Carbonation Nation

Craft soda explosion leads to big growth for Minnesota-based Joia Soda

Joia Soda fuses disparate ingredients such as grapefruit, chamomile and cardamom, as well as lime, hibiscus and clove to create unique tastes.

Image credit: Joia Soda

Recommended by the Editor

Survival Kit: February 2012

By: Molly Burke

Single-note sodas like Coca-Cola have enjoyed several decades of preeminence. But the era of refreshing, yet predictable soft drinks may be coming to an end as a profusion of craft sodas appear on the market.

Brands like Jones Soda and Minnesota-based Joia – in addition to the recently re-introduced PoP Shoppe varieties and the hand-crafted sodas now on offer at Eat Street Social – are appealing to a more taste-conscious crowd with layered flavors and high-quality ingredients.

Bob Safford, the founder of Joia (pronounced joy’a), caught the bug two years ago, when he noticed the absence of a gourmet soda with distinct flavors in the drink market.

“I was given a sample of a cocktail with herbs and spices and I thought, why couldn’t you do this with a soda?” says Safford. “I wanted something dynamic to drink that wasn’t alcoholic.”

After spending endless hours with mixologists, melding together varieties of herbs and spices, then taste-testing the combinations with consumer groups, Safford developed four eclectic drinks. The flavors fuse disparate ingredients such as grapefruit, chamomile and cardamom, as well as lime, hibiscus and clove.

“The complexity and the layering of the flavors plus the lower sugar [content] and lighter carbonation results in an unbelievably refreshing taste,” says Safford.

The recipes have found an audience. Joia is now available in high-end grocery stores such as Lunds, Byerly’s, Kowalski’s, Whole Foods and a variety of co-ops across Minnesota, and there are plans to further expand in other like-minded cities such as Seattle, Portland and Denver.

Safford says it’s a slowed down, café lifestyle that is pushing consumers to enjoy Joia as an experience, rather than just an ordinary drink (though we’d also like to think it had something to do with our nod in the October 2011 METRO list). 

“Our consumers are the zest for life people…those that want to bring new tastes and experiences in everything they do,” says Safford. “But I’ve never seen a product that is as universally liked as this one.” 

+ Want to add a little kick to your Joia? Consider this recipe for Pelican Beach Punch, which mixes their Pineapple-Coconut-Nutmeg soda with rum and Falernum (a traditional Caribbean liqueur flavored with almond, clove and lime).