Bai Sparkling Antioxidant Infusion

Many health-conscious people are giving up their sodas for healthier alternatives. Diet sodas are replacing Aspartame with other sweeteners, and if you have ever looked at the water flavorings, you may start to think that not many people enjoy plain, unflavored water. There are some brands of natural sodas that have been around for awhile. Generally, you cannot find these brands at convenience stores or big box stores, such as Walmart. Bai has been expanding their line of healthier drinks with no artifical sweeteners to lure soda drinkers and provide a healthier option. The Bai Sparking Antioxidant Infusion sure seems like a great alternative with some health benefits as well in a bubbly, low-calorie drink. I have purchased and reviewed two flavors, the Kohala Kola and the Waikiki Coconut Lime. I chose the Kohala Kola in order to compare it with traditional colas and I chose the Waikiki Coconut Lime because of its uniqueness. 

I purchased these at Walmart for $1.68 each for 11.5 ounce cans. Considering a six pack of natural soda usually averages around $6.00 or $7.00, this was no bargain. I expected greatness! 

The Bai offerings at my local Walmart Neighborhood grocery. A caveat - I would expect a Walmart Superstore to have a bigger selection. 

The nutrition label and ingredients in the Waikiki Coconut Lime flavor. All natural sweeteners are used, including erythritol and stevia. This flavor also has caffeine which comes from the coffeefruit extract and white tea extract. 2 grams net carb after subtracting the sugar alcohol in the erythritol. 

Here is the nutrition label for the Kohala Kola flavor. All natural sweeteners. They even use apple extract for color.

Here is the Waikiki Coconut Lime right after I poured it.  As you can see, it has a nice head of foam. 

Here is the Kohala Kola right after I poured it. The foam head is considerably smaller than that of the Waikiki Coconut Lime flavor. This soda lost a lot of its carbonation very quickly. 

First - the Kohala Kola. I liked the fact that it has apple extract for coloring. One brand of natural cola that I drink has no coloring at all. I know it's purely aesthetic and probably psychological, but if I'm drinking cola, I do like it to have a rich brown color. This delivered that. The flavor was nutty, not as sweet as either regular or diet cola. I continued to sip on it even after it had lost most of its carbonation because the flavor was very good. This is definitely a product I will continue to buy when I want a healthier soda.

Next - the Waikiki Coconut Lime. Very bubbly. Unlike the Kohala Kola, this one was very carbonated and stayed that way long after it was poured. The color was similar to a lemon-lime soda. The carbonation was good, but the flavor tasted "off" to me. It was slightly citrusy and had a chemical aftertaste. It was not overly coconut flavored. I would have preferred a little bit more coconut. 

These are both great alternatives to both regular and diet sodas and I encourage you to try these and give me your opinions.