A Closer Look at the Core Ingredients
Dalston's sodas are generally made with a simple and transparent list of ingredients, prioritizing real components over artificial additives. The basic recipe for many sparkling fruit sodas includes three main elements:
- Real Squeezed Fruit: This forms the base of the flavour and varies by product, using fruits like Sicilian lemons or Herefordshire rhubarb.
- Sparkling Water: Often sourced from British spring water, it provides the carbonation.
- Natural Flavourings: These are included to enhance the fruit taste naturally.
Dalston's uses fruit juice concentrates for sweetness in their modern range, avoiding added sugars or artificial sweeteners.
Diving into Specific Dalston's Flavours
Ingredient lists differ slightly depending on the specific flavour:
Lemonade
Typically contains British spring water or sparkling water, Sicilian lemon juice (from concentrate and not from concentrate), and cold-pressed lemon extract. Sweetness comes from sources like white grape juice or, historically, sugar.
Ginger Beer
Features sparkling water, white grape juice from concentrate, lime juice from concentrate, natural ginger flavouring, and other natural flavourings.
Rhubarb Soda
Made with sparkling water, apple juice from concentrate, rhubarb juice, lemon juice from concentrate, and natural flavourings. The rhubarb is grown in Herefordshire.
Happy Gut Tropical Soda
This functional soda includes sparkling water, fruit juices from concentrate (pineapple, white grape, passion fruit), natural flavourings, added minerals (Magnesium, Zinc), and a special Dalston's Prebio Blend. This blend contains chicory root fibre, corn fibre, baobab extract, and lemon balm extract.
Comparison Table: Classic Dalston's Sodas
| Flavour | Primary Fruit Juice | Sweetened By | Noteworthy Additions | Added Sugars? | Calories (approx. per 100ml) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lemonade | Sicilian Lemon | White Grape Juice / Beet Sugar (historic) | Cold Pressed Lemon Extract | No (Modern) / Yes (Historic) | ~14-15 kcal |
| Ginger Beer | Lime | White Grape Juice Concentrate | Natural Ginger Flavouring, Gum Arabic | No | ~15 kcal |
| Rhubarb Soda | Rhubarb, Apple, Lemon | Apple Juice Concentrate | Blackcurrant Juice (for colour) | No | ~12 kcal |
| Cherry Soda | Sweet and Sour Cherry | White Grape Juice Concentrate | Natural Flavourings | No | ~13-14 kcal |
The Dalston's Philosophy: More Than Just Ingredients
Beyond the ingredients themselves, Dalston's emphasizes a commitment to transparency, ethical sourcing, and sustainability. They are a certified B Corp. They prioritize using real fruit for natural sweetness and aim to source ingredients like Sicilian lemons and Herefordshire rhubarb responsibly. This ethical approach is integral to their brand identity.
Conclusion
Dalston's drinks are characterized by their focus on simple, natural, and high-quality ingredients. The core components across most of their range are real fruit juice, sparkling water, and natural flavourings, with fruit juice concentrates providing the sweetness. While the specific combination varies by flavour and product line, such as the additions in their 'Happy Gut' range, their commitment to natural composition remains consistent. This results in low-calorie, flavourful, and natural sparkling drinks. Their B Corp status and emphasis on ethical sourcing reinforce their transparent approach to production. For further details on their practices, you can visit their website https://dalstons.com/pages/our-story.
