13 Ocean Spray Classic Juices, Ranked

There are so many different types of juices out there. If you like something simple and sweet, apple juice may just be your go-to variety. On the other hand, those who prefer a beverage that's a bit more intensely flavored may opt for grape juice instead. But if you ask me, cranberry juice is one of the most delicious varieties out there. Of course, many commercial cranberry juice blends, like Ocean Spray, are spiked with sugar to balance the flavor of this notoriously bitter fruit. However, even with this brand, you can often taste a hint of that bitterness that makes cranberry juice so complex.

But Ocean Spray isn't just making its Original Cranberry Juice Cocktail, the beverage for which it's best known. The brand offers a variety of other juices that contain cranberry juice. Some of them still lean into that strong cranberry flavor I love, while others only have a hint of it. I've decided to rank an array of Ocean Spray's classic juices from best to worst, keeping flavor balance and the potency of cranberry and other fruit flavors in mind. These are my subjective opinions, so no worries if you have different flavor preferences than I do. But maybe, just maybe, this article will inspire you to try a whole new option the next time you make a juice run.

I love mango as much as the next person, but it's not doing what I want it to do in Ocean Spray's Cran x Mango juice. Yes, ripe mangoes can be quite sweet, but I find this juice over-the-top sweet, considering the name starts with cranberry juice. Honestly, I couldn't taste much cranberry at all, which was a disappointment. Although the drink contains mango juice, the actual mango flavor seems pretty muted to me, offering a hint of tropical flavor. Instead, it seems overpowered by apple juice, which is also listed in the ingredients. This blend of juices makes for an overall muddled flavor profile that isn't very balanced.

Maybe my palate isn't sophisticated enough, but I don't think I could tell that this juice was supposed to taste like mango if I took a sip without seeing the bottle first. If you like a generically tropical-tasting juice that's really quite sweet, then the Cran x Mango might be worth checking out. In my opinion, though, there are much better Ocean Spray classic flavors out there.

Admittedly, I'm not the biggest fan of pineapple, so it's not a surprise to me that it ranked so low on this list. True pineapple lovers may not agree with me, but the Cran x Pineapple is another juice in Ocean Spray's lineup that just tastes too sweet. After taking a single sip, I felt like this stuff was absolutely cloying, and I had no desire to take another (though I begrudgingly did for the sake of this ranking). There's actually a decent amount of tartness, but it somehow still can't compete with all the sugar, creating an unbalanced beverage that can easily overwhelm your senses.

One thing I do appreciate about this specific juice is the pineapple flavor. Now, it loses points because I don't taste much of those cranberry notes shining through, but I could see a pineapple fan enjoying this stuff. In my mind, though, cranberry and pineapple juices don't belong together, and we'd be better off if Ocean Spray stuck to its simpler, less seemingly random flavor options.

This may be a bit of a hot take, but I think I know why you don't see all that much watermelon juice on store shelves: It doesn't taste very good. Something about watermelon's crunchy, watery texture makes it taste so good. Take that texture away, and you're left with a sweet, candy-like flavor that doesn't always taste great when it's allowed to take center stage. This is why Ocean Spray's Cran x Watermelon is one of my least favorite juices in this lineup. The watermelon flavor is extremely pronounced, completely drowning out any other fruit flavors in the mix, including, importantly, cranberry itself.

I have a similar complaint about this juice as I do with the previous ones: The drink is too sweet for my tastes. And because that watermelon note is so prominent, it actually tastes like you're drinking melted hard candy. If you want to drink watermelon juice at its most delicious, try making this sparkling watermelon drink instead. You'll get the same watermelon-forward vibe without all the added sugar and lack of balance you find in this juice.

I can definitely understand the appeal of this drink. A lot of people like apple juice, largely because its rather neutral flavor is inoffensive to picky palates. I get it, and if you're looking for an upgrade to your usual apple juice, then Ocean Spray's Cran x Apple might sound like an exciting option. I do think the apple juice dominates the blend, as it's the first thing I noticed when I took a sip. However, this flavor ranks higher than the worst-ranked varieties because you actually can taste cranberry shining through. Now, I didn't taste the bitterness I wanted from cranberry, but there's a distinct red fruit note that makes this drink taste like a more interesting apple juice.

