Ranking the 10 Spindrift Sparkling Water Flavors from Worst to Best

There are seemingly countless canned sparkling water brands out there, all promising the most delicious, no-sugar-added, bubbly beverage. Some of those brands are ideal when you’re looking for a lighter, milder seltzer. But for those who want a more flavorful sparkling water without all the extra sugar, Spindrift may just be the best in the business. Instead of the typical added flavors you’ll find in drinks from a lot of brands, Spindrift actually uses real juice (or tea) in its drinks, offering a more flavorful, fruit-forward experience than many sparkling water brands have to offer.

Whether you’ve tried Spindrift before or are interested in trying out the trendy drink for the first time, you may be wondering which flavors are worth trying and which you can leave on the shelf. Although everyone has different tastes when it comes to beverages, hopefully, this ranking, which works its way from worst to best, can better help you choose which Spindrift flavor you want to snag the next time you’re at the store. You might just discover your next favorite carbonated water or soda replacement in the process.

I love both peach and strawberry, so I was fully expecting to like the peach strawberry flavor from Spindrift. After one singular sip, though, I realized how wrong I was. If you ask me, this is the absolute worst Spindrift flavor of any in this lineup. Although it sounds like a decent flavor combo, something about the peach and strawberry juice coming together didn’t work. The notes of peach tasted strong and perhaps too ripe, like the peach they used had been sitting in the sun for far too long and had turned soft. On the other hand, the strawberry flavor didn’t seem ripe enough — instead of contributing the expected sweetness to the drink, it almost seemed to add a touch of tartness alongside that iconic fruity flavor.

If you’re going to get peach strawberry Spindrift, your best bet is to make sure it’s chilled before you drink it. That will cut down on the strange, too-ripe flavor that you’re more likely to encounter when the beverage is warm. But considering that there are so many other delicious Spindrift flavors you could choose from, I suggest skipping this one entirely.

Wondering why you don’t see more mango juice in your local grocery store? Probably because it doesn’t taste that great when it’s not super fresh. That’s certainly the case when it comes to Spindrift’s mango orange flavor. Admittedly, it’s a big step up from the peach strawberry flavor, but it’s still one of my least favorites of the bunch. The mango stands out in this drink, with a distinct, ultra-sweet, tropical flavor that doesn’t taste great, especially when the can is warm. Cool things down a bit, and the flavor becomes more palatable, but it’s still not great.

It seems like the addition of orange juice here is an afterthought. Regardless, it doesn’t pair well with the mango, creating a strange citrus-mango combo that’s somehow both too sweet and too tart at the same time. If you’re looking for sparkling water, you’re likely going to be disappointed by this perhaps too-flavorful bubbly beverage.

Mojito-flavored sparkling water doesn’t always work. After all, when you’re trying to riff off of a cocktail in sparkling water form, you’re removing a lot of the flavor that comes from the alcohol itself. Therefore, a mojito-flavored sparkling water can often taste strange and unbalanced. Although Spindrift’s Nojito flavor isn’t exactly my favorite, I can admit that it’s not as bad as I worried it would be. There’s a nice balance between the mint and the lime here. Most of the flavor comes from the lime juice, and the mint adds a hint of coolness to the drink, like it should be in an actual mojito.

Yes, you could technically use this beverage as a mixer, but you should keep in mind that it’s quite a bit lighter than a real mojito base, so the flavor of the alcohol will be a lot more pronounced. I think it’s better as a non-alcoholic cocktail replacement that you can sip at the pool, the beach, or simply at home during a particularly hot day, since that combo of lime and mint is quite cooling.

Pineapple can be a tricky flavor — it often ends up tasting flat and too sweet in processed foods. But that’s not the case when it comes to Spindrift’s pineapple flavor. Although I wasn’t too excited about this one before I popped open the can, I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it turned out to be once I took a sip. There’s none of that artificial sweetness that you might expect from other pineapple-flavored beverages. Instead, this drink tastes like carbonated pineapple juice. The pineapple juice flavor is stronger than you might expect from a sparkling water product, but otherwise, it’s nicely balanced with sweetness and acidity, and it makes for a lovely, relatively light drink.

This flavor is arguably a bit more pronounced than some of the others on this list. Even though this drink is tasty, it ranks lower than many of the others simply because it feels like it’s less of a sparkling water drink and more of a juice-forward sparkling beverage. If that’s what you’re looking for, though (and you happen to like fresh pineapple), then you’re likely to enjoy this selection.

You can’t find blood oranges everywhere, which is part of the appeal (for me, at least). When I do come across something that’s blood orange-flavored, I feel like I have to try it, which is why I was so excited to taste the blood orange tangerine Spindrift. I assumed that the nuanced, complex flavor of the blood orange would be almost completely overtaken by the bolder tangerine notes, but I was wrong — you get a good mix of both flavors in every sip. The slightly darker, less acidic blood orange juice pairs beautifully with light and bright tangerine, creating a flavored sparkling water with an impressive depth of flavor.

