This soda brand took me by surprise. I came across a soda fountain in the back of a drug store while walking around downtown Seattle. The logo on the fountain didn’t appear familiar, so I investigated a bit further.

Stubborn Soda is Pepsi’s attempt at a high-end/natural version of sodas, with a creative edge. They promote natural ingredients, cane sugar, and unique flavor combinations. To see all of my Stubborn Soda reviews, click here.

Interesting fact, there are significant differences between the fountain versions of Stubborn Soda Root Beer and the bottled version. The bottle version claims 25g of sugar for a serving. Alternatively, the fountain serving has 28g of sugar. Weird, huh? It gets weirder. The bottle version is based on a 12 ounce serving, while the fountain version is based on an 8 ounce serving. That means the bottle has 25g per 12 ounces, and the fountain has 42g per 12 ounces. The difference is found in the ingredients list. The bottle also contains Stevia, while the fountain version is only sweetened with cane sugar.

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The flavor was definitely a step up from your ordinary fountain root beer. It comes across as very sweet with a caramel/brown sugar body. There are sarsaparilla undertones (could be wintergreen, but it’s light), and a deep vanilla flavor that carries throughout. Overall it’s a satisfying root beer with a lot of fresh carbonation. I give it a 6.7 out of 10, mostly due to the overwhelming sweetness and lack of bite.

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You can find Stubborn at various restaurants and retail locations throughout the US (including Pizza Hut). Check here for details. I’ll get around to sampling their other flavors including Agave Vanilla Cream, Lemon Berry Acai, Black Cherry with Tarragon, and Orange Hibiscus.

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Catalog:
Purchased at Bartell Drugs on 4th and Madison downtown Seattle. $1.74 after tax.