Low Calorie Drinks That Taste Real Good? (Crazy Right?)

Let’s face it: low calorie drinks don’t have the best rep. They’re either watery, weirdly sweet, or taste like someone carbonated a multivitamin and called it a day. Most of the time, you’re left choosing between flavour and function, and neither one feels like a win.

But what if you didn’t have to compromise?

At Hip Pop, we make low calorie drinks that taste brilliant. Like, genuinely refreshing. No artificial aftertaste, no chalky finish, no disappointment in a can. Just bold flavours, natural ingredients, and a little bit of magic (read: science and good judgement) that make every sip a good one.

Our secret?
Real fruit. Real fibre. Real flavour.

Stick with us, and we’ll show you why low cal doesn’t have to mean low expectations. Ready to find your new fridge favourite?

Low Sugar vs. Low Calorie vs. Very Drinkable

In our previous blog, How Much Sugar Is In a Can of Pop? we took a closer look at how sugar sneaks into soft drinks, and how that compares to your daily recommended intake of sugar. Because here’s the challenge: once you strip out the sugar, what are you left with? If the answer is a drink that tastes like fizzy air and regrets, nobody’s winning. And if you go too far in the other direction, sweetening it with artificial stuff just to hit a calorie goal, you end up with something that might be technically low cal, but leaves your tastebuds wondering if they’ve been scammed.

At Hip Pop, we’re all about the sweet spot (pun absolutely intended). We use natural fruit juice, a touch of natural sugar, and plant fibre to keep things light without sacrificing taste. It means our drinks sit comfortably in the “low sugar, low calorie, big flavour” zone, no weird additives required.

Because let’s be honest: your drink shouldn’t need to come with a science degree, a dietitian, or a backup flavour. It should just taste good. End of.

How Do We Keep the Calories Low? (Without Making It Taste Like Sad Bubbles)

A lot of so-called “low calorie drinks” get there by using artificial sweeteners, things like aspartame, sucralose, and acesulfame-K. These sweeteners are intense, cheap, and technically calorie-free. They also have a bit of a reputation for leaving behind an aftertaste that’s somewhere between "chemistry set" and "regret."

We don’t do that. Ever.

Instead, we keep our drinks low in calories the natural way. That means:

• A splash of real fruit juice for actual flavour (not lab-invented interpretations of fruit)

• Just a touch of natural sugar, enough to balance things out without blowing your daily intake

• No artificial sweeteners, preservatives, or weird fillers

• And a clever little addition: plant fibre, which adds body without adding loads of calories

How We Keep It Low Cal Without Making It Taste Like Sad Bubbles

(Featuring Pink Grapefruit, our little celebrity)

Let’s talk numbers.

A typical full-sugar fizzy drink clocks in at around 139 calories per 330ml can, give or take a few depending on how generous they were with the syrup. That’s mostly sugar. Not fruit. Not fibre. Just pure, fizzy energy. 

Now let’s compare that to Hip Pop’s Pink Grapefruit Soda: 

• Just 59 calories per can

• Sweetened with a touch of natural fruit juice

• Absolutely no artificial sweeteners

• And boosted with plant fibre and apple cider vinegar, making it a treat your taste buds and body will appreciate!

We keep things light without going flavourless. No chemical aftertaste. No weirdness. Just crisp, zesty grapefruit with proper sparkle and none of the guilt-ridden sugar crash. It’s clean, sharp, and actually refreshing, the kind of drink that makes you go “oh, that’s nice” rather than “hmm… what is that flavour trying to be?”

So, if you’re looking for a low calorie drink that doesn’t taste like homework, this one’s your fridge-door upgrade.

Flavour First. Always.

Let’s be honest: most low-calorie drinks are low-calorie because they’ve cut the flavour out along with the sugar. The result? A drink that tastes like a half-remembered dream of fruit… or like sparkling water that briefly sat next to a lemon on the shelf.

We don’t play that game.

At Hip Pop, flavour comes first, always. That means:

• Real fruit juices that actually taste like the fruit on the label

• A tiny amount of natural sugar, balanced so you get that sweet, zesty lift without blowing your calorie count

• A base of apple cider vinegar and plant-based fibre, which adds natural body and tang

• And no artificial sweeteners. Ever. We’re just not into that kind of relationship

Take Pink Grapefruit, for example. It’s got that sharp citrus hit right at the start, followed by a light, refreshing sweetness and a clean, almost dry finish. It’s bright, it’s grown-up, and it makes your mouth go, “Oh hello, that’s a tasty treat!”

You won’t get a syrupy aftertaste. It just tastes right.

So yes, we’ve cracked the formula: low calories, full flavour, no weird stuff.

But Wait, Isn’t Apple Cider Vinegar Meant to Taste Awful?

Only if you drink it like a dare.

We get it. Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has a bit of a reputation. People associate it with weird health hacks, eye-watering shots before breakfast, and wellness influencers recommending it for everything from digestion to better skin to unlocking the secrets of the universe.

But here’s the thing: ACV can actually taste great, if you know what you’re doing with it.

We don’t pour it into our sodas like it’s a punishment. We use just enough to bring a subtle tang, add some natural complexity, and balance the sweetness of real fruit juice. Think of it like a (not so) secret ingredient, one that gives each sip a little lift without overpowering the flavour.

In our Pink Grapefruit Soda, the ACV blends seamlessly with the citrus sharpness. You get that clean, crisp finish, a slightly tart backbone, and none of the harsh vinegar hit you’d expect from a health tonic. And for bonus points, it’s naturally low in sugar and contains plant-based fibre, which support gut health, no spoonful of raw vinegar required.

It’s one of the reasons our drinks don’t taste like the usual soft drink suspects. There’s nuance. Balance. Personality. And yeah, maybe a bit of clever brewing.

So, if you’ve avoided drinks with ACV in the past because they reminded you of salad dressing or your mate’s failed detox, trust us, this is different.

Low-Calorie Drinks: What’s Out There, and How Hip Pop’s Different

Not all fizz is created equal.

The soft drinks aisle is full of low-calorie promises. But what you often get is a can full of compromises. Let’s break it down:

We’re not pretending to be a magic health tonic. We’re just proud to make a low-calorie drink that doesn’t taste like a compromise. It’s fizzy, fruity, refreshing, and made for actual humans who like actual flavour.

Hip Pop: Low Calorie Drinks. Yes, to Flavour, No to Compromise

If you’ve ever picked up a “healthy” drink that tasted like it was designed by robots trying to recreate the idea of fruit… we feel your pain. That’s exactly why we made Hip Pop.

Our Pink Grapefruit Soda is proof that low calorie drinks don’t have to be boring. It’s sharp, refreshing, naturally flavoured, and made without a single artificial sweetener in sight. Just proper pop, done properly.

So, if you're looking to cut back on sugar without cutting back on taste, this is your new go-to.

Real ingredients.
59 calories per can.
No nonsense.
All the flavour.
Get Real. Drink Hip Pop.