I Tried 16 La Croix Flavors & the Best Was Complex and Refreshing
Find the sparkling water aisle at any supermarket, convenience store, or gas station, and you're almost guaranteed to face a wall of flavor options. Aside from the various brands capitalizing on our cravings for bubbly H2O, there always seems to be a new fruity flavor to try.
LaCroix, the popular Wisconsin-founded brand with the vibrant, swirly-designed cans, has long dominated the sparkling water space. Its lineup of flavors has something for everyone. From basic lemons and limes to unexpected tropical tastes like hibiscus, guava, and passionfruit, the LaCroix flavor-makers don't run out of new ways to infuse your seltzer with flavor.
As someone who loves to sip a can of something bubbly (usually water) in the afternoons, I consider myself somewhat of a sparkling water connoisseur. So, I decided to sample every La Croix flavor I could get my hands on to help you find the right can to please your palate.
After much searching, I was able to procure 16 of the brand's 22 listed "core" flavors (apricot, coconut, key lime, mango, orange, and peach-pear are absent from this survey). Since the carbonated water inside each can is virtually indistinguishable from the next, I've focused my comments purely on the taste of every individual variety.
Here's what you can expect from these 16 La Croix flavors, ranked in descending order from my least favorite to the most refreshing option right now.
Pasteque
LaCroix has adopted the French term for several flavors, including Pasteque, aka watermelon. This flavor tasted more artificial to me than others. It reminded me of a watermelon Jolly Rancher. The flavor is fairly strong and quite sweet.
Tangerine
One of the brand's many citrus flavors, the tangerine water has a stronger aroma than flavor. There's a subtle orange-ish hint to the water, but overall I wasn't blown away by the taste in this can.
Lemon
Another classic flavor, La Croix lemon is sharp and bright. I found the combination of the strong lemon flavor with the harsh bubbles to be a bit bracing.
Black Razzberry
This can has a bitter, almost astringent flavor that dries out your mouth more than others. It has strong dark fruit undernotes and is one of the bolder-tasting La Croix options.
Guava Sao Paulo
LaCroix's guava water has a slightly earthy taste that reminds me of beets mixed with apples. It doesn't scream "tropical fruit" to me as much as the passionfruit flavor, but guava lovers may favor it.
Pure
The plain LaCroix flavor tastes about how you'd imagine. It's all bubbles, and they're not subtle. With no trace of flavor to distract from the effervescence, you really notice how carbonated this water is.
Cherry Blossom
I'm generally not a fan of floral flavors, but this flowery can has a subtle enough flavor that it doesn't remind me of potpourri. It's lightly sweet and springy.
Hi-Biscus
Another option in LaCroix's tropical line, this floral-flavored water is botanical and harder to pin down. Not fruity, not necessarily bitter, it's more complex and perfumed than the brand's other fruit-flavored options.
LimonCello
I was more impressed by the texture and mouthfeel of LaCroix's LimonCello than by the flavor. It somehow tastes creamy and rich, which may be polarizing, but if you're looking for a bubbly drink that stands up on its own, Limoncello would be a good pick.
Passionfruit
Aside from loving the colors of the can, I found the passionfruit flavor to be pleasantly tropical, if just the tiniest bit bitter. The nicely tart taste would lend itself well to a cocktail or mocktail mixer.
Mojito
You won't get the full herby, limy delight of a classic mojito from this can, but it's also not lacking in flavor. LaCroix Mojito is sharp and citrusy. Maybe it was just my can, but I found the bubbles to be stronger than in others I tried.
Lime
This is a classic sparkling water flavor, and though LaCroix's version doesn't hit you in the face with citrusy pop, it does have a nice subtle lime background note. To me, this can tasted like a neutral sparkling water that would be great mixed into a cocktail to add just the slightest hint of lime.
Pamplemousse
This seems to be one of the brand's most ubiquitous, and perhaps most popular, flavors. French for grapefruit, Pamplemousse has a stronger bitter flavor than the brand's other citrus options. It's slightly drying and reminds me of a Fresca soda.
Beach Plum
This is a delightfully fruity, fresh, and juicy flavor. I can't say I know what a beach plum tastes like otherwise, but I love the well-rounded stone fruit flavors in this water.
Razz-Cranberry
This flavor is ideal for those who love tart, bracing flavors. It's dry like cranberry juice with just the right amount of sweet berry flavor. You can taste the full effect of cranberry at the back of your throat. This is a close rival for my favorite, but there's one flavor I liked even better.
Berry
This was my favorite of all the LaCroix flavors that I tried. The berry taste is juicy, fresh, and offers a nice complexity of strawberry, raspberry, and blueberries, all bound together into one bubbly elixir.
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