Best and Worst Diet Colas
Nothing says summer like lounging poolside in your thong, enjoying a crispy, ice-cold diet cola. Nothing also says summer like my neighbours yelling, “Brian, put your clothes on or I’m calling the cops again!” But when it comes to diet colas, is there much of a difference between brands?
I’ve seen some heated debates about Diet Coke vs. Coke Zero and had no idea people felt so strongly about their carbonated beverages. I turned my investigative journalist lens towards the issue to determine what, if anything, separates one diet cola from one another. Is it the taste? The sweetness? The amount of belching?
I taste tested 10 brands of sugar-free and diet colas, ranging from generic to probiotic. I also didn’t know what I was tasting to avoid any bias. And please no one come after me for including diet colas alongside zero-sugar varieties. I refuse to get caught in the cola crossfires.
Which brand fell flat and which brand popped my cap off? Read on to find out!
1) Diet Coke, $1.99
Launched in the diet-obsessed early ‘80s, Diet Coke the granddaddy of diet sodas, even more so than TAB, which was introduced in 1963. Sweetened with aspartame, Diet Coke is one of the few cultural icons that managed to survive the ‘80s, alongside David Lee Roth. But does this diet soda daddy still hold its own?
Tasting notes: The first thing I noticed was that Diet Coke had no smell. Not a deal breaker, but everyone needs a little foreplay. The main thing going for it was its carbonation. It was very foamy, snappy, and would satisfy on a summer day. That said, I was a bit underwhelmed. Diet Coke was serviceable but no stand out.
Verdict: Gave me daddy issues.
2) PC Zero Sugar, $1.50
The PC brand has gotten a few things right over the years, namely The Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookie which took top prize in my chocolate chip cookie taste test. I was always a fan of PC’s caffeine-free diet cola but I couldn’t find that version at my local No Frills. I settled for this zero sugar variety instead.
Tasting notes: PC delivered the fizz. The bubbles had an almost champagne quality. It wasn’t overly sweet, but I did note a lingering presence on my tongue. Not a lot of flavour, either, outside of a hint of vanilla. PC wasn't bad but wouldn’t be winning any elections.
Verdict: Didn’t get my vote.
3) Pepsi Zero Sugar, $1.99
First launched as Pepsi Max in 1993, Pepsi didn’t rebrand its sugar-free soft drink as “Pepsi Zero” until 2023. It’s grown in popularity around the globe, along with a number of flavour variations, including cappuccino and Dubai chocolate. Call me old-fashioned, but some soda lines shouldn’t be crossed.
Tasting notes: This offered a soft explosion of carbonation. It was sweet, but didn’t taste artificial; it was more like a regular soda. It also finished clean with no lingering chemical aftertaste.
Verdict: This zero is a hero.
4) Mole Cola, $3.49
While Italy has produced many enjoyable things (pizza, bidets and Donatella Versace), I don’t consider soda pop among them. Can we talk about how awful Brio tastes? So I had my doubts about Mole Cola. Launched in 2013, it’s made in Turin with natural spring water. The lined bottle was beautiful, proving Italians are always fashionable.
Tasting notes: Mole wasn’t sweet and had an herb-y vibe to it, almost aromatic. If someone gave this to me as a cola, I’d be disappointed. It’s not that it was necessarily bad, it just hit differently. Unless you’re drinking one while on a moped and bumping along the streets of Rome, I’d say “arrivederci” to this option.
Verdict: No holy mole.
5) Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, $1.99
A more recent addition to the sugar-free soda family, Coke Zero came into the market in 2005, with a sweeter flavour profile meant to closely mimic regular Coca-Cola. It was initially marketed to men because apparently they associate “diet drinks” with women. As someone who consumed copious amounts of Crystal Lite during his adolescence, I’m clearly not the target market.
Tasting notes: Like Diet Coke, Coke Zero was very fizzy. But I didn’t get much actual cola flavour. Bubbles aside, the taste seemed one dimensional. In any case, not a zero, but not a win.
Verdict: Real men drink Crystal Lite.
