Sparkling water, you either love it or hate it. Some say it’s disgusting, and others love it. Personally, I believe that you can’t go wrong with such an excellent drinking option! Sparkling water is a great substitute for soda, especially when you don’t feel like consuming too much sugar, but still crave that carbonated sensation. Likewise, I believe there is a spectrum of good sparkling water and “peculiar” tasting sparkling water. 

I personally did not enjoy “Hal’s New York Seltzer Water” however, it’s still a 5/10 drink. This sparkling water is roughly $1.50. From my personal experience and preference, the seltzer water tasted like the flavor and water were two different entities. It was almost as if I was drinking two separate drinks at the same time. Its packaging also blends itself well as a regular water bottle. Controversial opinion: I’d be embarrassed drinking this because the bottle is ugly and uncomfortable to hold. 

The next is Polar Natural Seltzer Water. Overall I give it a good 9.5/10. This sparkling water has become a favorite of mine. If you like extremely fizzy drinks but also a strong hint of citrus flavors, this one’s for you! Even when the sparkling water becomes room temperature, its fizziness and flavor are still there. A small insider secret: you can get one at the school cafeteria when you press the bubbly lemon sparkling water option, despite it not being labeled. If you go to the Duane Reade near our school, you can get this for roughly $2. My personal favorite is the raspberry lime-flavored sparkling water. My friend, Erin Bejasa, states that although she is not a big fan of sparkling water, the one that didn’t gross her out was the lemon polar sparkling water. Another friend of mine, Matthew Soo, described the raspberry lime flavor sparkling water as sweet but not overly sweet. 

   The classic sparkling water, S. Pellegrino is often served at restaurants and small stores. I rated this a  4/10 drink. It’s fizzy and tastes like regular water. It’s a solid sparkling water option; it’s everything you can ask for if you feel parched. This is a great drink to share with friends while eating pasta at a nice Italian restaurant. 

If you press the strawberry bubly sparkling water option at the school vending machines, you can purchase this beverage. Bubly is a 4.5/10, I personally didn’t like the fact that there was a lack of fizziness. It’s $1.50, and the flavor is a bit more diluted than other flavored sparkling waters. The fizziness is still there, but the flavor is a little less noticeable, tasting more like water than the flavor itself. 

La Croix, one of my personal favorites, is a 9.5/10 drink. It’s tied with Polar for the best sparkling water. La Croix is a good classic “pool party drink” for any occasion. Its flavor is nicely mixed in with the fizziness, and a strong flavor of your choice. The various and creative flavors that La Croix has also give a great range of options to choose from. 

When I went to Target to buy a pack of the Good&Gather Cranberry Citrus flavor, it was a cheaper option compared to the other brands such as La Croix, Waterloo, etc. I rated this an 8/10 drink. It’s less fizzy, but still has a great flavor to it. This sparkling water has a very “summer” vibe to it, with its bold colors on the can and citrus flavor, and it’s has one of the best fizzy flavor combinations yet. 

I remember the first time that I tried sparkling water. It was Schweppes seltzer water, specifically the orange-flavored one. It’s a good 7/10 drink, as its fizziness makes up for the flavor. The bottle is a bit bland looking, while the flavor is not that strong. You can buy this at the Duane Reade near our school! There’s not much to say about this sparkling water, but it’s a decent choice if you like something that tastes more like regular water with a hint of fizziness and flavor.  

Sparkling water might not be for everyone, as some people like to comment about the weird aftertaste. However, if you ever find yourself contemplating which sparkling water to purchase, you can always come back to this article to help make your decision!