I feel like I must be lucky that I think most non-sugar sweeteners taste really, really nasty (that includes artificial ones like aspertame and "natural" ones like stevia and agave - yuck), so I've never developed any habit of using them.... I'm not really much of a soda person, but when I do feel like one I prefer real sugar over anything else - it really does taste better IMHO. I get my caffeine fix with tea and would rather have it unsweetened 99% of the time, though a little honey in chai brings out the spices.