Guides

Reckon Apricot poured into a glass over ice with fresh apricots, outdoors
Grown-Up Soda: What It Is and How to Pick One
What makes a soda grown-up, how it differs from diet soda, and how to pick one that isn't too sweet. Read more...
Hand holding a glass of dark red sparkling soda at a candlelit gathering
What to Drink at a Party When You're Not Drinking
Staying sober at a party? The easy drinks with real flavor, how to make them look like a proper drink, and two quick party pours. Read more...
Reckon Cherry poured into a glass over ice with fresh cherries, outdoors
New Drinks to Try in 2026: 7 Worth Picking Up
Looking for a new drink to try? Seven picks that taste like something without leaning on sugar, from tart craft soda to shrubs and sparkling tea. Read more...
A glass of sparkling water splashing with a squeezed lime wedge above it, on a warm terracotta surface
Is Sparkling Water's Flavor Natural or Artificial? The Honest Answer
Most flavored sparkling water's "natural flavor" is, legally, exactly that. The bigger reason a lime or grapefruit sparkling water often tastes like almost nothing isn't a natural-vs-artificial question at all... Read more...
Fresh sour cherries with stems on a blush-pink surface
Why Cherry? Because Everyone Else Got It Wrong
Cherry is the most abused flavor in the beverage aisle — cough syrup with bubbles. We didn't avoid it like we did with apricot. We went back and fixed it. Read more...
Two whole apricots and one halved apricot on a warm peach-colored surface
Why Apricot? Because Nobody Ruined It Yet
Grape soda tastes like purple. Peach tastes like perfume and confusion. Apricot is one of the last flavors the beverage industry never got around to ruining, and that is exactly... Read more...
An indoor autumn table setting with linen, gourds, a wood bowl of fruit, and candlelight
Thanksgiving Drinks That Aren't Too Sweet
The best Thanksgiving drinks are the ones that do not compete with the food. A tart craft soda works because it tastes sharp rather than sugary, so it sits alongside... Read more...
A galvanized ice tub with fruit at dusk, surrounded by pumpkins, autumn leaves, and warm string lights
Halloween Party Drink Ideas That Aren't Too Sweet
The best Halloween party drinks are the ones that don't compete with the candy. By the end of the night everyone at the table has had a fistful of sugar,... Read more...
Raw cane sugar pile and sugar cubes on a split peach and blush surface
Low-Sugar Soda: What the Label Actually Means
A low-sugar craft soda is one that keeps added sugar meaningfully below the roughly 45 grams in a standard 12-ounce cola, without swapping in artificial sweeteners. The only reliable way... Read more...
An open kraft gift box with tissue paper, blush ribbon, and fruit inside on a peach surface
Craft Soda Gift Guide 2026: How to Build a Not-Too-Sweet Box
A craft soda gift works when the drink is interesting enough to talk about and safe enough for anyone at the table to pick up. Build the box around one... Read more...
Turbinado sugar mound with two stevia leaves on a blush surface
Which Sodas Have No Artificial Sweeteners? A Label Guide
Sodas with no artificial sweeteners are the ones sweetened only with sugar, cane sugar, invert sugar, corn syrup, honey, or fruit juice. If the ingredient list does not contain aspartame,... Read more...
A glass of pale golden clear soda with a lime wedge on the rim
Are All Clear Sodas Caffeine-Free? The Honest Answer
Most clear sodas are caffeine-free, but not all of them. Sprite, 7UP, Starry, ginger ale, club soda, and most lemon-lime and grapefruit sodas carry zero caffeine. The exceptions are the... Read more...
A chicory root, a bowl of pale inulin fiber powder, and a dried herb sprig on a clinical white and gray surface
What Is Prebiotic Soda? An Ingredient Guide
Prebiotic soda is soda with added fermentable fiber, usually inulin or chicory root fiber. The fiber is the whole point of the category: it is what makes the drink prebiotic... Read more...
An open case of Reckon Cherry and Apricot cans on the wooden counter of a bright independent Cleveland-area shop
Cleveland Craft Soda: A Local Guide to the Not-Too-Sweet Shelf
Cleveland craft soda means small-batch soda made or based in Northeast Ohio and sold through independent grocers, cafes, taprooms, and farmers markets rather than national distribution. The local shelf skews... Read more...
Apricots, cherries, a sugar pile, and a mint sprig on a split peach and blush surface
Is Craft Soda Vegan? What to Check Before You Buy
Most soda is vegan, but not automatically. The ingredients that trip people up are added colors like carmine (made from crushed cochineal insects), sweeteners such as honey or bone-char-filtered sugar,... Read more...
Five ripe apricots scattered in an overhead flat-lay on a peach surface
Best Apricot Soda in 2026: What to Look For
The best apricot soda for you depends on which of three approaches you actually want: a syrupy apricot-nectar soda, a peach-apricot blend, or a tart craft apricot soda built on... Read more...
A loose pile of fresh cherries with scattered single cherries on a blush surface
Best Cherry Soda in 2026: What to Look For
The best cherry soda depends on which of four types you actually want: cherry cola, black cherry soda, diet cherry soda, or tart craft cherry soda. They share a name... Read more...
A galvanized ice tub with cherries and apricots on a pickup truck tailgate at a stadium parking lot
Tailgate Drinks for Ohio Game Day: A Craft Soda Guide
The best tailgate cooler has more in it than flat cola — a caffeine-free, lower-sugar soda that still tastes like a treat holds up better across a full slate of... Read more...
A blank cream notecard, pencil, and sugar pile on a blush surface
How to Read a Soda Label (Without a Chemistry Degree)
Read a soda label in three passes: the nutrition panel for calories and added sugars per can, the ingredient list for what's actually inside (ingredients are listed by weight), and... Read more...
Three halved cherries and a lime wedge on a blush surface with high-contrast side light
Tart vs. Sour: What Actually Makes a Soda Tart?
No, tart and sour are not the same thing, though they start in the same place. Both sensations begin with acid hitting the sour receptors on your tongue. The difference... Read more...
Amber tart soda pouring and splashing into a glass with ice
How to Serve Craft Soda: Floats, Brunch, and a Cold Glass
Serve craft soda cold, in a chilled glass, poured at an angle. Here is the temperature, the glassware, a float that will not overflow, and what to pour it with. Read more...
A drizzle of golden syrup in macro detail on a peach surface
What Is Invert Sugar? The Sweetener Behind Smoother Soda
Invert sugar is cane sugar split into glucose and fructose. Here is what it does in a soda, how it compares to other sweeteners, and why it tastes rounder. Read more...
Two glasses of soda, one deep sour-cherry red and one muted berry-pink, split on a blush and gray surface
Reckon vs. Poppi: Tart Craft Soda or Prebiotic Soda?
Poppi is a prebiotic soda built on apple cider vinegar. Reckon is a tart craft soda built on a barley malt base. Here’s how they actually compare. Read more...
Two glasses of soda, one golden amber and one muted golden-brown, split on a peach and gray surface
Reckon vs. Olipop: What’s Actually Different?
Olipop is a prebiotic soda with added fiber. Reckon is a tart craft soda made with real sugar and no functional pitch. Here’s an honest side-by-side. Read more...
Sliced black carrots revealing deep purple-black flesh next to whole carrots
What Gives Soda Its Color? Black Carrot, Carotenes, and No Dyes
How does soda get its color? A look at synthetic dyes, black carrot, and carotenes — and how to read the color line on any soda label in about four... Read more...
Three cherry clusters in bright red, near-black, and burgundy tones side by side on a blush surface
Tart Cherry vs. Black Cherry vs. Cherry Cola: What’s the Difference?
Cherry isn’t one flavor — it’s at least three. Here’s what tart cherry, black cherry, and cherry cola actually taste like, and how to pick the right one. Read more...
A glass of fruit-infused sparkling water with cherry and apricot slices, next to fresh cherries and apricot halves
What to Drink Instead of Soda (That Still Tastes Like Soda)
Want to drink less soda but sparkling water bores you? The middle-lane options that keep real flavor with less sugar — and where tart craft soda fits. Read more...
Raw cane sugar cubes next to a cherry and an apricot half on a warm peach surface
Sodas That Aren’t Too Sweet: A 2026 Guide for People Who Find Soda Too Sugary
The sodas that aren’t too sweet share three traits: real flavor, less sugar, and a dry finish. A guide to the styles that work — and where tart craft soda... Read more...
A galvanized ice tub with fruit on a wooden picnic table with a grill blurred in the background
Best Soda for BBQ and Grilling: A Pairing Guide
Match tart cherry and bright apricot craft soda to burgers, ribs, grilled chicken, and corn. A not-too-sweet, caffeine-free pairing guide for your cookout. Read more...
One whole and one halved apricot centered on a peach-colored surface
What Is Apricot Soda? Meet the Underrated Fruit Fizz
Apricot soda is a light, tart-sweet fruit fizz. Here’s what it tastes like, what’s really in it, and how Reckon keeps its apricot soda not too sweet. Read more...
Two glasses of soda, one deep sour-cherry red with a lime wedge and one pale cloudy off-white, split on a blush and white surface
Craft Soda vs. Prebiotic Soda: What’s the Difference?
Prebiotic sodas sell function; craft sodas sell flavor. Here’s the plain-English difference — sugar, taste, and who each is for — from a tart craft soda that skips the health... Read more...
A glass of amber tart soda over ice with a fresh mint sprig garnish
What Sodas Don’t Have Caffeine? The Plain List (2026)
Most fruit sodas, ginger ales, and craft sodas are caffeine-free — but many overcorrect on sugar. Here’s how to find caffeine-free fizz that’s flavorful without being too sweet. Read more...
A cluster of fresh sour cherries and whole and halved apricots on a blush-to-peach surface
Tart Cherry vs. Sun-Ripe Apricot: Which Reckon Is Your Flavor?
Deep tart Cherry or sun-ripe Apricot? Tasting notes, stats, and pairings for both Reckon flavors — and why most people just keep both. Read more...
Three glasses side by side: amber tart soda, dark cola, and clear sparkling water with a lemon twist
Not Too Sweet: How Reckon Stacks Up Against Cola and Sparkling Water
Reckon has 12–15g of sugar per can — about a third of a cola’s ~45g — with flavor sparkling water can’t touch. Here’s the full comparison. Read more...
Two glasses of tart craft soda, amber and sour-cherry red, surrounded by fresh cherries and apricots
What Is Tart Craft Soda? A Field Guide to the Not-Too-Sweet Fizz
Tart craft soda leads with bright, tart-forward sourness instead of heavy sweetness. Here’s what “craft” and “tart” really mean — and how Reckon differs from cola and sparkling water. Read more...