Best Orange Soda (Updated with Orange Cream Soda!)

The best orange soda is bright, citrusy, and refreshing. It’s fun and nostalgic. It can be enjoyed on its own or poured over ice cream or mixed into a cocktail. And, of course, it’s Kel’s favorite beverage. It’s also underrated. Seriously, after tasting many, many bottles of orange soda (or orange pop, if you prefer) we came away with not one, not two, but eight brands of the best orange soda that you really oughta try. 

In our orange soda taste tests, we were looking for orange sodas that are bright, tangy, and sweet. They don’t have to taste like fresh orange juice (in fact, they shouldn’t) but they should taste like they’ve heard of an orange. They should taste citrusy. We looked for good, fizzy carbonation. And, in our search for the best orange cream soda, we looked for a soda that walks the line between super sweet and zesty. 

If you’re looking for the best classic orange soda, the best blood orange soda, the best orange cream soda, the best prebiotic orange soda, or something totally unexpected (it’s orange-pineapple soda), then read on, dear friends, for all the best orange sodas, ranked.

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Best Prebiotic

Olipop Orange Squeeze

Olipop

This prebiotic orange soda may not taste exactly like a classic orange soda, but it’s a decent approximation. And it tastes more like orange soda than the other prebiotic or probiotic sodas we tried. It tastes a bit like carbonated orange juice from concentrate. It’s sweet, for sure, but not overly sweet. As my colleague, managing editor Gwynedd Stuart, wrote in her ranking of all the best Olipop flavors, “It’s gentle.” — Justine Sterling

Credit: Liv Averett / Olipop

Rating:

6.5/10

Sporks

Best Tropical

Cactus Cooler

Walmart

I am shocked that I had never heard of Cactus Cooler (a somewhat regional, Southern California and Southwestern orange soda) before our initial orange soda taste test. If you’re not familiar with this soda, it’s orange and pineapple flavored. I love the addition of the pineapple, which really complements the orange. It’s much more subtle than the other orange sodas we tried, but that doesn’t mean it’s not one of the best orange sodas on the market. If you’re looking to mix it up when it comes to your orange soda, grab a bottle of Cactus Cooler! — Jordan Myrick

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best in a Glass Bottle

Mandarin Jarritos Soda

Walmart

Mandarin ranked on our list of the best Jarritos flavors for a reason: It’s one of the best orange sodas out there. It tastes very artificial but in a great way. It’s like candy. I also liked that this was based on a specific type of orange. It’s not just orange. It’s mandarin. It makes it feel fancier for some reason—and the glass bottle doesn’t hurt. If you’re at a taco stand or food truck, you’ll definitely want to grab a Mandarin Jarritos. — Jordan Myrick

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best Budget

Shasta Orange Soda

Walmart

I don’t think enough people are drinking Shasta brand sodas. We loved their canned cola and their cream soda, and they also make some of the best orange soda we tried. It tastes very fresh. I think this would be so incredible mixed with alcohol. If you can have rum with Coke, why can’t you have orange soda and tequila? Plus, it’s cheap! Who doesn’t love an affordable option? Orange soda Margaritas, anyone? Sign me up! — Jordan Myrick

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best Orange Cream Soda

Teddy’s Orange & Cream Soda

Kroger

It turns out it’s tough to make a great orange cream soda. A few that we tried only tasted like sweet vanilla. Others tasted like generic orange soda—no cream in sight. But not this orange cream soda from Teddy’s (a Washington-based soda company that boasts Teddy Roosevelt as a mascot). It has that old school orange phosphate flavor. It’s like something you’d get from a soda fountain. And I love the spritzy carbonation, it helps amp up the flavor and accentuate the acidity. If you’re looking for the best orange cream soda, trust old Theodore. — Justine Sterling

Credit: Liv Averett / Kroger

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best Blood Orange Soda

Lorina Blood Orange Soda

Instacart

I pay taxes. I have kids. I go to the dermatologist (okay, I mean to, at least). But sipping this blood orange soda really made me feel like a grown-up. It’s zesty and spritzy and tart and tangy. It tastes like it was made with fresh blood orange juice. It tastes European. And it comes in a big, beautiful glass bottle that you can plonk right on a dining table without downgrading the decor. And, yes, we tried Sanpellegrino’s blood orange soda, too, and this one was better. — Justine Sterling

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best of the Best Runner-Up

Orange Fanta

Target

I’m not saying Fanta commercials made me gay, but I’m not saying they didn’t make me gay. I hadn’t had a Fanta in forever, so I was worried the Fanta women would be better than Fanta orange soda. Thank goodness, Fanta lives up to their commercials! It is super crisp, sweet, and tasty. It tastes like it contains absolutely no juice, but it has a great artificial orange flavor. I do, in fact, want a Fanta! — Jordan Myrick

Credit: Merc / Target

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

Crush Orange Soda

Walmart

Crush Orange soda is so much better than every other orange soda we tried, I honestly couldn’t believe it. The first thing you notice when you open the bottle is that this soda is sensationally fragrant. I want a Crush candle in my apartment. And luckily, the taste lives up to the aroma. It’s super carbonated and tastes almost like there’s real orange juice in it. Don’t worry though, it’s still soda that contains 0% juice. Go buy this and remind yourself why orange soda rules. This is the best orange soda out there. — Jordan Myrick

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other orange sodas we tried: Virgil’s No Sugar, Virgil’s Orange Cream, Boylan, Poppi, Sunkist, Signature Select, Saranac Orange Cream, Frostie Orange Soda, Hank’s Genuine Gourmet Orange Cream Soda, Evolution Real Fruit Fresh Soda Orange Squeeze, Culture Pop Soda Orange Mango & Lime, Bundaberg Blood Orange, San Pellegrino Aranciata Rossa