There’s a lot of sparkling water hitting the market but Spindrift is the only one made with real fruit juice! I sampled every flavor Spindrift has to offer and ranked them top to bottom. Check it out and let me know your own favorites.
The sparkling water market has grown big time in the past few years. In fact, this year the U.S. market’s projected to hit $4.5 billion in sales and will grow to over $6 billion by 2021! This past year, 2017, also marked the 13th consecutive decline in soda sales. I personally see as a good thing — consumers are becoming more educated on the impacts of soda and looking for alternate ways to satisfy their thirst.
However, while I still enjoy sodas (Diet Coke, please!) I view them more as a treat, knowing that full-calorie sodas are loaded with sugar and diet sodas are equally as bad, laden with chemicals linked to a laundry list of health issues. My soda habit started to decline back in college and is now something I enjoy only a few times a year.
I naturally drink a lot of water. In fact, I’m pretty sure I drink more than most people. I measured my water intake for a few weeks back and found I drink about 10-12 glasses of water per day! That’s a lot, considering most people have 8 glasses as their goal and rarely hit the mark.
However, I often get bored with plain water and while I love iced tea, I forget to make it in advance. Flavored sparkling waters are tasty, ready to drink, and motivate me to reach my daily hydration goals with a variety of flavor and a bit of bubble. There’s a few brands of sparkling I enjoy most and one of the happens to be Spindrift, which I initially happened across at Trader Joe’s.
I like Spindrift for a few reasons
- The water is flavored with real fruit juice — and it’s obvious in taste and when checking out the ingredient list on the back of the can
- It was created by a guy who had a Diet Coke habit he wanted to kick (which I can 100% relate to!)
- The fruit & veggies are sourced from places that are KNOWN for growing the best-tasting fruits or veggies of their kind — citrus from California, berries from Oregon, mangos from India…
- and 1% of their sales is donated back to environmental organizations
My local Austin TJ’s only carries a few select flavors of Spindrift and I typically stick to the Blackberry or Raspberry Lime which are both delish! But, luckily for me, I was able to get my hands on the rest of Spindrift’s offerings, including their new Half & Half, which is like an unsweetened, bubbly Arnold Palmer.
In case you’re curious, here’s my full ranking of Spindrift flavors!
#1 Raspberry Lime
Yup, the first flavor I ever tried is still my fav. It’s a subtle raspberry flavor with a hint of citrus. It’s slightly sweet and seriously refreshing. Definitely, something I’ll reach for all summer long.
#2 Grapefruit
This was honestly a toss up for first place. If you really love real grapefruit then you’ll love Grapefruit Spindrift. It has that grapefruit zing and I can see this being mixed with tequila in the summer for a low-cal Paloma!
#3 Blackberry
If you love berries, this is delicious. Clean fresh flavor and not overly sweet.
#4 Orange Mango
This is more mango than orange IMO but I’m not complaining, I love mangoes! And since they’re typically high in sugar, this is a great way to satisfy a mango craving.
#5 Half & Half
The Half & Half is new and really nice if you’re looking for a tea alternative. It’s strong on the lemon flavor, where I’d personally prefer more tea. And although it’s a play on the Arnold Palmer, it’s not sweet like the traditional mix.
#6 Lemon
Can’t go wrong with a classic water and lemon combo. This honestly reminds me a lot of a mellow lemonade. And although it’s 6th on the list, I’ll probably drink this a bunch when the temp hits 90 this summer.
#7 Strawberry
I had high hopes for this flavor but sadly the strawberry essence was missing for me. I really wish the strawberry was stronger. I’d love to see this with a bit of mint in it, too.
#8 Cucumber
This was by far my least favorite. It has a very strong cucumber flavor and while I do like cucumber, it was way too much for me personally. I can see this being a hit at a spa or by the pool for some.
Have you tried Spindrift yet? What’s your favorite flavor? What other sparkling water brands do you enjoy?
Spindrift did not sponsor this post but I did receive a sampling of products. All photos and opinions are my own.