6) Zevia, $1.69
Unlike other diet and sugar-free sodas, Zevia is sweetened with Stevia extract. I tasted their ginger ale for my ginger ale taste test a few months back, but the lingering sweetness was too much of a distraction. Would their cola fare any better?
Tasting notes: Not only was this the only clear brand in the mix, it also smelled very different. There was a lot going on in terms of the taste, a medicinal, peppery current. It wasn’t the flavour path I was expecting nor wanted. The aftertaste also bordered on bitter for me.
Verdict: Clearly, not my choice.
7) Diet Pepsi, $1.99
I’ll always root for society’s underdogs. For me, that includes Pepsi, which has been competing with Coca-Cola since time immemorial. Imagine the blow to Pepsi’s self-esteem every time a server asks, “Diet Pepsi okay?” after someone orders a Diet Coke. Would I select this underdog as a top dog?
Tasting notes: I didn’t find Diet Pepsi very sweet, which was a plus for me. And it had a nice balance of flavour with an undercurrent of vanilla. It left a lingering cola flavour in my mouth afterwards and didn’t make me feel deprived in any way.
Verdict: Diet Pepsi is more than okay.
8) Cove, $2.99
Founded in Canada in 2017 by two brothers, Cove has now expanded to the U.S. market. It’s a probiotic option. I was hoping a Canadian brand might walk away the winner. Did I feel the love of Cove?
Tasting notes: It smelled and tasted like Dr. Pepper, which surprised me. Had I picked up the wrong flavour by accident? But there was nothing on the can to indicate otherwise. Then I clued in - the flavour was called Dr. Cove, to mimic Dr. Pepper. I’m a bit dense at the best of times but that got lost on me. So, as any journalist of merit, I pulled my Daisy Dukes over my thong and headed back out to the store to buy their cola version (not pictured). Overall, I thought Cove cola was very good with a clean finish and a whisp of citrus. That said, I would’ve preferred a bit more carbonation.
Verdict: Feeling brotherly love.
9) Great Value, $1.23
I couldn’t find individual cans of Great Value diet cola, so I had to invest in a two-litre bottle from Wal-Mart. Not that it was much of an investment; it was cheaper than the cans! Great Value lives up to its name in terms of price, but would it live up to its name in terms of taste?
Tasting notes: Great Value was surprisingly good. It was sweet and flavourful and offered full-mouth experience. It was foamy with a few different flavour notes. It did leave a faint aftertaste, but nothing too distracting. All in all, Great Value was a solid contender.
Verdict: Cheap and cheerful.
10) Thirsty Buddha, $2.99
Made with probiotics, Thirsty Buddha boasts a rich fibre content to keep you moving, if you know what I mean. Another Canadian brand, Thirsty Buddha is made with monk fruit juice concentrate and is among a new line of sodas taking a healthier spin on traditional sodas.
Tasting notes: Fibre be damned, but I couldn’t get into this one. I didn’t like the cola taste at all and it almost had a cider vinegar vibe. When I breathed through my nose, I could smell the taste. You know what I mean?
Verdict: I didn’t thirst for more.
And the winner is…
For me, it came down to two contenders: Diet Pepsi and Great Value. After another round of sampling, and a lot of burping, I picked Diet Pepsi as my winner. The underdog triumphs! But kudos to Great Value for beating some brand name contenders. Sometimes, being cheap can be a good thing. For my worst, I have to go with Happy Buddha with Zevia close behind. Both had a taste that deviated too much from a traditional diet cola.
Thirsty for more? Here’s another way to cool off. I learned this back in the ‘70s from Timer, that unsettling television cartoon character who looked like an unbreaded chicken McNugget in a top hat.
Fill an ice cube tray with cola.
Cover the top tightly with plastic wrap, poke toothpicks into the individual cubes and place in the freezer. And no, the toothpicks never stay straight but that’s part of the charm. Once frozen, simply pop out the cubes and enjoy!
True, these “pop” sicles are on the small side, but a reminder that you have a full tray of them.
Thanks for reading! Do you disagree with my cola rankings? Is there a diet soda you’d recommend? Leave a comment and tell the world.
