Two fruity flavors, a little cosmic personality and a lighter take on traditional soda. Portal Cultured Soda might be worth opening a new dimension for.
Some sodas are so sweet they practically demand a dental appointment. Others lean so hard into tartness that your face starts doing involuntary gymnastics. Somewhere between those two extremes lives Portal Cultured Soda, a colorful newcomer bringing a little balance to the beverage aisle.
We recently sampled two flavors, All the Berries and Mango Cream Soda, and our taste tester appreciated one thing above all: neither flavor tried too hard.
Light, refreshing, not overly sweet and not too tart. Sometimes that’s exactly what you’re looking for.
Meet Portal Cultured Soda
Born from a father-son collaboration in Nashville, Tennessee, Portal Cultured Soda brings a playful, space-themed approach to a familiar favorite.
The brand began as a father-son project between Nashville brewer Byron Stithem and his son, Booker, who was just 8 years old when they started experimenting together. What began as a bonding activity eventually grew into Portal Cultured Soda, developed in partnership with Nashville kombucha producers the Walker Brothers. The result is a playful beverage brand that brings a fresh perspective to traditional soda.
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Portal uses real fruit juice and agave inulin for sweetness, along with cultured ingredients. The brand lists just 39 calories per can and no added sugar. That doesn’t mean sugar-free, since fruit juice naturally contains sugar, but it does offer an alternative to traditional sugary sodas.
And the packaging? Let’s just say these cans aren’t trying to blend into the refrigerator.
With their imaginative, cosmic-inspired branding, Portal’s cans have a personality all their own. Our reviewer found the packaging interesting, and it’s easy to see how that distinctive presentation could catch someone’s attention.
The Flavor Test: All the Berries and Mango Cream Soda
Berry-flavored beverages can sometimes go overboard with sweetness or acidity. Portal’s All the Berries aims for a more balanced experience.
Our reviewer’s overall impression was that the soda felt light and refreshing, without the excessive sweetness or sharp tartness that can dominate other fruit-forward drinks.
For anyone who enjoys berry flavors but prefers something less intense than traditional soda, this one deserves a closer look.
Mango Cream Soda brings a tropical twist to Portal’s lineup.
The combination of mango and cream soda sounds like it could easily become a sugar bomb, but Portal’s lighter approach is part of its appeal.
Our taste tester enjoyed the overall balance of the drinks, particularly that they weren’t too sweet or too tart. It’s a refreshing change for anyone who likes fruity soda but doesn’t necessarily want a full-blown dessert in a can.
What Makes Portal Different?
Beyond the creative packaging and playful flavor names, Portal stands out for its approach to ingredients.
The company emphasizes real fruit juice, agave inulin, cultured ingredients and no added sugar. Agave inulin is a type of prebiotic fiber, while the brand also promotes its use of probiotic cultures.
Of course, a cultured soda isn’t a substitute for a balanced diet or a magic solution for gut health. For us, the bigger selling point is much simpler: It’s an enjoyable beverage with a lighter sweetness profile.
And frankly, that’s enough reason to be curious.
The Sober Curator Verdict
Portal Cultured Soda delivers on balance.
Our reviewer (also know as my dad) liked the light taste, the fact that the drinks weren’t overly sweet or tart, and the packaging that gave the brand an interesting visual identity.
In a crowded market of functional beverages and alcohol-free alternatives, not every drink needs to promise to transform your life. Sometimes a good beverage is simply one that tastes refreshing, looks interesting and makes you want another sip.
Portal understands that assignment.
Both flavors are available through Portal Cultured Soda’s website, where 12-packs were listed at $35 at the time of review.
Getting sober matters. Staying sober matters more. And discovering something new and delicious to drink along the way? That’s part of the fun.
Source: Axios Nashville, April 21, 2026
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