7 Underrated Sodas You Should Be Buying At World Market

Are you stuck in a soda funk? Your favorite Slice soda flavor just won't cut it anymore, and even the good ol' caffeinated Diet Coke you've been sipping on for the better part of a decade can't quench your thirst. What you need is something new, unique, and effortlessly craveable. You may be out of luck with the standard selection found at your neighborhood grocery store — when that happens, consider it your sign to head to a World Market. 

World Market may primarily be known as a store full of home goods and furniture, but those better acquainted with the brand know that it also boasts a wealth of food and beverage finds from across the globe. Of course, there will be both hits and misses among World Market's soda collection, and there's no time for guesswork when you're thirsty. The following seven sodas have a great reputation with World Market devotees. They're unassuming enough that you may not grab them off the shelf on a whim, but they definitely deserve your attention the next time you head in. 

First on the list is a soda that customers can't help but rave about once they've tried it. Guaraná Antarctica hails from Brazil, where the guaraná fruit isn't hard to come by. The soda has been around since 1921, and we have World Market to thank for making it available to U.S. audiences, as it's only made in Japan, Argentina, Portugal, and Brazil. 

Those who love the drink mention that it's not particularly sweet or punchy, like a mixture of apple and strawberry. They love it ice cold in the heat of summer, and one Reddit user even called it "the nectar of the gods." It's so good that customers have reported buying one can just to try it, and then immediately going back to buy a whole case. Whether you're on team Coca-Cola or team Pepsi, one thing's for certain: After a sip of this, you'll probably become a proud convert to team Guaraná Antarctica. 

If you've ever visited the grand country of Germany and treated yourself to a soda, there's a decent chance you've already had a swig of Spezi. The Paulaner brand can be credited with bringing the soda to U.S. markets, and you may see the cans called "Sunset" rather than "Spezi" at some stateside distributors. World Market, however, showcases Spezi by name, in all its unfettered glory. 

The soda reportedly tastes like a mixture of Coca-Cola and Fanta Orange; in fact, some say you can make your own with a 50/50 mixture of the two. The German drink is so popular that both Coca-Cola and Pepsi have formulated their own dupes — Mezzo Mix and Schwip Schwap, respectively — but many who have tried all the competition still say that Spezi reigns supreme. If light, refreshing colas are right up your alley, give Spezi a try the next time you go to World Market. Then, if you like it, use it to make the tantalizing Spezi-meister cocktail. 

In addition to sourcing sodas from around the world, World Market also stocks some sodas exclusive to its own brand. The line boasts soda flavors like Pomegranate Blueberry and Lemon Elderflower, but arguably the most delicious variety appears to be its Pear Cardamom French Soda. It's the ideal pour when summer starts to give way to fall. 

Happy customers say the Pear Cardamom French Soda is more pear-forward and the cardamom is fairly subtle, which will be good news if you often find the spice to be overpowering. And, while the bottle functions perfectly well as a solo sipper, we can't help but put our mixologist brain into action when we think about ways to use the soda. It would probably be delicious spiked with some light vodka or even tequila blanco. If you need more cardamom flavor, add a smidge of cardamom simple syrup, and toss some orange into the equation for a bright citrus appeal.

Even just its name begs you to try a bottle — Fentimans Curiosity Cola sparks your, well, curiosity as a consumer, and it'll be a feat if you can see this on World Market shelves without grabbing one. Don't resist the temptation. The Curiosity Cola is apparently delicious, with enough offbeat intrigue to keep even the most well-versed soda aficionados from being bored. 

Founded in the U.K., Fentimans produces a line of botanical brews that run the gamut from Rose Lemonade to a Pink Ginger soda. Cinnamon, ginger, and pear give the Curiosity Cola its cola-like flavor, while keeping it distinct from the big-brand offerings on the market. Drinkers say it's not as sweet as your standard colas, and they praise that all of the tasting notes are clearly identifiable. The cola also apparently makes for a great mixer, but don't feel like you have to combine it with booze to enjoy it. 

Australia's Bundaberg Ginger Beer is practically a household staple in its homeland, and it deserves a similar must-have status in the U.S. The family-owned company boasts using real ginger and a three-day brewing time to make its ginger beer. The result? A seemingly unparalleled flavor that deserves to be experienced at least once. 

Perhaps you've tried Bundaberg's root beer, only to be turned off by its medicinal flavor. Don't worry — that's a common sentiment among North Americans, and it doesn't seem to carry over into the company's ginger beer, which Bundaberg root beer naysayers reportedly love. If you try it and love it, you've just found your new staple ingredient for Friday night's Moscow mule, or even just your new ginger-centric solo sipper. Whether it's the best ginger beer on the market is a matter of personal opinion; the next time you conduct a taste test, make sure to include Bundaberg's offering in the mix, and let us know how it fares. 

World Market imports its supply of Fanta Tropical from Europe, and to great effect — those who have snagged the soda from the store love it, though some say the flavor takes some getting used to. That doesn't surprise (or concern) us too much, though. The combination of orange, passion fruit, and peach is certainly unique to many U.S. audiences, but it certainly sounds delicious enough to try at least once. 

Those who love Fanta Tropical are die-hard fans. Some even say it's the greatest fruit-flavored soda they've ever tasted, and it's often called the best flavor of Fanta's lineup. You may also see the drink labeled "Fanta Tropicool" or "Fanta Tropical Exotic" — don't worry, they all apparently taste the same. Drink it solo and chilled if you just need a refreshing sip in the summer; if you're after something a little more lively, toss your favorite spirit and perhaps some lemon or lime juice into the mix. 

You may or may not still be able to find Besitos sodas at your local World Market — we've heard rumors that the store has stopped stocking the brand, but it's still on shelves at our local World Market, so we're including it here anyway. If you do find it, give it a try while it's available. The sodas claim to have half the sugar of a typical soda, and all come "con chile," boasting a pleasant hit of heat at the end of the sip. 

Besitos' Mango con Chile soda gets a ton of buzz, but those who have had its other flavors (Lime con Chile and Guava con Chile) don't hesitate to rave about them. Plus, we can't help but be intrigued by the notion of a spicy, fruity soda. While the bottles definitely have a kick to them, we couldn't find any reports of the heat being overwhelming — it's likely balanced out by the brightness of the fruit juice, leading to a complex flavor profile. We're stoked to try this one. 

To get a sense of what offerings made up World Market's most underrated sodas, we scoured Reddit forums, Facebook posts, and other food blogs to see which sodas the general populace was raving about. Each of the above sodas didn't necessarily have prolific mentions (hence their "underrated" qualifier), but every time they were mentioned, commenters chimed in relentlessly with praise for the soda. In addition, each soda had to be primarily present or manufactured outside the U.S. to make this list.