Personally, I've had so much apple juice in my life that I can't get too excited about it. It's fine here, but I wouldn't go out of my way to pick this flavor up when others are more unique, more pronounced, and more delicious as a whole. That being said, I can imagine this juice being a hit when you don't want straight cranberry but still want to try something new.

This is where things start to get a bit more interesting. For the berry lovers out there, Ocean Spray Cran x Raspberry is where it's at. This beverage absolutely tastes like raspberries, with that summery, fresh flavor and a nice acidity that can only come from this kind of berry. Although it tastes quite sweet, the acidity seems to balance things out nicely, making for a refreshing beverage. It's also quite an obvious flavor — I would have no doubt that raspberries are included in the mix if I took one singular sip.

So, then, you might wonder why Cran x Raspberry is still ranked so low on this list. Even though it's significantly better than the previous juices, I'm still not tasting much of that cranberry flavor. Ultimately, if I'm expecting a juice that tastes like both raspberry and cranberry, I'd be disappointed with this option. However, if you crave a juice that tastes like straight-up raspberries, there's a good chance that you'll love this stuff.

A lot of times, cherry-flavored food products don't hit the spot for me. I think they can taste quite artificial, with a medicinal tinge that reminds me of having the flu as a kid. But you don't get that unfortunate flavor with Ocean Spray Cran x Cherry. First of all, this drink actually contains cherry juice, so it's not some sad imitation of the real thing. Secondly, you're not getting that sticky-sweet maraschino cherry sugariness here. Rather, this juice tastes like actual fresh black cherries. However, unlike Cran x Raspberry, I can taste the cranberry juice here as well. It offers a distinct bitterness that I think makes this juice taste a bit more complex. Don't get me wrong — it's still sweet. But being able to taste that bitter note smooths things out nicely.

The only thing I don't like about this juice is that it tastes extra heavy and bold. That's certainly better than buying a juice that's too watery, but I think this cranberry-cherry juice needs to be cut with more water to smooth out its edges. Try this if you like cherry juice, and you don't mind a decent amount of sweetness.

Ocean Spray's Cran x Lemonade is one of the more unexpected juices on this list for me. I never thought of Ocean Spray as a brand that would try to work its way onto the store-bought lemonade scene, but apparently, there's enough of a market for flavored lemonades to warrant this product. Obviously, it's not as good as homemade lemonade, but it has a nice, bright acidity and enough sweetness to keep things from being too tart. What surprised me about this juice, though, is a generic sweetness that didn't taste like standard lemonade or cranberry juice at all. When I took a closer look at the ingredients, I noticed that apple juice from concentrate was listed before cranberry juice from concentrate even made an appearance.

This strange additional flavor makes the beverage taste more like juice than just cranberry-flavored lemonade, which is what I would have assumed from the product's name. So, although the overall flavor of the drink is still pretty solid, it wouldn't be my first choice if I were looking for either juice or lemonade; it's a middle-ground product that I ultimately wouldn't pick up again.

Looking for a bolder, richer tasting juice? Ocean Spray's Cran x Pomegranate might be up your alley.  Cranberry juice comes to the fore here, offering a cranberry juice cocktail bittersweet taste along with a more intense, sweet flavor that I couldn't quite put my finger on. It doesn't taste like straight pomegranate juice, after all. That's because the product's ingredients include cranberry juice, then grape juice, followed by pomegranate juice. Therefore, you're getting more of a grape juice flavor here with a bit of pomegranate juice added to create a unique mix.

I think the flavor of this drink is a success, and I'd drink it again if I were in the market for juice. However, this is another case in which the product name doesn't match up to what you're getting. Anyone expecting a significant amount of pomegranate juice here will be let down, even if they, like me, find that the juice is still pretty solid.

Ocean Spray carries many dark red fruit juices, although you'll occasionally see brighter-looking colors in juices like Cran x Watermelon and Cran x Pineapple. But what about when you want a drink that's quite a bit lighter than most of the Ocean Spray lineup? This is exactly where the brand's White Cran x Peach comes into play. It's an uncommon juice blend, considering that peach is pretty rare in the juice aisle at my store. However, this product contains real peach juice from concentrate, and I could taste that stone fruit note as soon as I took a sip. Although peach flavor dominates the blend, you can taste a lovely bitter note from the cranberry juice, which creates more balance.

