Hannah H.
GT
Brand
Alive Mindful Matcha Cream
Product
$5
Retail Price
Albertson’s
Retailer
GT’s should stick to its SCOBY roots because this healthy Mindful Matcha Cream soda is bizarre.
I like GT’s Synergy kombucha for its low sugar and good flavor, so I was excited to try the brand’s ALIVE Mindful Matcha Cream Soda.
The ALIVE drink branding was recently updated from earthy labels claiming “Ancient Mushroom Elixirs,” to bold primary colors and catchy flavor names.
I bought this adaptogenic drink for the matcha and the supposed “Mood + Mind” benefits. Surely, a creamy matcha soda would be delightful.
Oh, how wrong I was.
Read-In-3 Review: GT’s ALIVE Mindful Matcha Cream Soda
A New Flavor I Don’t Want to Try Again, Ever
This is a green drink that tastes pink.
I love matcha. I also love cream. And I like carbonation. But apparently, I hate matcha cream soda. The ALIVE Mindful Matcha Cream Soda tastes like liquid Bazooka bubblegum.
I couldn’t place the flavor at first. Tamed matcha hits immediately. Then a cream soda callback comes through, and escalates into a pink, powdery bleh.
I would prefer the marine green bitterness of unadulterated ceremonial matcha over the sharp, sweet bite of erythritol and stevia. The vanilla extract also isn’t doing anyone any favors here.
GT’s site describes the flavors as “nostalgic,” but it’s bringing back memories of candy that nearly took a tooth with every bite.
The mushrooms are completely hidden and maybe that’s the point. But I would actually prefer the drink to taste healthier than this bafflingly sweet profile.
If you want to ingest these adaptogens, surely there are better vessels than GT’s Alive Mindful Matcha Cream soda.
Every Health Benefit, All At Once
The selling point for this $5 drink is that it benefits my mood and my mind, but ultimately it’s too muddled.
The calming green label wooed me. I yearned for the “Mindful Matcha Cream” so I could feel “Alive and Stress-Free” like the bottle said.
The problem with adaptogens is that it’s hard to tell if they’re actually working (and the science is still out on how effective they are).
Certainly, there’s a refreshing placebo effect. I had a headache before I started drinking GT’s Mindful Matcha Cream and I had slightly less of a headache by the end.
But was that because of the adaptogens or just the hydration?
I do know that the 75mg of caffeine worked its magic – at 2:30 am. I felt “ALIVE” and raring to write this article when I should have been sleeping.
The problem is that this drink is trying to do too much – both flavor and health-wise. It’s muddled.
For example, the bottle says the reishi mushroom in it “promotes stress reduction and improved sleep,” but then the recipe also includes a coffee-cup’s-worth of caffeine.
The soda is supposed to help my stomach, lift my mood, clear my mind, help me sleep, and wake me up. In the end, I was just sad that they made ceremonial matcha taste bad.
GT’s ALIVE Mindful Matcha Cream Soda Ingredients
g
Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
ACV is made from fermented apple juice and potentially benefits gut health.
mg
Reishi Mushroom
An “adaptogenic” mushroom that may bolster the immune system.
mg
Chaga Mushroom
An antioxidant-packed fungus that may support cellular health.
mg
Turkey Tail Mushroom
Confirmed immune modulator that helps the immune system.
mg
Caffeine
Everyone’s favorite natural stimulant, found here courtesy of the matcha.
Other Ingredients
Ceremonial Matcha, Lemon Juice, Dark Amber Maple, Vanilla Extract, Erythritol, Stevia
I do appreciate that every ingredient in this drink is organically produced and that GT’s uses ceremonial-grade matcha. This is a clean, healthy tea drink low in sugar that gives a 200% DV Vitamin C dose. However, the quality ingredients can’t overcome the odd taste.
GT’s ALIVE Mindful Matcha Cream Soda is a Healthy Drink That Tastes Unhealthy
Although the ALIVE Mindful Matcha Cream soda is made with clean ingredients, it tastes as murky as its sweeping health claims.
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