We're fans of Sun Drop and it's great that you can now find this citrus beverage nationwide. (We wish we could say the same about the awesome Cherry Lemon flavor, but alas, that's still hard to find). One item that is a bit easier to track down, however, is Diet Sun Drop.
Unlike competitors, Diet Sun Drop actually contains 1% juice (orange juice concentrate). It's not much, but it's a differentiator. It's also not completely calorie-free. For example, a 20 oz. bottle contains 12.5 calories. Those two elements may be why Diet Sun Drop actually tastes pretty good for a drink sweetened with aspartame.
Crack open the cap and you are greeted by a pleasant, somewhat not-fake-smelling citrus scent. The taste is quite lemony and flavorful, and this coming from a reviewer who isn't always in love with diet versions of beverages. The diet aftertaste typically associated with artificial sweeteners is still present, but it's quite subdued. The overall flavor profile actually does a nice job of masking quite a bit of this aftertaste. I was quite shocked that I liked this!
Based on the design mockups we saw at the NACS Show, it looks like Diet Sun Drop is slated to get the new "Legacy" bottle shape (though oddly, it appears that Caffeine Free Sun Drop is sticking with the old design… if you can actually find it!)
Diet Sun Drop
Carbonated water and contains less than 2% of: citric acid, orange juice concentrate, aspartame, sodium citrate, sodium benzoate (preservative), salt, caffeine, natural flavors, acadia gum, Yellow 5, ester gum, brominated vegatable oil
A 20 oz bottle contains 12.5 calories, 225 mg sodium, and 0 g carbs (0 g sugars). Caffeine breakdown is 5.75 mg/oz, higher than regular Sun Drop (5.25 mg/oz) and quite a bit more than Mountain Dew's 4.5 mg/oz.
Diet Sun Drop is one helluva refreshing diet soda! Drank with food, it doesn't even taste like diet. I'm glad its now available everywhere in my neck of the woods (St. Louis.)
That Cherry Lemon version of Sun Drop sounds delish. Wish I could get my big fat paw around one!