Best Cough Drops: 6 Best Tasting Cough Drops We Found in a Taste Test

Having a sore throat sucks. It’s always better to not have a sore throat than to have a sore throat. But…isn’t there a little part of you that gets kinda excited that you get to have cough drops? Especially when you’ve got cough drops that taste good? I know that’s how I feel. And I recently got to live what I assume is everyone’s fantasy and taste test 14 different cough drops in search of the best tasting cough drops to buy.

How I taste tested cough drops

I did not finish 14 separate cough drops. I’m not totally sure what that would have done to my body but I’m sure it’s not medically advisable. Instead, I sucked on each cough drop long enough to experience the flavor and texture and then I spit it out. It was like wine tasting—but with cough drops.

What we looked for in the best cough drops

I cannot stress enough that no one on the Sporked team is a medical doctor (or any doctor for that matter). In this taste test we evaluated cough drops based on what they did to our tongues in our mouths—not how well they actually cured any cough or sore throat. We were looking for good tasting cough drops first and foremost.

Vibrant flavor. Whether cherry, lemon, strawberry, or even herbal, the best cough drops should taste bright, fresh, and zippy. No one wants a bland cough drop. And, while some hint of medicinal flavor is actually somewhat welcome, we didn’t want cough drops that tasted too bitter or antiseptic.
Pleasant texture. Cough drops are one of the only “foods” that hang around in your mouth for an extended period of time. And that extended period of tossing the drop from one side of your mouth to the other should be pleasant. The best cough drops should be a fun, textural treat for your tongue to explore.
Cooling feeling. While not all of the cough drops that made this list offer that classic cooling sensation, I think it’s really what separates a cough drop from a hard candy.

Whether you’re looking for classic cherry cough drops, something more natural, or a totally new flavor, here are the best cough drop flavors you can buy.

Best Tasting Cough Drops, Ranked

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Best Cherry Alternative

Hall’s Cough & Throat Relief Strawberry

Walmart

If you’re a fan of that candied, fake strawberry flavor, meet the best cough drops you’ll ever suck on. There’s just enough acidity to keep these drops from being too sweet, and, since they’re Halls, there’s a definite cooling, numbing sensation. If you want berry but don’t want cherry, these are the best cough drops to grab.

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best Medicinal Cherry

Halls Cough & Throat Relief Cherry

Amazon

Personally, I like my cough drops to taste like they actually contain medicine—I like a little bit of that herbal flavor. And you get that with Halls’ cherry cough drops. Pop one of these in your mouth and your nasal passages are cleared immediately, and you do get a mild medicinal twinge, which really complements the bright cherry flavor. Do you want to eat a bunch of these? No. But you really shouldn’t be going through cough drops like they’re candy.

Credit: Merc / Amazon

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Best Sugar Free

Ricola Lemon Mint Sugar Free

Walmart

Unlike the classic herbal Ricola cough drops (more on those in a second), the sugar free lemon mint drops have more of a traditional lozenge shape. The flavor is super vibrant—especially for a sugar free cough drop. The drops are super lemony and super herbaceous. They almost taste like lemon zinger tea flavored with a small spoonful of honey. If you’re looking for sugar free cough drops or cough drops that taste like hard, suckable tea, these are the best cough drops to buy.

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Best Herbal

Ricola Original Herb

Amazon

I forgot how good a classic Ricola Original Herb cough drop is. It’s an industry standard for a reason. The flavor is a balanced blend of Alpine herbs—it’s sophisticated and nuanced with just enough honeyed sweetness to support the herbs. If you regularly drink Fernet Branca like I do, this is a lot like a solid version of that bittersweet amaro. Plus, this cough drop is cuboid. How often do you get to eat something cuboid? There are fun angles for your tongue to examine. It’s not for everyone, but Ricola makes some seriously good tasting cough drops if you love an herbal flavor profile.

Credit: Merc / Amazon

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best New Flavor

Luden’s Watermelon

Amazon

I was skeptical of these new Luden’s cough drops. Watermelon? I expected them to taste way too sweet. And, yeah, they are sweet. But they’re not too sweet. These cough drops taste like watermelon Jolly Ranchers in the best way possible. They do taste like faux watermelon, but they’re also really tangy. If you popped one of these in my mouth without telling me what it was, I’d probably think it was straight up candy.

Credit: Merc / Amazon

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best Candy Cherry

Luden’s Wild Cherry

Walmart

I tried CVS’s attempt at a dupe for this brand name wild cherry cough drop and it paled in comparison. Like their watermelon brethren, Luden’s classic cherry cough drops taste like hard candy. They’re not overly sweet and certainly not medicinal. There’s this really great tang that I totally love, and the more you suck, the tangier it gets. Plus, these cough drops do leave your throat feeling coated and soothed. But if you want a cough drop that tastes like candy, Luden’s makes the best cough drops to buy. Unlike Halls, you’ll probably have to pace yourself with these.

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks