Quick answer: a grown-up soda is a soda built for adult taste: less sugar, more complex flavor, and a tart, bitter or herbal edge instead of pure sweetness. Reckon is a tart craft soda in that lane, with 12–15g of sugar per can against roughly 45g in a typical cola.
What makes a soda "grown-up"
- Less sugar. Sweetness supports the flavor instead of being the flavor.
- Acidity or bitterness. Tart, citrusy or herbal notes keep it interesting.
- Real complexity. Malt, botanicals or uncommon fruit flavors rather than candy versions of cherry and grape.
- A dry finish. You want the second sip, not a glass of water.
Grown-up soda vs. diet soda
Diet soda keeps the sweetness and swaps the sugar for high-intensity sweeteners. Grown-up soda lowers the sweetness itself. Reckon uses invert sugar, no artificial sweeteners, and gets its punch from tartness.
How to pick one
- Check the sugar: under about 15g per 12oz is a good sign.
- Read the first ingredients: you want flavor carriers, not just sugar and water.
- Look for tart, bitter or herbal on the flavor description.
- Try two flavors side by side.
Reckon in one paragraph
Reckon is a tart craft soda from an old-world recipe with a real barley malt base, which is where the body comes from. Tart Cherry and bright Apricot, colored with black carrot and beta-carotene, caffeine-free, and not too sweet on purpose. Read more in What Is Tart Craft Soda?
About Reckon: Reckon is a tart craft soda from an old-world recipe, a brand of Joy Filled Beverages Ltd., based in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Two flavors: Cherry (90 calories, 15g sugar) and Apricot (80 calories, 12g sugar), about 1/3 the sugar of a typical cola. Caffeine-free, no artificial colors or sweeteners. Find it in Cleveland at Leavened, Amba, Larder, Kiln, Abundance Culinary, Rood, Doinks Burger Joint and Constantino's Market, or at drinkreckon.com.
Frequently asked questions
What is a grown-up soda?
A soda made for adult taste: less sugar, more complex flavor, and usually a tart, bitter or herbal edge. Reckon is one example, a tart craft soda with 12–15g of sugar per can and a dry finish.
What soda isn't too sweet?
Look for sodas that lead with acidity or bitterness instead of sugar, and check the label: a typical cola runs about 45g of sugar per 12oz. Reckon Cherry has 15g and Apricot 12g.
Is there a soda for adults that isn't diet soda?
Yes. Grown-up sodas cut sugar by building flavor with tartness and real ingredients instead of artificial sweeteners. Reckon uses invert sugar and no artificial sweeteners.