The Olipop Barbie flavor is hitting shelves on May 1—and, no, it’s not some extremely delayed collab between the prebiotic soda and the Barbie movie. The limited edition Olipop flavor is hitting shelves in celebration of Barbie’s 65th anniversary, specifically honoring the cult favorite ‘80s Peaches ‘n Cream Barbie. 

The can features retro Barbie faces, pops of sparkles and peaches, and, of course, it’s Barbie pink. It’s very cute, and, if you’re a Barbie completionist, you probably nabbed a can (or a full pallet) already. But should you try it if you’re a casual Barbie fan or Olipop fan or simply a big peach head? I cracked open a can to find out.

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Per the packaging, here’s what Olipop was going for: “Our soda captures [Barbie’s] timeless, vibrant, and sweet but not too sweet spirit, with an unforgettable fusion of real peach juice, deep, full-bodied vanilla, and white peach gummy flavor.” I think they should underline “white peach gummy flavor.” Barbie Olipop smells like peach rings. If that sounds appetizing to you, then you’re in for a treat. 

Pros: The Sporked team was divided on this new Olipop flavor. Those who had nice things to say about it complimented the prebiotic soda’s creamy flavor. “It’s not just peach soda,” managing editor Gwynedd Stuart commented. “It’s like artificially flavored coffee creamer but cold and carbonated.” It’s also definitely nostalgic—it really brings you back to the ‘80s when every Barbie or My Little Pony came pre-scented. And you can’t argue with the ingredients. Olipop sodas are undeniably better for you than standard sodas. This one contains a full 17% juice, with just 50 calories, 5g of sugar, and 9g of fiber. And the ingredients include things like cassava root fiber, nopal cactus, peach juice, apricot juice, and Himalayan pink salt. 

Cons: It is sweet, sweet, sweet. And not sugar sweet. This is artificial sugar sweet. (Specifically, Olipop uses cassava root syrup.) It tastes a bit like a melted apricot popsicle with even more sweeteners added. And I do stress apricot. Peaches aren’t just sweet—they have acidity. Apricots are mostly just sweet. And that’s really what you get here—sweet apricot, a bit of a creamy sensation, and what I imagine Barbie perfume to taste like. It’s too sweet for me, but I don’t think I’m the target audience. I bet five-year-old Barbie obsessed me would have loved it.

Credit: Liv Averett

Rating:

6.5/10

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