Without a doubt, seltzer water is an acquired taste: you either love it or hate it. Throughout the last couple of years, flavored carbonated water has grown more and more popular. People love to drink it as a healthier alternative to sodas, but that poses a question: are these seltzer water drinks any good? Well, I went ahead and tried four of the more popular ones for you and gave them a rating out of five, one being absolutely horrible and five being pretty good. 

La Croix  (4/5)

     The first couple things that stood out to me about La Croix were that it looked very aesthetically pleasing, along with being cheaper than I had expected, at around $4 for a case. There are around 21 flavors, ranging from passion fruit to something called Lacola. The La Croix website called it a “revolutionary experience,” but as good as the drink was, I wouldn’t stretch as much to call it “revolutionary.” I tried the coconut and passion fruit, and my personal favorite was the coconut. My initial reaction was that it tasted bland, like carbonated water, but again, that’s the point of the drink. After a few more drinks my tastebuds picked up on the coconut flavor and I started to actually tolerate the drink. I can see why someone may acquire the taste after a while of drinking them. Overall, I thought that La Croix was tolerable at first, but a couple of sips later, my rating bumped up to a four out of five.

San Pellegrino bubble (3/5)

   San Pellegrino is like the Cadillac of seltzer water. It looks fancy and expensive. One case is around $18, and a single bottle is around $2. San Pellegrino has a crisper and cleaner taste that goes well with food. Now, if you asked me if it were worth the price tag, I would say no. I personally do not think carbonated water is worth $18, especially when there are cheaper options on the market, and in reality, most carbonated water tastes the same. That being said, San Pellegrino isn’t horrible. Its initial taste is very carbonated, but within minutes its carbonation goes down and it just tastes like water with a little fizz. Since someone would be drinking these as a pop alternative, I feel like the carbonation should last longer. Overall, I feel like a three out of five rating is generous. Its high price and fast fading carbonation is the main problem. 

Bubly (4.5/5)

         Like La Croix, Bubly has a lot of different flavors available and its price is reasonable, at around $7 for an 8 flavor variety pack. Bubly’s overall marketing strategy is to give you a happy feeling. We see bright colored cans with puns on the side that can be read before drinking it. Even in their commercial, there are bright colors and Michael Buble makes a joking comparison between his last name and the brand name. 

        As with the other seltzer waters, I had to have a couple sips to cleanse my palate of everyday flavors, like the sweeter drinks that I usually drink. The smell of the drinks is very pleasing and the taste is not terrible. Its green apple flavor smells just like freshly cut apples and it has a clear green apple taste. Due to these cans having zero calories and actually tasting pretty good, Bubly earns a four and a half out of five

Schweppes (⅖)

     Schweppes is a trusted brand that has been around since 1783 and has a lot of drinks on the market. Their seltzer water is not my favorite, as there is rarely any flavor, if any, but it is cheaper than most options being around $3 for a case. If you are looking for cheap seltzer water, this is the one, but if you are looking for better quality, there are definitely better choices out there. My first reaction to the taste was that it was bland, and it stayed the same no matter how many sips I took. However, it would be good to use for cooking, adding a more distinct flavor to your food. I would not recommend this drink if you are looking for an alternative to pop, but for its price, if you are looking to use it for cooking, this is your best choice.