I tried all the flavors of Poppi prebiotic soda I could find and ranked them from worst to best

• I tried all the flavors of Poppi prebiotic soda I could find and ranked them from worst to best.

• I was disappointed by a few of the flavors, like watermelon and strawberry-lemon.

• Of all the flavors I tried, the ginger lime was my favorite.

It's no secret that prebiotic sodas have grown in popularity over the past couple of years.

In 2023, sales soared for popular brands like Poppi, which gained attention in 2018 after sealing a deal on "Shark Tank."

These carbonated drinks, which contain plant fibers that help good bacteria grow and thrive, claim to support things like gut health and blood-sugar regulation.

Still, I wanted to see if these sodas lived up to the hype. On a recent trip to my local supermarket, I bought all the Poppi prebiotic-soda flavors I could find.

Each 12-ounce can of soda contains under 25 calories, which is significantly less than what you'd find in the same-size serving of Coke or Fanta.

Here's my ranking of the flavors I tried, from worst to best.

Watermelon was easily my least favorite flavor.

Although it wasn't easy picking my favorite Poppi flavor, I had no trouble selecting my least favorite.

I typically enjoy watermelon-flavored things (it's my go-to Blow Pop flavor, for example), but Poppi's effort at it tasted medicinal to me.

I thought it tasted like the watermelon-flavored toothpaste that hung around in our medicine cabinet for months after my kids rejected it.

I was disappointed by the strawberry-lemon flavor.

Strawberry lemon sounded like a great idea for a soda flavor. When I took a sip, I could taste the distinct flavors of both strawberry and lemon.

However, something about this flavor tasted too artificial to me — especially in the aftertaste. It reminded me of the bubblegum that used to come with packs of baseball cards.

Raspberry rose was too floral for me.

I found many of Poppi's most creative flavors to be disappointing, and raspberry rose was no exception.

It had a nice, crisp raspberry flavor, but it was overwhelmed by a perfumy floral taste that became increasingly unpleasant as I drank more.

I wouldn't be surprised if someone handed me something that tasted just like this at the cocktail hour of an outdoor wedding. However, I'd probably only take a few sips before ditching it on an empty table somewhere.

Poppi's root-beer flavor was fine — but I'd prefer the traditional version.

Poppi's root beer was sweet and rich and had a familiar root-beer flavor. However, it lacked the spicy bite of the best root beers, and there was something almost yeasty in the aftertaste, which I thought was a little strange.

I've floated ice cream in worse, but I wouldn't choose this over a traditional root beer (or even its diet equivalent).

The grape-flavored Poppi was slightly tart.

Like many adults, I haven't had a grape soda in decades, but the familiar smell was unmistakable when I cracked open the can.

I don't think I've ever had a diet grape soda, but this tasted almost exactly how I would expect it to. It was slightly tart, which I don't remember experiencing when I had my last Fanta.

I liked Poppi's take on Dr. Pepper.

Diet Dr. Pepper is my caffeinated soda of choice, so I had high hopes for Poppi's Doc Pop.

It turned out to be pretty good, but I thought it tasted more like a cherry cola than a Dr. Pepper. However, this may have been the power of suggestion, as the bubbles on the side of the can looked a bit like cherries to me.

In my opinion, Poppi's classic cola was better than a Coke or Pepsi.

Poppi's classic cola didn't taste exactly like a Coke or a Pepsi to me — but I think I might've liked it a bit better. The cola flavor is a bit more assertive, with a touch of the spicy bite that I didn't find in Poppi's root beer.

I really enjoyed the orange flavor.

Because I don't normally like orange soda, I didn't expect to enjoy Poppi's variety. After trying the grape flavor, I figured it'd be similarly candy-like.

However, the orange Poppi had a sharp, pleasant tartness that surprised me. It reminded me more of a Fresca than an Orange Crush — and, in my eyes, that's pretty high praise.

Of all the flavors I tried, the ginger lime was my favorite.

Poppi's ginger-lime soda was delicious and combined the strong, spicy flavor of ginger with the acidic, citrusy tang of lime.

It was light and refreshing, with no aftertaste to speak of. Unsurprisingly, it tasted like a Moscow Mule (and a pretty good one at that).

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