Best flavored sparkling water, according to chefs
Three picks, each tied to a named taster and a public source — from Andrew Zimmern, Trevor Evarts, Gwynedd Stuart, Joe Sevier and 3 more. Recommendations come from mashed.com, sporked.com, epicurious.com and foodandwine.com and 2 other sources.
Drinks · The ranking
- 1Top pick
Spindrift (Lime, Grapefruit, Raspberry Lime)
Chosen by- Andrew ZimmernTV host, Bizarre Foodsandrewzimmern.com ↗
- Trevor EvartsChef, Mythical Kitchen
Also chosen by- Trevor Evarts · Chef, Mythical Kitchen source ↗
- Joe Sevier · Writer, Epicurious source ↗
- Gwynedd Stuart · Writer, Sporked source ↗
Sparkling water with real squeezed fruit juice, which is why it tastes like the fruit on the can. Zimmern posted himself on a wall of more than 40 cases, tagged #NotSponsoredJustStuffILove. Evarts: other brands “lack one important thing: actual fruit flavor”; his pick is Raspberry Lime, “just the right amount of acidity and sweetness.” Spindrift Lime won Epicurious’ blind test of 17 lime seltzers (2019), and Sporked made it Best of the Best, 10/10: “the Cadillac of seltzer.” Softer bubbles than most. In supermarkets nationwide.
- 2
Sanzo (Calamansi, Yuzu, Lychee)
Chosen by- Lucas SinChef, Nice Day & Junzi Kitchen · New York · F&W Best New Chef 2021
Also chosen by- Gwynedd Stuart · Writer, Sporked source ↗
- Joe Sevier · Writer, Epicurious source ↗
Real-juice sparkling water in Asian fruit flavors, no added sugar. Before putting it on his menu, Sin ran a blind seltzer tasting with his staff: “We had all the big names… Spindrift, La Croix, but Sanzo was number one.” Sporked rated Calamansi 9.5/10 (“super tart,” like fresh citrus rind) and Yuzu 9/10; Epicurious’ Joe Sevier called it the next step after Spindrift. Sin carries it at his restaurants; the quote comes from Food & Wine’s profile of the brand. At Whole Foods nationwide.
- 3
Waterloo Sparkling Water (Peach, Strawberry, Black Cherry)
Chosen by- Meaghan CameronWriter, Eat This, Not That!
- Gwynedd StuartWriter, Sporked
Also chosen by- Gwynedd Stuart · Writer, Sporked source ↗
- Dane Rivera source ↗
Zero calories and zero sugar, with lively carbonation and bold “natural flavor.” Waterloo Strawberry won Eat This’ blind test of 10 berry seltzers, with top marks for flavor and fizz: “refreshing and clean.” Sporked gave Peach 9/10: it “tastes like candy but doesn’t have sugar.” Waterloo Peach also topped Uproxx’s blind test of 18 flavored sparkling waters (Dane Rivera). Austin-made; in supermarkets nationwide.
We may earn a commission when you buy through links on MyTastr. It never affects the ranking. Disclosure
Questions, answered
- What is the best flavored sparkling water, according to chefs?
- MyTastr’s top pick is Spindrift (Lime, Grapefruit, Raspberry Lime), chosen by Andrew Zimmern; Trevor Evarts (Mythical Kitchen). Sparkling water with real squeezed fruit juice, which is why it tastes like the fruit on the can. Zimmern posted himself on a wall of more than 40 cases, tagged #NotSponsoredJustStuffILove. Evarts: other brands “lack one important thing: actual fruit flavor”; his pick is Raspberry Lime, “just the right amount of acidity and sweetness.” Spindrift Lime won Epicurious’ blind test of 17 lime seltzers (2019), and Sporked made it Best of the Best, 10/10: “the Cadillac of seltzer.” Softer bubbles than most. In supermarkets nationwide. Source: mashed.com ↗
- What are the other top picks for flavored sparkling water?
- No. 2 is Sanzo (Calamansi, Yuzu, Lychee), chosen by Lucas Sin (Nice Day, Junzi Kitchen). No. 3 is Waterloo Sparkling Water (Peach, Strawberry, Black Cherry), chosen by Meaghan Cameron (Eat This, Not That!); Gwynedd Stuart (Sporked). Each card above links to the original source.
- How does MyTastr choose these picks?
- Every pick is tied to a named chef, cookbook author or food expert and links to the public interview, panel or article it came from. We survey dozens, often hundreds, of top chefs, food writers and critics, and order reflects how often and how strongly a brand is recommended. Only organic recommendations count — paid endorsements don’t — and brands can’t buy a spot. Read how we pick.