Are you a fan of soda? Even if you don’t drink it often, there’s a good chance you’ve sampled a few different flavors and brands over time. You’ve probably also got a list of favorites that are your go-to sodas of choice, but have you ever wondered what tops the list as the most popular sodas in the United States? Here we’ll take a look at some of the top brands and types of soda in the country today so you can see how your brand of choice measures up.
Where It All Started
Before we take a look at the most popular soda brands/flavors in the United States today, it can be fun to look back at the origin of the soda can which has a rather interesting history.
Soda was first placed inside a glass jar back in the early 1800s by Nicolas Appert, but it wasn’t until the 1930s that tin became a viable option for packaging. It was first used with beer in what was called the flattop beer can. From the flattop, it transitioned to the ring-pull aluminum can which was introduced in 1958. This was revolutionary at the time and continued to grow in popularity and functionality, taking over the soda industry in 1989.
Coca-Cola Classic
When you think of soda typically the first one to come to mind is Coca-Cola Classic. This has become an iconic American symbol with its label and red packaging recognizable pretty much all around the world. What you may not know, however, is the fact that Coca-Cola as a company owns over 500 different brands. These include other top beverage options such as Powerade, Sprite, Minute Maid, Fanta, Fresca, Barq’s, and plenty of others.
The company dates back to 1892, which can explain why it’s associated with deep American roots.
Dr Pepper
Then we have Dr Pepper which tends to rank high on the list of popular sodas largely because of its unique flavor. It’s not trying to compete with Coca-Cola Classic, rather it gives customers something entirely different in terms of the flavor profile. Over the years, Dr Pepper has gone on to introduce new flavors and combinations, making this one a top choice for many.
Mountain Dew
You simply can’t have a list of favorite sodas without also including another classic offering – Mountain Dew. This one is known for being incredibly refreshing with a citrus taste that can feel a bit “lighter” than some of the other classics like Pepsi and Dr Pepper. This soda dates back to 1940 with the “original” recipe, which was then revamped in 1958 and then again in 1961 – to get things “just right”. Today just like with many other sodas, you can find the original flavor as well as other flavors of Mountain Dew.
Pepsi
Pepsi has always been a top competitor of Coca-Cola, and with that said, each brand tends to have diehard fans that are not willing to step outside their brand-of-choice. Pepsi dates back to 1893 but it wasn’t until 1898 that it was renamed Pepsi-Cola. Today the company goes by PepsiCo and it owns a huge number of other brands as well.
This is just a small look at the many popular sodas here in the United States today.
