Oogavé Natural Soda

When Stephen "Esteban" Anson ran his own restaurant, he offered a truly original menu to his patrons: everything down to the breads and salad dressings were made right there in his kitchen. He began serving a soda in April, 2005 that used agave nectar as its sweetener as a tribute to the culture of the American Southwest he had been so fond of. When this all-natural, original soda recipe became so popular that it began to outsell his food, Esteban realized he may be in the wrong business. He sold his restaurant and began bottling his popular drink.

Vegan, Organic and Gluten-Free

Made with the same ingredients as the first batch he served to his customers, Oogavé Natural Soda is the first soda to be sweetened with only 100% certified organic agave nectar. The beverage is free from all of the common offenders in most sodas: high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, artificial colors, salt, and preservatives like sodium benzoate. The simple ingredient list that serves as the foundation for all of his flavors contains agave nectar, carbonated water, citric acid, and natural flavors from plant and fruit extracts - that's all.  These drinks are certified USDA organic, vegan, and gluten-free, and the caffeine added to Esteban's Cola is naturally derived from green tea leaves.

Why We Like Them

What we liked best about all six flavors of Oogavé was the light taste; though the drinks were sweet, the flavor of the sodas were never overpowered by sugar. Instead of the heavy feeling from syrups commonly found in conventional sodas, these beverages left our taste buds feeling refreshed.

Embarrassing as it is to admit, my husband (yup, you honey) is a Coke addict -- Coca-Cola, that is. So who better to sample Esteban's Cola than him? To his surprise and my delight, he liked it and thought it had a great flavor. The slightly sweet aftertaste from the agave was different from what he's used to, but overall he though "it's not too bad"; coming from my husband, that's a huge compliment! Hard core cola drinkers need to know one thing:  NO natural soda will taste exactly like the soda you love. There are certain ingredients in your favorite brand that don't belong in natural recipes. Having said that, Esteban's Cola is about as close as you can get to the taste of your conventional brand with a natural recipe.

Flavors you should Try

Esteban's signature twists on some other classic soda recipes include:

• Watermelon Cream - a delicious cream soda with a light watermelon finish that reminded me of being a kid. Cream soda was my favorite!
  
• Grapefruit - tart with a refreshing grapefruit flavor.
  
• Esteban's Rootbeer - tasting just like its conventional counterpart, this was the office favorite.
  
• Ginger Ale - with a gentle ginger taste, this thirst-quenching soda makes a nice complement to any meal.

Oogavé Natural Soda's success in using a few, wholesome ingredients to create such a delicious soda earns them the Naturally Savvy Seal of Approval.

To find a retailer near you or for more information, visit Oogave.com.