Sap! Review

What do you know about sap? Before trying these drinks, I knew little to nothing about it. In my head, I always confused it with maple syrup. I’m aware that these two things are in fact, different, but I never had a reason to seek out any answers. I guess it was just one of those things I was comfortable in my confusion of. I knew it was sticky and came from trees. That’s as far as my knowledge went. So when I saw the Sap! variety pack of maple seltzer, maple soda and sparkling birch, I thought I could use this as a learning experience.

First of all, I had literally no idea that sap held anti-inflammatory properties. I didn’t know it’s antioxidant rich or had nutrients. I thought it was just like..a naturally occurring liquid sugar. I have NEVER claimed to be smart. I used to watch nature documentaries to learn but now they stress me out. Everything is DYING, there’s plastic EVERYWHERE, the planet is acting out due to years of mistreatment, etc. It feels super helpless and I spiral just remembering pictures of plastic in landfills or thinking about the coral reef (DYING!!). I don’t want this to be a dark post, but it’s reality. I recycle and do what I can to not think about the planet dying, but it is. I did a little research about the brand before trying these drinks. SAP! is a brand committed to “regenerative agriculture”, promoting the health of our environment, and taking steps to make beverages that encourage sustainability. I’m not saying you can simply do your part by buying this drink. It obviously takes more than that. What I am saying is that it’s a relief to see a brand being conscious of the detrimental impact companies have had on the environment, and I hope to see more of this in the future.

Looking at the SAP! website, I wasn’t sure how the drinks would taste. I’m pretty adventurous when it comes to trying drinks, but I usually have some kind of idea of what the beverage will taste like before it gets to me. I read the ingredient lists and can get a baseline idea of what the experience will be--it’s like reading the notes of a perfume. There’s elements that come together to create something beautiful. In this case, I had NO idea what these drinks would taste like, because I had no idea what sap tasted like, and the ingredient lists are short. I love when the ingredient lists are short. It means I’m getting the power of raw ingredients. There’s no sugar added to these, which I also love to see!! I went ahead and decided on the “original sampler pack”, which contains maple seltzer, maple soda, and sparkling birch.

Maple Seltzer

This is the best naturally sweetened seltzer I’ve ever tasted. It isn’t a contest. It’s perfect. This was the first drink I tried out of the trio, and I was insanely surprised. It does slightly taste like a maple syrupy sweetness, but it’s light. It’s not heavy or cloying and it doesn’t overpower. It doesn’t taste like a soda--it’s still absolutely a seltzer, but it doesn’t have that harshness to it. There are some flavored seltzers where the carbonation and flavor are decidedly different and work against each other in the beverage. This is the complete opposite of that. I would recommend this drink to anyone who likes seltzer. I’d even recommend it to people who don’t like seltzer--so I can show them that seltzer has multitudes.

Maple Soda

This tastes exactly like the Maple Seltzer, but the flavor is turned up a few notches. It has all of the powerful elements of a soda without the sugar rush or that thick taste that comes afterward. I’m a huge fan of natural sodas, and I like that SAP! made a distinction between soda and seltzer. The difference between the two is clear, and shows they have a handle on crafting a variety of drinks. I love this soda.

Birch Sparkling Water

This one is slightly different from the Maple Seltzer, but not by much. The flavor is different, but very light and less sweet. I think this tastes fine on its own, but this would be a great addition to a drink you’d make yourself. I’m working on some ideas for what to combine this with. One of my biggest complaints about beverage companies is that they don’t seem to have a grasp on the differences among sparkling water, seltzer and soda, but they really nailed it. I could not be happier with everything I tried.

I loved this variety pack. I would also love to try the flavored seltzers on their site, but I really wanted to start with the bare bones, the basics. I strongly encourage giving these a shot if you’re a seltzer enthusiast or looking for a natural soda in order to kick high fructose corn syrup out of your life. I’m giving this a 10/10, and would give it higher marks if I did that. I’m super impressed and will absolutely drink these again.