Finding the best Celsius flavor can be kind of complicated. First of all, Celsius—the self-proclaimed “healthy energy” drink—comes in a lot of flavors. We attempted to be exhaustive and tried 18. Prolificacy aside, some Celsius flavors aren’t named for naturally occurring flavors. Yes, you have your Orange and Grape, but there’s a whole Celsius line named for ~ vibes ~ and, frankly, I don’t know what a “fantasy vibe” is supposed to taste like. (I mean, I can come up with some things, but I can’t say that’s what they were going for.)
But here’s the good news about the many, many flavors of Celsius: A lot of them taste very good. Celsius’s whole thing is that it’s meant to be a pre-workout drink. I don’t work out, per se, but taste testing food several days a week can sure feel like an endurance sport, and in general I found Celsius’ drinks to have a really pleasant, refreshing effervescence. I also like that they’re zero sugar and low cal but don’t taste overwhelmingly like artificial sweeteners (for the most part, anyway). But not every Celsius flavor is great. Before you head to the gym with a can, check out our ranking.
- Celsius Sparkling Grape Rush
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When you set out to find the best Celsius flavor, it’s inevitable that one will be the worst. Congrats, Sparkling Grape Rush! You did it! This tasted like root beer to me and I can’t explain why. Our intern, Kota Lee, said it made their mouth and throat dry, which is definitely not what you want before you work out.
Credit: Merc / Celsius
- Celsius Sparkling Cola
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I’m not sure who this is for, but it’s definitely not for people who actually like cola. In fact, I’m pretty sure it would make real cola drinkers angry? It tastes like very weak, generic diet cola. You know when someone drinks coffee and then inadvertently breathes in your face? Drinking this is like the diet cola version of that.
Credit: Merc / Celsius
- Celsius Sparkling Wild Berry
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This has a bit of a weird chewable vitamin flavor to me. I’m sure some people like that, but it’s not the best Celsius flavor if you want to actually taste berries.
Credit: Merc / Celsius
- Celsius Sparkling Kiwi Guava
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This flavor is a letdown, in part because it sounds like it would taste so good! Kiwi! Guava! How could this go awry? Anyway, it isn’t really bad, it’s just sort of tame and generic. Blindfolded, I don’t think anyone could identify the fruit flavors and for some reason the artificial sweeteners seemed more pronounced in this one.
Credit: Merc / Celsius
- Celsius Sparkling Strawberry Guava
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Another guava gone wrong, mostly because you only get strawberry and no guava. Kota thought it tasted like ground-up Smarties, and I don’t think they meant it in a good way.
Credit: Merc / Celsius
- Celsius Sparkling Mango Passionfruit
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This Celsius flavor might be a little bit of a matter of taste. Do you like very powerful, artificial passion fruit flavor? You’ll love this. But the cloying, generic “tropical” flavor just isn’t for me.
Credit: Merc / Celsius
- Celsius Sparkling Watermelon
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This is the best Celsius flavor for people who’ve always wanted to drink watermelon candy. It’s so, so sweet—like carbonated, chilled Jolly Rancher saliva. I’d probably drink it again, but I don’t think I’d crave it before a rigorous exercise sesh.
Credit: Merc / Celsius
- Celsius Tropical Vibe
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Hey, look. We’ve reached the ~ vibe ~ segment of the ranking. All of them are varying degrees of “pretty good,” so all of them landed squarely in the middle of our ranking. To me, this tastes the way it smelled inside the salon when your mom got a perm in the 1980s, but it’s also not bad. Nostalgia is a crazy thing!
Credit: Merc / Celsius
- Celsius Arctic Vibe
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I actually really love this Celsius flavor, which is described on the can as “sparkling frozen berry.” It tastes mostly like artificial blueberry, but it’s really tangy and pleasant—candy-like but not nauseating. I love how the tartness settles in the back of your throat, although it may not be the most refreshing energy drink in the world.
Credit: Merc / Celsius
- Celsius Fantasy Vibe
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Yes, Celsius Fantasy Vibe sounds like a sex toy, but it tastes like an orange creamsicle (technically, it’s “mandarin marshmallow”). Certainly preferable to latex and fluids!
Credit: Merc / Celsius
- Celsius Peach Vibe
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Our intern Kota considers themself a Celsius flavor aficionado, and this one was a big hit with them. They specify that the flavor is “white peach,” and that’s really what it tastes like. It’s lovely and refreshing and summery. It’s definitely one of the best Celsius flavors if you’re shopping the ~ vibe ~ line.
Credit: Merc / Celsius
- Celsius Oasis Vibe
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Oasis Vibe is prickly pear-lime flavored. I’m not an expert when it comes to the prickly pear flavor profile—I like it, but it’s hard for me to identify. Basically, I can’t tell you how well this aligns, but I can tell you that it tastes good. It tastes like a carbonated Margarita with a little extra tartness and tang. It’s a vibe, to be sure.
Credit: Merc / Celsius
- Celsius Fuji Apple Pear
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This is the best Celsius flavor if you like sparkling cider. It’s very sweet, but it’s very delicious. It’s tart and crisp like a Fuji apple. There’s definitely more apple flavor than pear flavor, but it’s a very fresh-from-the-orchard situation I love.
Credit: Merc / Celsius
- Celsius Green Apple Cherry
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Both apple and cherry are underutilized in the energy drink world, and this Celsius flavor is proof. It’s super tangy and sweet, like green apple candy and cherry candy had a baby. That sounds bad, but it isn’t. In general, why aren’t there more apple-cherry flavored bevs?
Credit: Merc / Celsius
- Celsius Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade
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This Celsius flavor tastes like a nice, balanced strawberry lemonade. You really get strawberry and lemon in equal measure. It’s great. If you like strawberry flavor, you should definitely buy this over the brand’s other strawberry options.
Credit: Merc / Celsius
- Celsius Sparkling Lemon Lime
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If you want a pre-workout drink that won’t slap you in the face with flavor, this is the best Celsius going. If you want big lemon-lime flavor, look elsewhere. But if you want something very refreshing, with a mild, almost lemon tea-like flavor, this is your jam.
Credit: Merc / Celsius
- Celsius Raspberry Acai Green Tea
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Most Celsius energy drinks are carbonated. This one is not, and I’m sure that makes it attractive to people like me, who can’t combine carbonation with any degree of exertion without burping their brains out. The raspberry flavor is really tart and fruity, and the green tea flavor tempers it with a little bit of earthiness. This is a very sophisticated Celsius flavor. Drink this before yoga class.
Credit: Merc / Celsius
- Celsius Sparkling Orange
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Is it boring that the best Celsius flavor is … just plain old orange? Maybe, but it just tastes so good. If you love the mild, not-too-tart flavor of canned mandarin oranges, you’ll love this. It’s flavorful. It’s sweet. The carbonation makes it taste like a delicious orange soda, but you get a punch of caffeine, too. This is a crowd pleaser, and that’s part of what makes it the best Celsius flavor you can buy. Sometimes a classic is a classic for a reason!
Credit: Merc/ Celsius
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