I Tried And Ranked 8 Liquid Death Soda Flavors

In a world full of sparkling water, seltzers, and all things bubbly beverages, Liquid Death is one of the most recognizable names in the game. Of course, many sippers are most familiar with Liquid Death water flavors, which range from cherry to grapefruit to berry, all with that distinctly morbid branding that makes Liquid Death cans stand out from the competition.

Sparkling water isn't the only product in Liquid Death's lineup, though. The brand also produces various soda flavors — which, yes, are still just sparkling water, but with distinctly targeted flavor profiles and names that certainly feel (and taste) reminiscent of sodas we all know and love. As someone who loves both sparkling water and soda, I put Liquid Death's soda flavors to the taste test, ranking them on the basis of exceptional flavor and accuracy to its namesake soda. When I say namesake soda, I mean the obvious riff that Liquid Death is going for — like Killer Cola being a riff on classic cola soda, Doctor Death on Dr. Pepper, and so forth. I ultimately tried a total of eight Liquid Death soda flavors that I felt had strong soda counterparts, but only a handful managed to impress me. 

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Liquid Death's Killer Cola flavor is targeting that classic Coca-Cola/Pepsi demographic ... but it may take a scientist to formulate a flavor that tastes better than this one. It's never a good sign when a soda-flavored sparkling water can't land the most basic and quintessential of all the soda flavors — the humble cola — but alas, I think Liquid Death missed the mark here.

I (obviously) knew going in that this soda flavor wouldn't have that strong cola flavor that actual soda has, but I wasn't prepared for how sheerly watered down this one would taste. The flavor was so lackluster and disappointing, with only a hint of cola and the rest just tasting like tepid water. And the cola flavor I picked up on was super one-note, with no real notes of vanilla or caramel at play whatsoever. If I didn't have the context of the other Liquid Death flavors helping me out, then I might not realize how sheerly bland and watered-down this tasted; compared to the others, Killer Cola had a notably muted flavor profile and effervescence that tasted more like flat cola than anything else. All of these factors led me to rank Killer Cola in last place, as it truly was the most disappointing in this whole lineup.

As someone who loves Dr. Pepper in all its variations and formats, I was pretty excited to see that Liquid Death has a Dr. Pepper dupe flavor, Doctor Death. Right when I cracked this can open, I was met with a distinctly Dr. Pepper-esque scent, with spiced notes of cherry and vanilla making themselves very apparent. Unfortunately, despite leading with a strong scent, Doctor Death proved incapable of translating that Dr. Pepper goodness in the taste department.

Don't get me wrong, the flavor of this soda sparkling water was definitely going for Dr. Pepper, but it didn't hit the mark. Of all the soda flavors on this list, I'd argue that this one had perhaps the least carbonated effervescence (or at least, tied with Killer Cola), so the whole thing literally fell flat. The flavor was also very flat, tasting like a heavily watered-down version of Dr. Pepper, to the point where those quintessential soda flavor notes got lost on the palate. I think this flavor was slightly stronger than the Killer Cola, because there was at least some attempt at faithfully replicating the cherry-forward Dr. Pepper flavor profile, but overall, Doctor Death is not a flavor I'd keep in my repertoire. 

Strawberry Terror is one of those Liquid Death flavors that doesn't necessarily scream "soda" right off the bat, though the can is indeed labeled as "soda-flavored sparkling water." Moreover, it's obviously riffing on Fanta strawberry (or any strawberry-flavored soda), so I felt it was appropriate to include this flavor on the list.

As for how Strawberry Terror fared against the other flavors? Not amazing, but not terribly either. I think the biggest issue I had with this flavor is that it wasn't giving "strawberry soda." Whatever strawberry flavor was present was very artificial tasting, and I get it — nearly any strawberry-flavored food or drink item is going to taste that way, because it's pretty hard to channel fresh strawberry into a shelf-stable product. But this strawberry flavor was almost candy-like, and although there are some avid Liquid Death drinkers out there who quite enjoy this flavor (and liken it to strawberry Starburst), I wasn't entirely sold. 

Despite not loving the candy-like strawberry flavor, I enjoyed the soda's generally mellow nature. I also found this one a little bubblier and more refreshing than its lower-ranked predecessors on this list, so there was at least a redeeming factor at play here (but not enough to rank any higher).

Grape soda lovers — the few of you that exist out there — you're in luck with this Liquid Death soda flavor. Although I can't say that grape soda is my first, second, third, or even fourth soda choice, it certainly has a place in this world, and I don't necessarily hate that distinct artificial grape flavor. All of this is to say that although Liquid Death's Killbert Grape flavor may not be my personal favorite, I can recognize that this sparkling water hits those grape soda notes quite accurately. 

I'd argue that Killbert Grape has the most sheerly strong flavor out of the sodas — meaning that there's nothing mellow about this one. It has an in-your-face artificial grape flavor, and for some, I'd imagine there's a huge appeal there. Pair that with a nice, bubbly sparkling water backdrop and a balanced level of sweetness, and you've got a pretty decent take on grape soda-flavored water.

So, why is Killbert Grape only ranking in fifth place, you may ask? Ultimately, this ranking was based on personal preference and likely reflects the general opinion on grape soda. You really, really have to love grape soda and all its overwhelming, intense flavor to appreciate this sparkling water take on it, and I'm not that person. Plus, other flavors outshine this one, so I give kudos to Killbert Grape for its accurate grape soda-esque flavor, but it's not one I'd likely return to.

