Welch’s Passion Fruit Mango Soda Review
Author’s note: I have no affiliation with Welch’s or Publix, and this is not a paid review.
Ron Swanson might have a few words to say.
Look, I’m not saying this is the skim milk of the sparkling juice world. But. This “passion fruit mango” flavor is certainly interesting.
Don’t get me wrong. It tastes delightful. It tastes like summer sunshine in a glass.
(Just kidding. It tastes like sugar and a little juice. But I liked it.)
It tastes like what would happen if an apple married a mango, but their kid was raised by passion fruit nuns in a convent. But the kid secretly wanted to be an orange. And then all his friends were peaches.
Hey, I said I liked it. And I do. But if the flavor was a human, the therapy would be long and expensive.
This isn’t 100% juice. In fact, it’s only 10% juice. The first two ingredients are water and sugar. It’s sweet. But not too sweet. It’s nicer than typical flavored sodas. But way less fruitalicious than 100% sparkling juices.
It has a fun smell, too. It reminds me of the fruity Bath & Body Works sprays everyone was wearing in 1999, while we were waiting for the world to end.
The carbonation is decent. It doesn’t fizz as aggressively as some sparkling drinks. But it definitely doesn’t taste flat. There’s no fruit pulp or thickness to the liquid.
Serving the Sparkling Passion Fruit Mango drink
If you’re tired of only having a choice between sparkling grape or sparkling apple juice, this could be a fun switcharoo. I personally don’t find the flavors as sophisticated as grape or apple beverages. But as a “soda,” it’s pleasant.
(For another unique flavor alternative, check out my review of Sprouts Pomegranate Organic Italian Soda.)
On that note, it doesn’t look right served in a wine glass in lieu of alcohol. It just looks kind of garish and silly. I think it’s the color. It looks like a kid’s orange drink.
But it makes a fabulous cream soda. I added a splash of heavy cream to a glass and poured the Passion Fruit Mango over the top. Then added ice. The carbonation froths the cream into a beautiful creamy-light concoction. Reminds me of a milkshake, but with zingy bubbles.
Ingredients in Welch’s Sparkling Passion Fruit Mango
Here are the ingredients, from the label:
- Sparkling Filtered Water
- Sugar
- Apple Juice from Concentrate (Filtered Water, Apple Juice Concentrate)
- Mango Juice from Concentrate (Filtered Water, Mango Juice Concentrate)
- Passion Fruit Juice from Concentrate (Filtered Water, Passion Fruit Juice Concentrate)
- Citric Acid (for tartness)
- Natural Flavor
- Ascorbic Acid (to protect color)
- Beta Carotene (for color)
More information from label:
- Contains 10% juice
Nutrition Facts
A serving is 8 ounces and contains 120 calories. You get 0 grams of fat and 0 grams of protein. There are 29 grams total carbohydrates, of which 28 grams are sugars (25 grams “added sugars”). You get 0% your daily value sodium per serving.
Price and Servings
The 750 ml bottle cost $4.97 at my local Publix. But you can also find this at Wal-Mart for $3.98. Since there are 3 servings per 25.4 ounce bottle, each serving cost me about $1.66. Considering the low percentage of actual juice, I consider this a bit spendy.
Shelf Life
The “best by” date on my bottle allowed approximately 7 months to consume. Like typical carbonated drinks, the best “fizz” is right after opening. I was still drinking mine 4 days later (mind yer business), and it was “fine.” Just not as perky.
Dramatic Conclusion
If you’re craving a change of pace from typical sparkling juices, this is a fun option. I don’t think it’s a serious contender for the ‘ol classics, however. It’s a bit more cartoonish in color and flavor, and there’s not a ton of actual juice. It’s priced the same as the “juicier” options, which doesn’t feel fair.
But life isn’t fair. The official Awesome-o-Meter rates this a “Maybe.”
The End.
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