And the best flavored sparkling water is…

Flavored sparkling have exploded in popularity in recent years as an increasing number of consumers swap their sodas for zero sugar options. Take a trip to any grocery store and you’re bound to be faced with an endless array of choices but which one tastes the best? I set out to find the answer by putting my Master Sommelier palate to use via a blind tasting challenge of twelve popular brands. Here are the results of my findings. And the winner is….

THE WINNING WATER WAS WATERLOO

WATERLOO: Notes of candied citrus, tangerine, slight mineral finish, sweet grapefruit aromas mixed with tangerine and Satsuma. Tastes like actual ruby red grapefruit that lingers in the glass and on the palate. Non-GMO verified, BPA free cans and zero synthetic ingredients. I’m looking forward to checking out their other flavors, especially the watermelon which created enough of a sensation to warrant the release of a lip balm. That definitely says something!

THE RUNNERS UP

2. AHA ORANGE+GRAPEFRUIT: strong grapefruit aroma, imagine peeling a grapefruit. Softer, creamier bubbles. Grapefruit zest lingers on the palate. Most long-lasting flavor of the lineup. Falls in between Bubly and Waterloo. Grapefruit with a hint of mandarin.

3. BUBLY: pronounced tart grapefruit aroma with notes of grass, grapefruit zest and pith. Reminds me of a grassy New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Medium bubbles. Good option for those who like a classic tart and tangy grapefruit flavor.

*AHA is a blend of orange and grapefruit but I didn’t disqualify it because it showed pronounced grapefruit flavors in a blind tasting, more so than the other brands that were all grapefruit.

THE OUTLIERS

THESE WERE NOT LIKE THE OTHERS BUT STILL VERY GOOD

I really like these two but they were so different from the others that it hard to include them in the comparison.

Spindrift Grapefruit: real juice and coloring is added to seltzer water. I normally like this brand but in comparison to the other waters, the flavor is much more orange juice driven than grapefruit. I never noticed that before. I think when the can says grapefruit, your brain and palate fill in the blanks to match the expectation of that fruit. Very interesting.

Perrier Pink Grapefruit: the flavor for this was so fascinating and it definitely stood apart from the rest. Notes of camphor, lemongrass, star anise, cloves, cardamom and Angostura bitters. Very exotic and complex flavors but grapefruit is not at the forefront. I still liked it though. You can tell the company did a lot of proprietary engineering to develop a signature flavor that would make differentiate it from its competitors.

THE REST OF THE LINEUP LISTED IN ORDER OF PREFERENCE

4. Polar Springs: tangy mandarin and very subtle grapefruit aromas but good mineral zing. Soft bubbles like a soft mineral water. Less grapefruit and more on the tangerine and mandarine side of the spectrum. '

5. Soleil: grassy unripe grapefruit, soft mineral zing, creamy texture, fine mousse but aromas dissipate after a while.

6. Trader Joe’s: grapefruit zest but kind of artificial, like a scratch and sniff grapefruit sticker. Blood orange, tangerines, mandarines, slight rubber hose smell. Wonder if this is coming from the plastic bottle, would like to try the can version to see if there is a difference.

7. La Croix: very faint ruby red grapefruit aromas, sweeter candied tangerine and grapefruit smell, good crisp structure but the flavor is muted by a damp corked flavor. I opened a second can after the unveiling to see if there was can variation but there was still a wet newspaper flavor. This was the biggest shocker for me since La Croix is my go-to brand. Very eye-opening to taste it blind and in comparison to other brands.

8. 365 (Whole Foods house brand): herbaceous grapefruit taste but overall just a weird flavor.

9. Topo Chico Twist of Grapefruit: barely detectable grapefruit flavor. Tart, citric acid finish but crisp bubbles. No grapefruit flavor at all.

10. Good & Gather (Target house brand): weird funky flavor, grassy, tastes like wet cardboard in the mid-palate. This was my least favorite of the lineup. Big NOPE.

A NOTE ON MY METHODOLOGY

• I selected grapefruit since most major brands offer a grapefruit option and I wanted a control flavor. It’s hard to compare one company’s blackberry with another’s strawberry+watermelon. Grapefruit is also a precise and definitive aroma, plus it’s the one I like the best and drink the most often.

• All the samples were chilled in the refrigerator, placed in a brown bag and numbered. I lost track of which was which so it really was a blind tasting.

• Tastings were conducted out of a wine glass. I topped off half way through to refresh the bubbles and aroma.

• Criteria for scoring were accuracy of grapefruit aroma, texture of the bubbles, structure of the water and how long the aroma persisted after pouring.

• I apologize if I didn’t include your favorite brand. It was difficult to round up the candidates during COVID-19 so I had to go with what was easily available. I limited the number to 12 to make sure my palate stayed fresh and sharp and didn’t get overwhelmed. Turns out tasting wine is much easier than tasting water. I started spitting at one point, my stomach was getting too full!