14 homegrown soda brands that could (probably) replace your Diet Coke

The first showers of the season may have brought some respite, but we have a strong El Nino looming this year. Read: A long, hot summer. A refrigerator stocked with cans of your favourite crisp soda seems like the first and most reasonable recourse for most of us, but how about veering off your usual fallback this time around?

We might have been in the grip of a nationwide panic when Diet Coke went MIA from supermarket shelves a couple of months ago, but we needn’t have been. These homegrown sodas—some with probiotics, some with electrolytes, some with packaging so artsy you’ll want to collect them—have been lying in wait, eyeing your shelf space.

Here’s our pick of the coolest, crispiest homegrown sodas you can pop open when you want to be a little less predictable:

Indian Craft Cola

Still drinking classic cola? Move on. Indian Craft Cola comes infused with vanilla, lemon, ginger, orange, pineapple, and spices like nutmeg and ginger to give you well-rounded flavours and notes akin to a fine cocktail. Bonus points on the packaging—the butterfly imagery is so whimsy-coded, you’ll want to keep it forever. At ₹98 for 330 ml, it is slightly steeper than your regular can, but go back and read the flavour notes, won’t you? They come in packs of three, six or 12, available to buy from their website.

Elder

Elder brings low-calorie sparkling waters infused with the goodness of plant extracts like ashwagandha, brahmi and more. A refreshing take on pairing fruity and floral notes, you can take your pick from a classic peach and hibiscus or a blueberry and blue pea if you’re feeling experimental. The hand-drawn-style illustrations make the brand stand out in a sea of cans on the supermarket shelf. Mumbai peeps can now pre-order this evening drink via the website.

Sepoy & Co.

With its range of Himalayan water-based mixers—think tonic water, ginger mixers, sparkling waters, sparkling lemonades—Sepoy & Co. has found a permanent spot in our bar. This season, their sparkling lemonades got an upgrade with two new flavours: pink grapefruit and yuzu jalapeno. They suggest you pair it with a tequila or vodka. We say enjoy it as is.

Zyro

In March this year, Karan Aujlam of VRB Consumer Products launched this zero-calorie beverage with a sleek digital campaign titled ‘Nothing Unnecessary’. The range has everything—from fruit-flavoured electrolyte hydration drinks to tonic waters. There’s a Red Bull alternative, Blue Bolt, and their Vita Cola appears to be taking on Diet Coke head-on, both in packaging and pricing. With everything priced under ₹100 and availability on all quick-commerce platforms, they’re easy to try.

Peping

Bengaluru-based Peping’s prebiotic fizzy drinks and probiotic wellness shots are said to be high in fibre and low in calories. And they come in some fun, familiar flavours—raw mango, watermelon, Valencia orange, and strawberry and cream. Scroll through their Instagram and you’ll chance upon mocktail recipes and updates on their next mocktail bar pop-up. Available on Zepto and Swiggy Instamart across Bengaluru.

Drink Misfits

Mumbai-based brothers Aditya and Yash Pai launched Misfits after Aditya’s soda habit came with an unexpected wake-up call. With seven grams of prebiotic fibre and naturally sourced caffeine, it gives you the afternoon kick without the jitters and eventual crash. The flavours may be limited right now but the creativity is anything but. Cans come splashed with playful graphics and names like Ms. Aambush (mango-chilli) and Mr. Ruckus (grape).

Atmosphere Studio

Another bubbly prebiotic brand that packs gut health and flavour is Atmosphere Studio, founded by Rebekah and Ariella. Their range of prebiotic sodas and kombuchas come in familiar flavours like blueberry-lavender, spicy ginger, and raspberry. Priced at ₹220 for 210 ml, these may not be as accessible as Zyro, but their kits and bundles give you value for money. For now, the drinks are available only in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Jaipur.

Moi Soi

Based in Mumbai, Deb Banerjee’s brainchild brings a tangy twist to the Taiwanese boba tea. Among their seven variants, the matcha flavour is a unique one. Go through the feed if you want ideas for some flavour experiments.

Drink Relow

Founded by Bhavya Vij, Relow combines sodas with gut health benefits. Infused with Bacillus subtilis (a shelf-stable probiotic), these punchy drinks are equal parts refreshing and beneficial. The sleek cans and chunky branding lend it an energy-drink feel without the added sugar.

Tipsy Tiger

What started as casual experiments by three friends—Abhishek Chopra, Rushil Bhatia, and Sagar Sarin—took shape as Tipsy Tiger in 2020. The brand offers fun, fuss-free, and low-sugar cocktail and mocktail mixers for home consumption that pair well with gin, whisky, and tequila or sparkling lemonades for the teetotaller. Available in local specialty departmental stores and quick-commerce sites in 26 cities. If you are in Mumbai, you can visit the Tipsy Tiger Garden Bar in Andheri East for events and dine-in experiences.

Bombay Banta

Those marble-topped green bottles of your childhood now come in a more easy-to-carry form. Founded in 2021, the brand celebrates India’s most popular summer drink with flavours like imli jeera and kala khatta. Carry them on a long road trip or keep one within reach as you toil away on spreadsheets.

Mossant

Mossant’s got a whole bunch of unique kombucha flavours—think rose, coffee, Earl Grey, and lavender. The hops kombucha is brewed combining Assam black tea with a malty backbone and a citrusy, mango-like aroma—flavours you never thought would come together. They also retail a range of tonic waters, apt for at-home cocktails or as standalone beverages. Started in 2019 by Adithya Kidambi and Shishir Sathyan, Mossant aims to make healthy drinks more accessible.

Hado

Mumbai-based Hado lies at the intersection of a functional and a regular soda. Their sodas are sweetened with monk fruit and come with the goodness of 10 grams of fibre across four flavours—a sweet lychee rose, a tart yet punchy guava chilli, warm and citrusy lemongrass ginger, and a pineapple coconut for tropical escapes. It delivers pan India, via their website and retail partners like Amazon and Blinkit.

Kultur’d

Founded in 2020, Kultur’d is on a mission to make wellness a lifestyle. At Kultur’d, kombucha comes in sleek, fluted bottles. Their flavour profiles are layered and bold—lychee-lemonade, elderflower-melon, and orange-coffee, to name a few. The drinks come in trial packs of four or six, and value packs of 12. If you really take to the drink, the brand also offers a subscription-based model, available at your doorstep across the country.