Learn Hardcore German: Ich habe außerdem Apfelsaft probiert, aber ohne Zucker schmeckt er besser. - I have also tried apple juice, but it tastes better without sugar.

außerdem means “in addition,” “besides,” or “moreover.” In German main clauses the finite verb (habe) must occupy the second position. Here the sequence is: Ich (1) – habe (2) – außerdem (3) – Apfelsaft (4) – probiert (5). You could also front außerdem (pos. 1) and invert subject and verb:

Außerdem habe ich Apfelsaft probiert.

Why use probiert instead of getrunken?

probieren in this context means “to taste” or “to sample” something. When you try a drink to evaluate its flavour, Germans typically use probieren. trinken simply means “to drink” (to consume). If you drank a full glass, you’d say:

Ich habe Apfelsaft getrunken.

Why is the pronoun er used for Apfelsaft, which in English is usually “it”?

Every German noun has grammatical gender. Apfelsaft is masculine (der Saft), so you refer to it with er (“he”/“it”). Even though in English you’d say “it tastes…,” German pronouns must match the noun’s gender.

Why is the verb schmeckt before the subject er in ohne Zucker schmeckt er besser?

When an adverbial phrase like ohne Zucker is placed at the beginning (position 1), the finite verb takes position 2, pushing the subject to position 3. The pattern is:

Adverbial (ohne Zucker)
Verb (schmeckt)
Subject (er)
So “Without sugar, it tastes better.”

Why use the present perfect Ich habe Apfelsaft probiert instead of the simple past?

In spoken and informal German the Perfekt (present perfect) is the standard way to describe past actions. Ich habe probiert feels more natural in conversation than Ich probierte, which is more common in written narratives.

Why isn’t there an article in ohne Zucker (e.g. ohne den Zucker)?

When you speak of a substance in a general or mass-noun sense, German omits the article. ohne Zucker means “without sugar” in general. Adding den would refer to a specific sugar previously mentioned.

Why isn’t there a dative pronoun like mir in schmeckt er besser?

schmecken can be used two ways:

With a dative object (Der Saft schmeckt mir gut = “The juice tastes good to me”).
Impersonally without a dative (Der Saft schmeckt gut/besser = “The juice tastes good/better” as a general statement).
Here it’s the impersonal use, so mir is omitted.

Can I also say Er schmeckt ohne Zucker besser instead of Ohne Zucker schmeckt er besser?

Yes. German word order is flexible. If you want a neutral statement, put the subject first:

Er schmeckt ohne Zucker besser.
Fronting ohne Zucker you emphasize the “without sugar” aspect.