8 Bubbl'r Flavors, Ranked Worst To Best

Healthy soda alternatives have been hitting store shelves in droves over the last few years, with consumers looking for more natural, fizzy, and refreshing substitutes for their old colas. You've probably seen brands like Olipop soda and Poppi soda packing store shelves. In addition to those, consumers also have countless sparkling waters that are vying for their attention. Sparkling water is a $30 billion industry (via The Brainy Insights) growing fast to fulfill a growing wellness and sober-curious lifestyle for which Gen Z in particular is vying. And that has given birth to booming brands like Sprindrift, La Croix, and (for today's purposes) Bubbl'r!

This antioxidant-rich sparkling water contains a variety of vitamins (A, B3, B5, B6, and B12). It's naturally sweetened with stevia and erythritol and naturally caffeinated with guarana seed extract, a plant found in the Amazon, and it offers 69 milligrams of caffeine per can. That is a little less caffeine than a short Caffè Americano at Starbucks.

Doesn't that sound great? It seems like all you really need to know is how it tastes. Well, I've gotten hold of eight different flavors to rank from worst to best based on their taste and how refreshing they are. There's more to discuss about those "health benefits" later, but for now, let's see how those flavors rank.

As soon as I moved in to take my first sip of the Pomegranate Acai Refresh'r, a pungent, sour, fermented fruit smell hit my nose, forcing me to put the glass down. When I went in for another drink, I caught a choking sourness on my breath that landed unpleasantly on my palate. My first two attempts at trying this drink were difficult, which didn't bode well for the actual tasting. 

When I actually got a sip, it sat heavily on the middle of my tongue while the sparkling water bubbles burned around it. I tasted a slight bit of pomegranate, but there is a strange undercurrent that cuts the flavor and is difficult to pinpoint. It could have been lime slicing through, with a sourness that isn't readily apparent on the flavor description.

After taking several dips, I was happy I didn't have to have any more. Quite plainly, this isn't only not good — it's offensive. If you're going to reach for a Bubbl'r, I suggest steering clear of this flavor.

The triple berry in this mix is raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry. It was a muted blue in color and seemed to honor the three berries, but it came across as artificial. The aroma was unpleasant and didn't give off very natural vibes either. And on first taste, neither did the flavor.

While not entirely bad, this drink tasted very similar to what it looked like — blue raspberry – which isn't a real fruit. It's something that was created to cater to consumers. You have most likely seen it in candy, ice cream, or slushies. And this tasted exactly like all of those things generally do.

It was easy to see this drink was trying to resemble something fruit would taste like. However, it came off as exceedingly unnatural. There was also a strange taste that lingered in the background and hung on into the aftertaste. It was almost medicinal and impossible to miss. While raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry all offer great flavor profiles to pull from, this drink's flavor misses the mark wildly. In doing so, it also keeps it from being anything close to refreshing. Altogether, this Bubbl'r flavor easily falls toward the bottom of the list.

This watermelon lime flavor poured an enticing bright pink color that screamed watermelon — which is the flavor I got from my very first sip of this drink. The watermelon came bursting through and was surpassed only by a high-flying sweetness that quickly dissipated. A tart lime zipped across my tongue momentarily and was quickly followed by the blunt taste of plain sparkling water.

This drink left my palate quickly and cleanly with only a slight aftertaste of sweetness that blanketed the back of my tongue. It had a very dry finish, which made me immediately want to reach for more, and I couldn't help but feel like the skinny can was going to go fast.

As far as taste goes, what was there for a fleeting moment seemed good and did taste like what was advertised: watermelon and lime. But I think I would need quite a few of these cans to feel satiated. I don't like that the flavor comes and goes so quickly. It left me thirstier than before I started drinking. So, while that short pop of flavor was better than the one ranked lower, the overall drink leaves a lot to be desired and earns its spot near the bottom.

Bubbl'r's Twisted Elix'r is supposed to be a mix of raspberry, lime, and citrus. Although since lime is citrus, I was uncertain of what to expect from the full flavor profile. The muted pink color and the smell of peaches also lent no clarity and only caused more confusion as to what to expect. I would like to say that tasting it answered all questions, but that was not the case either.

On first sip, I did feel it was slightly "twisted," as I couldn't be sure what flavors were hitting my palate, other than sweet and something berry-like. On the second sip, I found a dry, powdery feeling that was incredible to get from a beverage, but there was a hint of lime. The third sip reminded me of tropical Skittles, and I finally caught the prickling of the bubbles on the back of my tongue. This drink was incredibly twisted, and I am still not sure whether that was good or bad.

I can say that the profile was more flavorful and fuller than those that ranked lower. I didn't catch anything that was an immediate turnoff. But due to the confusion that it left on my palate, I cannot rank it any higher. Other than the lime, I am still uncertain as to exactly what I was tasting.

