A honey-sweetened soda is a sparkling drink sweetened with honey instead of cane sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, stevia, or erythritol. It still tastes like soda. The sugar in the can comes from honey and fruit, not from a diet sweetener.
Sidekick is a honey-sweetened soda from Wānaka: real fruit, New Zealand honey, a splash of apple cider vinegar, sparkling water. No cane sugar. No stevia. No erythritol.
This page is the short answer for anyone searching that phrase. New Zealand as a category is honey soda in New Zealand. The fridge comparison is honey soda vs diet soda vs kombucha. The label is on Ingredients.
What it is not
It is not a diet soda. Diet soda is built around zero sugar. The trade-off is usually stevia, sucralose, or aspartame. Honey-sweetened soda still has sugar — from honey and fruit — and it still tastes like fruit soda.
It is not kombucha. Kombucha is fermented in the bottle. Honey soda is mixed and carbonated, like classic soda.
It is not “healthy Coke.” Do not buy it as a medical product. Buy it if you want a soda without cane sugar or a diet aftertaste.
What is in a Sidekick can
The recipe is short: sparkling water, real fruit purée and juice, New Zealand honey, organic apple cider vinegar. Flavour, colour, and body come from the fruit. Sweetness comes from the honey. The vinegar is a splash for a dry finish — what ACV soda is.
Core flavours: Cherry, Mango, Pear, Strawberry. Roughly 40–50 calories per 250ml can, depending on flavour. Sugar sits under 4g per 100ml. Check the can for the panel.
It is not vegan. Honey is an animal product. It is made with gluten-free ingredients.
How it tastes
Not-too-sweet. Honey is softer than cane-sugar syrup. Fruit is the flavour, not a “natural flavour” lab note. Some people notice the vinegar more than others. It should not taste like a salad dressing.
If you want zero sugar, this is the wrong door. If you want a cherry or mango soda that is actually fruit and honey, this is the slot.
Where to get it
- Shop 12-packs or Fridge Fill for home.
- Find Sidekick in New Zealand.
- Cafés and grocers: wholesale, then Upstock.
