I had never heard of carbonated coffee until one of my co-workers handed me a bottle. We were supposed to use this product for a video shoot for marketing, but since the shoot got cancelled, we ended up getting it for free.
What’s Carbonated Coffee
Simply put, carbonated coffee is sparkling water combined with coffee. Carbonation is when carbon dioxide is infused into a liquid, giving it that distinct fizzy, bubbly look and taste. Carbonation is usually added to sweet drinks like juice, syrups, and soft drinks to give a punch, but I never thought someone would do it with coffee.
Ingredients
Checking the bottle’s label, I saw it’s made from carbonated water, coffee extract, vitamin C, citric acid, and caramel color. So it’s basically carbonated coffee with a few additives where citric acid, which I’m guessing is for freshness and acts as a natural preservative.
First Impression and First Sip
What I had was a cold carbonated black coffee with no sugar and no creamer. I was already expecting it to be pretty bland, with a slight bitterness from the coffee, but I couldn’t imagine how the fizziness would affect the texture and flavor.
I took a sip, and my first reaction was, “Woah, that’s weird.” The fizziness hit strongly at first, and I could only taste a very mild hint of coffee
The Drinking Experience
The next sips reminded me of drinking beer. The bitterness from the black coffee combined with the mellowing fizz felt very similar to the mild bitterness and carbonation of beer.
As someone who prefers iced coffee over hot and enjoys a classic iced Nescafé black coffee, this felt too rough. Usually, iced coffee goes down smoothly, but this had a rough, poppy, fizzy sensation that seemed to elevate the bitterness. Imagine tiny fizzy bubbles, each delivering a mild bitter note—that’s how it felt and tasted.
Is It Healthy?
Surprisingly, yes. Like normal black coffee, this is pretty healthy.
Nutrition Facts Summary
Serving Size: 1 bottle (290ml)
No. of Serving per Container: 1
- Calories: 2 kcal (negligible)
- Sodium: 13 mg (~1% of daily limit)
- Total Fat, Cholesterol, Carbohydrates, Sugar, Fiber, Protein: 0
So, if you’re trying to lose weight, the calories are negligible, and sodium is minimal. That means it takes around roughly 1% of the recommended daily salt intake. It also has zero sugar and added Vitamin C, though the exact amount isn’t indicated.
Of course, there are a few caveats. Coffee can increase acidity (especially with citric acid) and cause jitters if you consume too much of it due to caffeine. Carbonated water may also cause bloating or feeling of it. Beyond that, it’s fairly harmless.
Where to Get It?
This coffee brand is made in Japan and imported to the Philippines. They released it last September 2025 based on their official Facebook post.
You can find it at UCC Coffee physical stores and cafés, like UCC Clockwork Estancia at Capitol Commons, Pasig City.
It’s also available online at the official UCC Coffee website for ₱95 per 290ml bottle, but you need a minimum of ₱1,999 for free shipping. They also offer bundles of three and 24 bottles at lower prices per bottle.
Another variant in their Aroma Sparkling series is the Yuzu. I actually thought it was a lemon drink because of the yellow packaging and lemon icon on the bottle but apparently not.
The Aroma Sparkling Yuzu is a mix of coffee, grapefruit, and sparkling water. I haven’t tried it yet, but it sounds crazier than the black coffee variant.
Final Rating
I’d rate this 6 out of 10—it’s alright. Not the best, not terrible, just okay.
Would I get it again? Probably not. Considering it costs almost a hundred pesos per bottle, and I’m happy with my classic iced Nescafé black coffee sticks, I don’t see myself buying this to re-experience the taste. This is one of the things you buy once out of curiosity and never try it again.
That said, one upside I’d recommend is for people looking to quit alcohol, especially beer. It has that distinct beer-like taste, which might help alleviate withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
Would you give carbonated coffee a try?
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