another, but this one hit a nice balance between the two tropical ones. It created a combo that was quite good that I was already on to my second pour into my glass before I knew it.

Simply Pop Pineapple Mango's ingredient lists includes carbonated water, pear, apple, and pineapple juices from concentrate, soluble corn fiber, lemon juice from concentrate, mango puree from concentrate, and less than 0.5% of monk fruit extract, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), zinc gluconate, and natural flavors. A single serving size is a 12-ounce/355 milliliter can, which is good for 60 calories, 25 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of dietary fiber, 10 grams of total sugars, with zero added sugar, and 100 milligrams of potassium.

Beyond pineberries, which appear like white strawberries, red is the most alluring feature of an actual strawberry. I'm not sure if coloring was taken into consideration in the crafting of the drinks, but the Simply Pop Strawberry simply had zero redness to its liquid. It kind of looked like a more translucent ginger ale. Thankfully, that visual misstep was corrected in the essence department, as it had a lovely strawberry smell to it.

Strawberry flavored drinks and foods are always a tricky venture. They often come off as tasting too saccharinely artificial, and become less appearing with each sip or bite. Thankfully, the Simply Pop take on strawberry flavoring thrived because of its tempered approach. Like the Simply Pop Lime drink, beyond its initial rush of fruit flavoring, its second wave of taste has a neat bite to it, although here it's sweetened, and not soured.

Simply Pop Strawberry is made up of carbonated water, pear, apple, cherry, strawberry, and lemon juices from concentrate, soluble corn fiber, and less than 0.5% of monk fruit extract, sea salt, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), zinc gluconate, and natural flavors. A single serving size is a 12-ounce/355 milliliter can, which is good for 60 calories, 25 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of dietary fiber, 10 grams of total sugars, with zero added sugar, .5 milligrams of iron, and 110 milligrams of potassium.

Before we can continue any further, I have to admit something. I love sodas, but prior to this review, I had never encountered a prebiotic soda, besides admiring their cans' designs, as I passed by them in my local Whole Foods. So, I came into this sip and say with no prior brand favorites, or preconceived notions. I gave each drink its fair shake, and I think it's fair to say, they're just okay. Not much of a needle-mover, unless we're trying to move the needle a bit more fruity beyond a no-frills club soda.

All the drinks were easy to intake, and were simply... fine. If I had to play favorites, I'd say the Strawberry one has a nice peppiness to it, which made it stand out from the more citrusy, but weaker flavors. The clear winner to me was the Lime flavor, which honored its fruit, and provided a drink that I would perhaps reach for again.

Before this all came to a close, I was curious how these stacked up to Olipop and Poppi. I grabbed an "orange" flavor of each, and was surprised at how fuller and fruitier their flavors were. Perhaps that was the added sugars speaking, which both brands embody, while Simply Pop does not abide. Simply Pop was more, perhaps by design, simpler, and thus isn't exactly adding much pop to this burgeoning prebiotic industry. Guess I may have to hold out for Complex Pop for a fuller line of flavor.

The fine folks at Coca-Cola provided me with a mailer that included a single can of all five Simply Pp flavors: Citrus Punch, Fruit Punch, Lime, Pineapple and Mango, and Strawberry. After they arrived, I placed the five cans in the refrigerator overnight to chill out.

The drinks were sampled initially, in alphabetical order, all from a classic Coca-Cola fountain glass from my own drink-ware collection. Further sips were taken for further analysis, and then compared between all five flavors. To reach a conclusion, the following criteria were considered for this sip and say: taste, matching of the fruit flavor in its name, palatability, uniqueness, overall lovability, and the likelihood I would reach for a can of it in the future. The quick answer my gut told me is, perhaps not so fast, but if you've got the time, try the Lime.