One Of Our Favorite Seltzer Brands Is Also The Cheapest—Did Your Favorite Make The List?
Life is always better with a little bit of sparkle, and that's especially true when it comes to our water. Naturally carbonated springs and an accidental man-made invention in the 18th century has led to sparkling water becoming a beloved drink for generations. But seltzer can also incite some fierce debate.
Not even considering those who dislike sparkling water in general, there's a deep divide between seltzer lovers. Which brands taste the best? What's the ideal amount of carbonation? Which flavors reign supreme? With a wide range of opinions and an even wider range of products, it's hard to determine which seltzer is best for you.
In the spirit of science, we decided to round up every single seltzer brand we could find and taste them side-by-side. We tested products from all sides of the spectrum—from affordable convenience store staples to fancy mineral water. After trying over three dozen bottles and braving some intense bloating, we've narrowed down our favorites.
Everybody's seltzer preferences are different, so we broke down our results into a few different categories. We divided unflavored sparkling water into brands with strong carbonation and those with mild bubbles. Plus, there's one honorable mention that deserves a category of its own.
We could dedicate an entire story to just flavored seltzers. But our stomachs could only handle so much carbonation for this experiment. Instead, we tested just one flavor that can be found in nearly every seltzer brand's portfolio: lime. This benchmark helped us identify a few favorites in this category—but the results are far from comprehensive. If there's a flavored seltzer not mentioned that you think deserves some love, let us know in the comments.
Strong Carbonation
Saratoga
Saratoga has been bottling sparkling water since 1872 from springs in upstate New York. The crisp, naturally carbonated spring water of the region has been famous for centuries and loved by many (including George Washington). Today, Saratoga still sources their water from natural springs, but adds their own carbonation for an especially bubbly beverage.
This sparkling water stood out from the pack, with tasters describing it as "yummy and refreshing" and "super crisp." The mineral content of modern Saratoga water is not as high as the brand's original formula, but you can still taste plenty of nuance and depth—think a light sweetness and tinge of salinity. And, as an added bonus, it comes with some intense carbonation that lasts long after you open the bottle. As one of our tasters said, it's "lowkey perfect."
Adirondack
Sometimes we just want a delicious tasting seltzer without having to drop several dollars or lug around a glass bottle. We tried several affordable options, but none of us expected to love Adirondack as much as we did. Adirondack sources their water from a glacial aquifer below New York's Mohawk Valley. It's not too far from where Saratoga gets their water, so you can expect the taste to be fairly similar.
Adirondack has some fresh and crisp minerality, but it's slightly more neutral in flavor than Saratoga. One of our tasters described this water as having "great carbonation that keeps bubbling." But our favorite part? It's also the cheapest water we tasted by far. We bought an entire liter of Adirondack at a Manhattan Whole Foods for just 65 cents. It's a win for your wallet, but also just a win overall.
Mild Carbonation
Mountain Valley
For those who enjoy drinking seltzer that doesn't assault your tongue with bubbles, Mountain Valley is for you. The brand has been around for over 150 years bottling water from natural springs near Arkansas' Ouachita Mountains. Mountain Valley has a long, storied history that even includes (accidentally) abetting Al Capone's moonshine smuggling business in the 1920s. They haven't changed their formula much since the 19th century—because it's just that good.
Our tasters found that Mountain Valley has a "fresh, clean taste" with a slight softness. There's no sodium at all, which means that the delicate flavor can really shine. Senior Food Editor Makinze Gore and her friends dub Mountain Valley "dessert water"—not because it's sweet, but because opening a bottle is like indulging in a little treat.
La Croix
La Croix had a chokehold on the seltzer community in the 2010s thanks to their bright packaging and variety of flavors. You may not necessarily consider their unflavored seltzer as part of the sparkling water pantheon, but you should.
Instead of sourcing from just one natural spring, La Croix gets their water from several sources across the country before employing several different filtration methods. Other filtered seltzer brands come with an unpleasant plasticky, chemical-forward flavor (we're not naming names), but La Croix tastes completely clean and neutral. One of our tasters described it as "classic, crisp, and incredibly versatile."
Honorable Mention
Vichy Catalan
We'll admit that this water won't be everyone's cup of tea. But Team Delish absolutely loves Vichy Catalan. This sparkling mineral water has been bottled in Girona, Spain since 1881 and is still naturally carbonated to this day. And a hallmark of the spring from which they source is the high sodium content.
Uninitiated drinkers may be thrown off by how salty this water tastes. One of our testers described Vichy Catalan as "Alka Seltzy," but that doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. The large amount of electrolytes makes it extremely refreshing when served ice cold on a hot day. It also pairs well with food since the sodium highlights all the other flavors on the table. If you can manage to find a bottle, it's definitely worth a purchase.
Flavored
Topo Chico
Topo Chico may not have won in the plain seltzer category, but it rose above the rest in our flavored seltzer test. The carbonation is intense, prickling your tongue with every sip and staying trapped in the bottle for hours after opening. And when you add citrus flavor, Topo Chico becomes even more refreshing.
Testers described their Twist of Lime flavor as "pleasant and light," and we agree —it adds a fresh, aromatic quality without any tartness or acidity. Their flavor lineup is still fairly limited—with lime and grapefruit offerings along with their juice-based Sabores line— but it's the best brand by far for citrus lovers.
Spindrift
Some would argue that Spindrift is in a category of its own, but we'd argue that any unsweetened sparkling water counts as seltzer. The brand uses real fruit juice to flavor their products, which imparts some cloudy color and a much more potent taste. Our tasters loved how the tart and authentic the citrus was in each sip.
For this experiment, we tried both their classic lime and their lemon limeade. The latter was our favorite, but that shouldn't stop you from trying the rest of the brand's portfolio. Our team especially loves Half Tea & Half Lemon, Blood Orange Tangerine, and Fuji Apple.
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