
Read to the end for an announcement!
Besides all the other fun stuff that happened on my birthday, I also received two very exciting packages, and one of those was a case of sodas from Zevia. They sent me free mixed case, which included all six of their flavours, so I could try them out and let you guys know what I think. I was really looking forward about this, because I was so curious to see how Zevia would compare to traditional diet sodas.
In case you haven't seen Zevia before, here's a bit of info from their site: ZEVIA™ contains none of the chemically processed artificial sugar substitutes found in diet sodas because it is sweetened with natural stevia. Diet sodas also contain artificial flavors and colors. ZEVIA™ does not. With great effort, expense, and painstaking care, Zevia LLC found the healthiest, all natural ingredients available. Many "natural" sodas contain sugar which means calories. Diet sodas are usually sweetened with processed artificial sweeteners which means chemicals. ZEVIA™ with stevia is the only truly all natural diet soda.
I like drinking soda from time to time, but I have to admit that I'm not completely on board with all the chemicals in Diet Coke and its cohorts -- and the idea of drinking regular soda, with so much sugar and corn syrup, is an even worse thought. I already use powdered stevia, which is a(n) herb, here and there, and I thought using it to sweeten soda was a genius idea from the moment I heard about Zevia.
So, what do I think now that I've had a chance to actually try it?
Amazing. Seriously. As excited as I was, I was still expecting the flavours to be a bit 'dull' -- not as sweet or tasty as the traditional, chemically-perfected sodas. But they're great: full of flavour, with no chemical aftertaste.

I tried the rootbeer first and was pleasantly surprised. I think rootbeer can be a hard one to nail down; it seems to really differ from brand to brand. But Zevia's is really tasty, and I love the ingredient list -- actual extracts and oils instead of numbers. I tried the cola next, and I wouldn't have been able to tell it apart from Coke or Pepsi (not that I'm claiming to be any sort of expert). It's definitely sweeter and less bitter than Diet Coke; my dad (who drinks much more diet colas than I do) declared it to be more like Diet Pepsi, but better.
The fruity flavours are definitely less sickly sweet than their traditional counterparts, but I think they're SO much more refreshing and actually taste like what they claim to be (because they ARE what they claim to be!). The 'Twist' (lemon-lime) flavour is very lime-y and fresh -- perfect.
My big question before I tried Zevia (besides whether or not they'd be good) was about the lingering aftertaste. I don't know if this happens to everybody, but when I drink anything that's sweetened with Splenda or the like, I taste that sweetness at the back of my tongue for HOURS. My body just doesn't break it down (duh), so I feel like I'm tasting 'sweet' long after the soda's gone. Not happy about that. But I'm pleased to report that the stevia in Zevia does NOT do the same. When I'm done drinking it, I'm done tasting it. As it should be!
So -- Zevia sodas: Amazing, wonderful, the only soda I want to drink from now on (cheesy but true). Zevia the company: Amazing and wonderful for sending me the free soda to review. And now: An amazing and wonderful giveaway!
Zevia has agreed to let me host a giveaway for your guys! The 'grand prize' is a mixed case of Zevia (which is what I received -- very exciting!) and they will also send a mixed six pack (one can of each flavour) to two runners up.
All YOU have to do is link from your blog to this post and then leave me a comment to say you've done so (please fill in your URL when you leave the comment, so I can visit your site!). If you don't have a blog, go have a look at the Zevia Site and then leave a comment telling me which flavour sounds the best.
I will use a random number generator to pick the winners on Tuesday, January 5th (one week from today). The giveaway is only available to people with a US (non-PO Box) shipping address. Good luck!