There are a few notable soft drinks on the market that feature a purple or violet color. While most sodas are brown, orange, or clear, some brands have experimented with purple over the years. Here’s an overview of some of the major purple soft drinks.
Grape Soda
One of the most popular purple sodas is grape soda. Major brands like Crush, Sunkist, and Fanta all produce grape soda varieties made with concord grape flavoring. The purple color comes from grape juice concentrate or purple food dye like Allura Red AC. Popular grape soda brands include:
- Crush Grape Soda
- Sunkist Grape Soda
- Fanta Grape Soda
- Welch’s Grape Soda
- Faygo Grape Soda
Grape soda has a bright purple hue and a sweet, distinctive grape taste. It’s become a classic soda flavor, especially in the United States. Fun fact – grape soda played a memorable role in the 1994 film The Sandlot.
Berry Sodas
Some soda brands also produce berry-flavored varieties like strawberry, blueberry, and blackberry that take on a purple or reddish-purple color. Popular berry sodas include:
- Crush Strawberry Soda
- IBC Strawberry Soda
- Stewart’s Wishniak Black Cherry Soda
- Jones Blackberry Soda
- Boylan Blackberry Soda
These sodas are made with berry syrups and natural and artificial berry flavors to achieve a sweet, fruity taste. Their purple color comes from actual berry juices or purple food coloring. They have a slightly darker, more reddish purple hue compared to traditional grape soda.
Unique Purple Sodas
Some sodas on the market feature unique purple colors and flavors beyond grape and berry varieties:
- Jones Violet – An original Jones Soda flavor with a bright violet color and mystery fruit taste.
- Dublin Dr Pepper Blackberry Soda – A Texas-based soda combining blackberry and Dr Pepper flavors.
- Jarritos Tamarind – A Mexican soda with a tangy tamarind fruit flavor and deep purple color.
- Virgil’s Black Cherry Cream Soda – A gourmet black cherry and vanilla cream soda.
These sodas get their signature purple hues from natural flavors like blackberry and tamarind or artificial coloring. They allow soda brands to experiment with unique tastes and colors.
Limited Edition Purple Sodas
As part of limited-time offers and seasonal releases, soda brands sometimes create special edition purple sodas. Here are some examples:
- Coca-Cola with Violet – Released in select areas of Japan in 2018.
- 7Up Retro – Temporary 7Up flavor with a purple and pink can design released in 2020.
- Pepsi “Passionfruit Frenzy” – Limited flavor released in summer 2022.
These unique releases allow major soda brands to test new ideas and generate buzz around their classic beverages. The purple coloring helps the special flavors stand out on shelves.
Niche and Artisanal Purple Sodas
Beyond the major soda brands, a number of smaller beverage companies also produce purple sodas. These are often premium or artisanal sodas made with unique ingredients. Some examples include:
- Maine Root Blueberry Soda
- Capt’n Eli’s Blueberry Soda
- Dang! Butterfly Pea Flower Soda
- Ale-8-One Blackberry Soda
- Bruce Cost Ginger Ale with Blackberry
These sodas appeal to soda connoisseurs looking for bolder, more sophisticated flavors. Their purple hues tend to come from natural sources like blueberry, blackberry, and butterfly pea flower juice.
Conclusion
While clear and brown sodas dominate the market, purple varieties hold an enduring place in soda fandom. Concord grape soda remains the most popular thanks to major brands like Crush and Fanta. But berry flavors, unusual sodas from niche brands, and limited edition releases also provide a range of purple options.
So for soda drinkers craving something more colorful and exotic, purple sodas add some diversity to the classic lineup of colas, lemon-limes, and root beers. Their vivid purple hues and fruity flavors create memorable soda experiences.
| Soft Drink Brand | Purple Soda Variety | Flavor Profile |
|---|---|---|
| Crush | Grape | Sweet concord grape flavor |
| Jones | Berry Lemonade | Mixed berry and lemon flavor |
| Jarritos | Tamarind | Tangy tamarind fruit flavor |
| Stewart’s | Black Cherry | Sweet black cherry taste |
| Fanta | Grape | Grape juice flavor |
| IBC | Black Cherry | Cherry cola flavor |