When I was a kid, one of my great-aunts who lived nearby had a large rhubarb patch. As a result, I grew up eating rhubarb, usually in pies or baked into crisps. Because rhubarb is tart and sour, it’s often paired with strawberries to add sweetness, so strawberry rhubarb pie was always a springtime treat I enjoyed.
Then Trader Joe’s took my childhood memories of strawberry rhubarb pie and bottled them up in soda form.
Trader Joe’s Rhubarb & Strawberry Soda cost $3.49 for a box containing four 8.4-oz. cans at the time of publication.
Because rhubarb and strawberries are associated with spring, I’m not sure if this soda is available at Trader Joe’s year round or only during the warmer months.
The box describes this as a “sparkling beverage made with tart rhubarb & sweet strawberry juice.”
This soda is kosher, pasteurized, contains 11% juice, and is not made from concentrate. The soda is sold at room temperature but should be chilled before serving, and it should be refrigerated after opening.
Ingredients are: carbonated water, rhubarb juice, strawberry juice, cane sugar, natural flavor, and citric acid.
One 8.4-fluid oz. serving has 60 calories, 14 grams of total carbohydrates (5% DV), and 13 grams of added sugars (26% DV).
This soda smells like strawberry rhubarb pie and tastes like you might expect: like fresh strawberries and rhubarb, with a satisfying fizz. It doesn’t have as much sugar as traditional soda, so it’s not overly sweet. It may be a bit of an acquired taste, especially for people who don’t have experience with rhubarb, but rhubarb fans will likely approve.
The Verdict:
Trader Joe’s Rhubarb & Strawberry Soda combines rhubarb juice, strawberry juice, and just enough sugar to balance the tartness, and it adds in carbonated bubbles. If you like rhubarb, you’ll appreciate this non-traditional soda flavor.