Much like with grape soda, I can't say that I'm actively seeking out orange Fanta or any orange-flavored soda on a regular basis. That said, orange soda is undeniably unique in its sweet-citrusy flavor profile, and if anything, I expected a sparkling water take on that flavor to be even better. 

For what it's worth, I'd be more inclined to reach for Liquid Death's Squeezed to Death over orange soda, but it still wasn't my favorite flavor on this list. Subtlety is this flavor's strong suit, as I'd argue that too much orange in a drink can be overly citrusy and borderline sour. There's a nice, mellow orange-ness to this sparkling soda water, but it doesn't make your mouth pucker or taste too sweet. It's just a nice hint of citrus, and the mellowness didn't strike me as being watered down or too tempered. 

Overall, if you're an orange soda lover or you lean towards orange-flavored sparkling waters, then I think Liquid Death's take is generally successful. I can see the argument that the orange or citrus flavor is perhaps a bit too mellow, and ultimately, there were flavors on this list that impressed me a bit more. But for a generally reliable flavor, Squeezed To Death is a strong contender.

The soda world wouldn't be complete without those lemon-lime options ranging from Sprite to 7-Up to Starry. Liquid Death's Severed Lime flavor seems to take a cue from such soda staples, leaning into that lime aspect or, as I'd come to learn, a generally citrus-forward flavor profile.

Although I can't argue that Severed Lime felt reminiscent of lemon-lime-flavored sodas, it definitely had a great flavor profile. Everything I enjoyed about Squeezed to Death — the subtly citrus notes, the mellowness, the not-too-sweet-ness — was present here, but in an even tastier, more pleasant way. I'd have to be in a certain mood to reach for an orange-flavored soda or sparkling water, but lime? I'm always in the mood for that, and I love how the general citrus flavor is equally as enjoyable on its own as when paired with just about any type of food.

Thanks to its nice, balanced citrus flavor, bubbly profile, and lack of being overly-sweet, Severed Lime is a very strong contender in the Liquid Death soda flavor lineup, landing in the No. 3 spot overall. There were just two flavors that stood out even more.

Root beer arguably has the most unique flavor of all soda types, managing to touch on familiar vanilla and spiced notes along with hints of mint and licorice. It's a polarizing flavor profile, but there are plenty of tasty root beer brands out there, and I've always been a fan of the old-fashioned soda. I wasn't sure how such a complex flavor profile might translate to a soda-flavored sparkling water, but Liquid Death somehow managed to pull it off with its Rootbeer Wrath flavor.

The first thing that impressed me was how much it truly tasted like root beer. It had those distinct vanilla notes, along with the more subtle spiced and minty ones, with a certain creamy edge to round everything out and keep it from tasting too bitter. The sweetness was just right, and in fact, if I have one complaint about actual root beer, it's that it can be overbearingly sweet. This sparkling water take on the soda flavor nailed the sweetness level, presenting root beer in a sippable way that balanced the flavor well without being cloying.

Overall, I enjoyed Liquid Death's take on root beer, though I don't know if  I'd reach for it every day. You have to like the flavor of root beer to enjoy this one, so though I think highly of it — to the point of ranking it in second place — I can still recognize that it might be a bit polarizing. Also, one flavor on this list managed to hit all the right notes and beat this one out for the top spot.

There are all sorts of tasty cream sodas out there, and I think that Liquid Death's sCream Soda flavor deserves a spot on such a list. I've always been a big cream soda fan, though for whatever reason, I seldom find myself seeking it out in the store. I think I tend to avoid it because it tends to lean on the very sweet side, which isn't always what I'm going for in a beverage. But with Liquid Death's mellowed-out take on the flavor, I just might find myself reaching for a can of sCream Soda more often.

A not-too-sweet profile certainly stood out to me with this flavor, but generally speaking, I think it nailed the cream soda profile. The soda was vanilla-forward, and although it didn't actually have any creaminess to it (since it is just sparkling water, after all), it still captured the creamy essence that makes cream soda so delicious. I found this flavor very bubbly, and those bubbles combined with a lovely, mellow vanilla flavor made for some nice sipping. I was thoroughly impressed with this flavor's ability to accurately capture the essence of cream soda and to taste good all on its own, so for these reasons, it easily earned the No. 1 spot on this list.

When ranking these eight Liquid Death soda flavors, it largely came down, of course, to the actual flavor at play. Of course, my general preferences and personal palate led the way, but I paid attention to more specific flavor details. For example, I also considered how much a given LD flavor lived up to its actual soda counterpart; if it didn't taste like the actual soda, I considered if it had any redeeming qualities that still made it a worthy flavor. There was also a distinct difference between mellower flavor profiles that still tasted good, versus those that simply tasted watered down, so I ranked them accordingly. Finally, there wasn't too much of a difference in the effervescence of the liquid itself, though some definitely tasted flatter than others, and were also ranked accordingly. 

To conduct the taste test, I started by trying each flavor at room temperature, because sometimes I think you can pick up on a liquid's more nuanced flavor when it's not super cold. I tried each flavor again after being chilled in the fridge, since I imagine that's how most people would enjoy these beverages at home.