How LEVO’s Delicious Prebiotic Sodas Are Looking to Put a Twist on the ‘Healthy’ Soda Market

As folks who love the sweet, bubbly flavors of soda, but not the sugar-packed formulas, we're always on the lookout for the next big thing in carbonated drinks, and we've just fallen in love with LEVO Soda.

The new prebiotic soda that does things differently than the other "healthy" soda brands on the market today, and we got the chance to learn more from the brand, right from the source—and taste the scrumptious sodas ourselves. Keep reading to learn more.

What Makes LEVO Different?

LEVO sodas serve as twists on all of the classic sodas we know and love, offering both out-of-this world and unusual flavors and variations on the soda machine staples. They use natural sweeteners to create low-sugar, low-calorie cans of soda that don't taste like they're low-sugar and low-calorie, while being packed with prebiotics for gut health.

These good-for-you sodas don't sacrifice on taste, coming in flavors Cotton Candy, Cosmic Punch, Orange Creamsicle, Root Beer, Splice Lemon Lime, and Voodoo Cola, with 80% less sugar than traditional sodas.

To celebrate their launch, at the start of May they also partnered with B.J. Novak and Tim Hollingsworth's Chain to be the official soda of their L.A. dining pop-up, The Pollo Lounge. We got the chance to chat with the LEVO's CEO and founder, Joey Nickel, to learn more.

 

Sweety High: What makes LEVO different from other soda brands?

Joey Nickel: We have a very different perspective of what the consumer is asking for in this category. Many have set out to make products as a replacement for soda that consumers have loved for generations. We've flipped the script by leaning into consumers' emotional connection with soda and stripping out the excessive additives that give soda a bad name. LEVO is meant to "level up" and celebrate our favorite soda moments rather than dismiss them as unhealthy. With 80% less sugar than the category leader, full flavor and an excellent source of prebiotic fiber for gut health; indulgence not only becomes permissible, it gets a health boost.

(via LEVO Soda)

 

SH: What kinds of natural sweeteners does LEVO use to have low sugar and calories?

JN: LEVO delivers a mere 30 calories and full flavor with a modern blend of five grams of all-natural cane sugar and stevia. Sweeteners have come a long way in the last five years. Creating a beverage in 2024 offers technology benefits that weren't afforded to the brands that have been around for decades. This gives us an edge as a modern company versus the bigger guys that would have a riot if they changed their formula.

 

SH: What exactly are prebiotics, and why are they so essential?

JN: Prebiotics are compounds in food that foster the growth or activity of beneficial bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. In short, prebiotics can alter the composition of organisms in the gut promoting the common term of "gut health." Dietary prebiotics are typically non-digestible fiber. LEVO Soda maintains five grams of prebiotic fiber in each 12 oz. can.

(via LEVO Soda)

 

SH: How did you develop the unique flavor range for LEVO? Do you have a personal favorite?

JN: While the average age of the executive staff at LEVO is young 30s, we bring a collective 100 years of experience from beverages. While that gives us a great starting point, the process for each flavor takes hundreds of hours and iterations of testing to make sure we land with something that registers familiar but also promotes a unique twist on a favorite. For example, our Root Beer Float is undeniably a root beer contender with the top three players, but rather than try to emulate a one-to-one we take a craft approach and give a "leveled up" interpretation. We have six debut flavors: Root Beer Float, Splice, Orange Creamsicle, Cosmic Punch, Cotton Candy and the mysterious VooDoo Cola.

My personal favorite is VooDoo Cola, a true craft soda that after hundreds of consumer tests, still conveys a mystery around the exact flavor blend in the final can. This is one, no different than the infamous secret Coca-Cola recipe, that will never be copied because the exact formula is known only by me.

 

SH: Can you tell us about your launch event with The Pollo Lounge?

JN: With our brand ethos centering around celebrating creativity and community, we needed to be thoughtful and selective around our debut setting and partner. After the first meeting with Chain, both teams walked away 100% convinced that these two brands were meant for each other; Chain celebrating community, nostalgia and the emotional connection with food ties beautifully to what I set out to do with LEVO Soda. The fact that both brands can mesh in an evening authentically and be consumed without competing with one another becomes a memory making occasion versus a mere night out on the town.

(via LEVO Soda)

 

SH: Is there anything else we should know about LEVO?

JN: All six flavors of LEVO are live and available nationally via www.LevoSoda.com and Amazon as of May 1, 2024.

 

Also read about: A Definitive Ranking of Every Sparkling Water in Aura Bora's Sampler Variety Pack

 

The Flavors

The team behind LEVO also gave us the chance to try out the brand ourselves, testing out three of their most classic flavors—Splice, Orange Creamsicle and VooDoo Cola. Each flavor is currently available in $32.99 12-pack.

 

Splice

As you may have guessed, Splice it the brand's approach to the iconic lemon-lime soda, and they don't disappoint. It's got a great balance of tartness and sweetness, with those classic citrus flavors coming through strong, but minus the harsh bite of the other lemon-lime sodas you might be used to. It's smooth and mellow, without losing out on the bubbles, making it an easy sip.

(via LEVO Soda)

 

Orange Creamsicle

As orange soda fanatics, we simply couldn't wait to crack into this Orange Creamsicle flavor, and it's truly unlike anything else we've had the pleasure of sipping. The brand makes good on its promise, full of that classic orange soda you'd expect, plus a tasty dose of creamy vanilla flavor to actually taste like a creamsicle in liquid form. It tastes simply decadent, like a scoop of ice cream in your orange soda, without upping the calorie count.

(via LEVO Soda)

 

VooDoo Cola

And finally, our very favorite flavor of the bunch of VooDoo Cola. Of course, it's got that implacable, tingly flavors of a great cola, with just the right amount of astringency, but it's also perfectly sweet with an almost marshmallowy vanilla flavor that keeps us coming back for more. If you love cola floats, you're also going to love this flavor.

(via LEVO Soda)

 

Love discovering healthier soda options? Click HERE to learn more about a few of our favorites.