Yes, this flavor of Spindrift is worth trying, but is it the best of the bunch? I don’t think so. What’s lacking here is the creativity you find in some of the brand’s other flavors. After all, two forms of citrus served in one can isn’t exactly groundbreaking. When you’re craving an orange soda, though, and want something that tastes a bit lighter, this might be the Spindrift flavor for you.

I love trying unusual flavor combos, but sometimes, you need something that’s accessible and easy for everyone to like. That’s exactly what you’re going to get when you opt for the raspberry lime Spindrift flavor. Although it may be one of the boldest-hued beverages of the bunch, it’s one of the most approachable flavors. The raspberry flavor tastes like fresh raspberries, which creates a berry-forward fruitiness that’s hard not to love. The lime is there to brighten the beverage and add a bit of acidity, but it doesn’t come across too pronounced.

Because this drink (like all the others on this list) contains real pieces of crushed fruit, you might notice some additional texture that you won’t find from other sparkling water brands. I seemed to notice it most with this flavor. Those tiny pieces of fruit in the can aren’t significant enough to make a difference to most people, but if you are looking for a traditional sparkling water, this flavor might be a bit too juicy for your liking.

Grapefruit juice isn’t for everyone, but if you prefer a beverage that features a note of bitter complexity instead of standard fruity sweetness, then there’s a good chance that you’re going to enjoy grapefruit Spindrift. This stuff really tastes like fresh grapefruit, with that distinct, refreshing juiciness along with a bitter edge. But don’t worry — it’s not so bitter that it will turn off all but the real grapefruit fanatics. The company also adds some orange and lemon to the mix here, which provides both an acidic lift from the lemon alongside a subtle sweetness from the orange, which helps to counteract the bitterness from the grapefruit.

Because this is one of the least sweet options of the lineup, the grapefruit flavor feels like one of the more refreshing flavors you can choose if you’re looking for a beverage that feels less intense than some of the other, more intensely fruity options on the list. That being said, it still packs plenty of flavor in every sip.

Spindrift’s half tea, half lemon doesn’t taste like sparkling water at all. Instead, this drink is more similar to an Arnold Palmer than most of the other fruitier flavors on this list. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. The bitterness of the brewed black tea pairs exceptionally well with the brightness of the lemon in this recipe. Add in the carbonation, and it should be clear why this flavor is in the top three on this list. Although it does contain some caffeine, it’s not much. It contains around 20 to 25 milligrams of caffeine, so it’s not going to give you a strong caffeine buzz (unless you’re really sensitive to the stuff).

Spindrift’s half tea and half lemon is ideal for a summertime afternoon pick-me-up, and the flavor is well-balanced and fresh-tasting. So, why doesn’t it rank higher on this list? It loses points for not tasting like sparkling water at all. The claim feels like a stretch, and without an accurate descriptor, someone might reach for this drink thinking that it’s way lighter than it is. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth a try if you like tea, though.

There’s nothing like sitting on a restaurant patio on a hot day and ordering some sparkling water with a slice of lemon, taking that first sip, and immediately cooling down. Spindrift’s lemon flavor has a similar effect. Yes, this is arguably one of the most boring flavors in the lineup, but that’s because we all know that adding lemon to water results in a brighter, more refreshing-tasting drink. And who doesn’t love that? This is perhaps the least polarizing flavor on this entire list.

Don’t think you’re getting a hint of lemon in this beverage, though — that lemon flavor is quite strong. At the same time, you’re not getting a drink that tastes like straight lemonade, since there’s no added sugar. The result is a drink that’s bold and refreshing at the same time, which isn’t always easy to accomplish. Plain lemon water gets a serious upgrade with this canned sparkling water.

I’ve found that tropical fruits don’t always translate well into packaged products, but that’s not the case when it comes to island punch Spindrift. Although it’s quite different from many of the other flavors on this list that I love, it still easily takes the top slot in this ranking. The main flavor you’ll notice when you take your first sip of the drink is passion fruit — it’s bold and acidic with a touch of sweetness; it instantly makes the drink taste super-refreshing with a specific, tropical fruitiness it can be hard to find if you don’t live in a more tropical climate.

That’s not the only flavor going on in this can, though. There’s also orange and guava juice, which only adds to the complexity. It’s a bit bolder than a typical sparkling water, but it’s not so bold that it feels like you’re drinking straight juice. You could use it as a mixer for a cocktail or mocktail, or you can enjoy it all on its own for a deeply satisfying sipper during the hottest months of the year. Of course, it’d probably taste even better if you actually could drink it on an island, but it’s not required to see why this is the No. 1 Spindrift flavor I tried.

I chose these specific Spindrift flavors based on local availability at grocery stores in my area. I tried each of the flavors both at room temperature and refrigerated to get a better sense of how they tasted in different conditions. The criteria for this ranking was flavor, first and foremost, but I also addressed texture when relevant.