Sporked Awards: Best Thirst Quenchers We Tasted in 2022

Our dump bucket has seen a lot of action this year. That’s not a euphemism. We literally have a dump bucket in which we pour liquids we do not wish to finish. We tasted all sorts of thirst-quenching beverages, from orange juice to sports drinks to coconut water. We even drank through Pedialyte’s portfolio of flavors. So, it was difficult to pick the top drink of 2022. But we considered what we would most like to reach for on a hot, sweaty day and, suddenly, the answer was easy. Come on up here, Newman’s Own, and claim your Sporked award.

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best lemonade: newman's own

Winner!

Newman’s Own Virgin Lemonade

This is as close to fresh-squeeze lemonade as you’ll ever get, and that is a feat for mass production. Fresh citrus flavors are notoriously difficult to capture—they dull and turn funky within days of being packaged. So, the fact that Newman’s Own was able to create a zesty, refreshing lemonade that is nationally available is worthy of praise. This is the only lemonade I will buy. It has just the right level of sweetness balanced by tart lemon zing. It came out on top in our best lemonade taste test and it comes out on top for the year. You did it again, Mr. Newman!

Related: Best Lemonade

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

best iced tea: gold peak

Runner-Up!

Gold Peak Sweet Tea

Gold Peak scored the gold in our best iced tea taste test. In that ranking, Danny Palumbo wrote that it’s made with “high quality tea leaves and it features a boatload of cane sugar.” That said, it’s the perfect level of sweet. It has a bold tea flavor, but cushions it with sweet, sweet sugar so you aren’t overwhelmed by the tannic tea. “Gold Peak is refreshing in all the right ways: It’s tart, bitter, earthy, and delectably sweet, but not fake tasting,” Danny wrote. While it won the silver overall, it’s still the gold standard for iced tea.

Related: Best Iced Tea

Credit: Liv Averett / Gold Peak

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

sporked awards

The 2022 Sporked Awards

We ate our way through hundreds of products this year to find the best. Now it’s time to honor the best of the best.


About the Author

Justine Sterling

Justine Sterling is the editor-in-chief of Sporked. She has been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and is an avid at-home cook and snacker. Don’t worry, she’s not a food snob. Sure, she loves a fresh-shucked oyster. But she also will leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and loves a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients.

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