Soda of the Week: United Sodas of America brings craft, care to the best flavors you've never had

Welcome back to FTW’s Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey.

For many of us, the soda landscape is limited to two-liter bottles and whatever happens to be on the gun at your local restaurant. But if you’re willing to dig a little deeper — and spend a little more — you can find some great drinks.

My go-to is and will likely forever be Sprecher’s lineup of fire-brewed soft drinks. But if you’re unfortunate enough to live outside Wisconsin (during the summer months, at least), there’s still a wide array of booze-free beverages that offer rich, deep flavors in unexpected combinations.

New York-based United Sodas of America is one place to find them. The brand has earned rave reviews from the most Gen Z of celebrities; Biebers and Kardashians alike. It’s also backdrop to a spectrum of flavors, a 12-color rainbow of standard sodas and experimental flavors. While they look appealing — pretty cans! Bright hues! — the only judgment that matters is how they taste.

Let’s dig in.