This juice also contains apple juice from concentrate, which gives it a generic sweetness that ostensibly cuts the strength of the peach juice. In this case, I feel like the addition of apple juice is a good move so you're not overwhelmed by the peachiness. Although I think there are better Ocean Spray options, peach fans should consider purchasing this.

Sometimes, you just have to stick with the classics, which is why The Original Cranberry Juice Cocktail from Ocean Spray is relatively close to the top of this list. Not everyone is going to like this drink, because the bitter element is so strong. There's definitely plenty of sugar added to the recipe — it's more sweet than bitter — but that pleasant dryness is what makes this drink so good and perfect for a drink mixer. There's significantly more complexity in this juice than, say, a standard apple or grape juice.

This cranberry juice cocktail is bright and refreshing, with a balanced boldness. While those bittersweet notes are strong, they're not overpowering, and this drink is watery enough that you don't need to cut it with water. This juice may not be as exciting as my top three picks, but it's a classic for a reason. While it's tasty enough to drink on its own, you can also use this cranberry juice cocktail to add an unexpected twist to your cold brew.

Honestly, I don't typically love tropical fruit flavors in juices, which is evidenced by the fact that I placed Cran x Mango and Cran x Pineapple in the bottom two slots on this list. Therefore, I wasn't prepared to enjoy Ocean Spray's Cran x Tropical as much as I do. Now that I've tasted it, though, I can confidently say that it's one of the best juices in the brand's classic lineup. But what is it even made of? Cranberry juice is the first juice listed, followed by apple juice, mango juice, and natural guava and passionfruit flavors. Normally, I don't like juice that's so apple-forward, but I didn't taste much here. Rather, the mango and guava come to the forefront, offering a fresh acidity and fragrant sweetness that makes this fruit punch-like drink a fun option.

Though this was one of the best juices in Ocean Spray's lineup, the cranberry flavor wasn't as strong as I wanted it to be, which is why this variety isn't ranked higher. If you want a cranberry-forward juice, you may want to skip this option. Otherwise, it's a pretty solid pick for a non-refrigerated juice.

I enjoy traditional cranberry juice, but if I'm being honest, I love Ocean Spray's White Cranberry juice even more. Now, this all comes with a caveat. Technically, it might not be totally fair to describe this variety as "white cranberry," considering the first juice on the ingredients list is actually white grape juice. That being said, because white grape juice has such a mild flavor on its own, I can still taste the cranberry juice quite clearly. There's a fragrant, almost floral lightness that makes this a super approachable beverage. Plus, it tastes lighter than most of the other options I tried for this ranking, which is nice if you're looking for a less bold and intense juice.

As a certified grape juice lover, Ocean Spray White Cranberry juice is near the very top of my list. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this drink to those looking for the boldest cranberry flavor ever, but it's unbeatable for a lighter, more balanced take on Ocean Spray's offerings.

As I mentioned, I love grape juice, so of course Ocean Spray's Cran x Grape would snag the top spot on the list. It actually leans more heavily toward the grape end of the spectrum, considering the fact that grape juice appears before cranberry juice in the ingredients list. That definitely comes through on the palate, with that touch of cranberry taking a back seat. Still, it has a chance to shine by offering a clear, bitter note. This stuff basically tastes like regular grape juice, but perhaps upgraded for better balance to cut the sweetness just slightly.

It seems that Ocean Spray as a brand isn't in the business of making the purest, most unadulterated cranberry juice. Instead, it's using cranberry juice alongside other flavors to create sippable juices that appeal to a variety of fruit-loving palates. For me, Cran x Grape is the best of the bunch, and it might be your favorite as well if you like grape juice as much as I do.

I chose these Ocean Spray classic juices based on availability at my local grocery store. I drank the juices at room temperature and tasted each one twice — once when I photographed them and once as I sat down to write. I ranked the juices according to my personal flavor preferences, which generally lean more toward berry-forward flavors instead of tropical ones. Specifically, I was looking for juices that tasted balanced and not too sweet. The best-ranked of the bunch also taste like their product names.