This peachy pink drink smelled deliciously of fresh peaches, a smell that effortlessly wafted from the can when I poured it, making it enticing right from the jump. The peach flavor was foremost and reminded me of Peach Nehi soda, something I would often get from the corner store and loved as a child. The peach stayed in the aftertaste but didn't linger too long. And when it did leave, there was a clean finish on the palate.

While there was no real raspberry flavor to be found, there did seem to be a roundness to the peach. It was juicy and full. The sweetness was a bit high and came off a little artificial, but it only lasted for a moment. It was tastier and more refreshing than the cans ranked lower than it. I didn't feel the need to keep reaching for the can as soon as the sip I'd taken was gone, which is a plus. It left my mouth feeling quenched and satisfied. And while the raspberry might have been elusive, the peach flavor made this drink enjoyable enough not to miss it. Ultimately, the missing raspberry flavor kept it from ranking higher. 

This Bubbl'r flavor resembled more of a juice than a sparkling water when I poured it, but I don't say that negatively. It actually looked refreshing and quite natural, which made it even more tempting to try. This option is a mixture of apple, pineapple, mango, and lime, which sounded heavenly. I was excited to dive into a drink.

A smell of mango hit the nose as I went in for my first sip, and the flavor promised from the aroma was the only thing I tasted at first. It wasn't until the second sip that the flavor of freshly cored pineapple hit my palate — but it wasn't the sweet, fleshy part. Instead, it tasted like the bit near the core. The mango and pineapple core are the only two flavors I could discern even after a few sips, but they seemed like a full enough flavor profile. It wasn't completely disappointing.

The citrus and tropical flavors caused my mouth to water from one sip to another, and it was very refreshing. It tasted more like a juice, which I found pleasant. While this one didn't hit all the flavors it promised, it definitely hit two successfully and had a taste that was pleasing, which is not something I can say for the ones ranking lower on this list.

You may not believe me, but you've probably heard of pitaya before. You may have even tasted it. Pitaya is commonly known as dragon fruit (See! I knew you knew). The tropical fruit has a lovely visual aesthetic and contains magnesium, iron, fiber, and a variety of antioxidants.

The flavor profile did the pitaya justice, as the taste did offer the range of tanginess, sweetness, and tartness one would expect from this fruit. It glided around the tongue and teased all the tastebuds into attention. It never became too sweet. There was a fun, sharp, slight bitterness that hung on the back of the sweetness that delivered a kick to the flavor and the palate. And a juiciness accompanied the robust flavor and amplified the refreshment of the beverage. All of those things helped this flavor soar past those ranked lower.

The one thing that did bring the flavor down was its astringent scent that wafted from it while trying to take a drink. It was strange, stifling, and almost caused my nose to wince. The aroma didn't translate to the taste, but it did make it slightly difficult to drink. It is for that one reason this delicious drink doesn't take the number one spot.

This wild cherry Bubbl'r looked very cherry straight from the can, and it only took a subtle sniff to get the rich, sweet scent of cherries. The flavor profile on this drink, while only cherry, tasted much fuller than I expected. I was happily surprised. There was nothing but cherry, yes, but that included density, tartness, sweetness, and darkness. All of those fresh cherry flavors appeared on my tongue and blossomed pleasantly with each sip.

My mouth watered with every sip I took, which made this option taste even more incredibly refreshing. The effervescence of the sparkling water was a perfect match for the prickly tartness of the cherry, and it worked to amplify the profile. The clean finish only lifted this flavor further.

As far as a refreshing sparkling water that tastes amazing, I cannot imagine something topping this one. If I had to go without soda and wanted something that was equally as pleasing to the palate, this would be the flavor I would reach for. The same could be said if I wanted a drink that was a little tastier than just plain water. It would also be a great mixer for an alcoholic beverage. I could tell it was deserving of the top spot on my list after just a few sips. 

For this ranking, I went in just looking for a great flavor. I judged each can on how it tasted, how refreshing it was, and if it achieved a full flavor profile. It was pretty simple. Each can was properly chilled, poured into a glass, and given at least three sips. My palate was cleansed properly between each one. The number one spot blew the other flavors out of the water, no pun intended.

Bubbl'r heavily markets itself for its health benefits — which I left out of this ranking until now. Well, when doing my research, I found that the natural sweetener Bubbl'r contains, erythritol, is a sugar alcohol that studies have linked to an increase in major cardiac events. While more research is needed to validate these claims, you should drink with caution. If you want to drink Bubbl'r, do so because you like the taste. But I urge you to look beyond the marketing of all these new "healthy alternatives" hitting the stores and do the research before sipping.