Crystal Light Vodka Refreshers: Our Honest Review

If you’re of a certain age, then you almost definitely drank vodka-spiked Crystal Light out of a plastic bottle when you were younger. It’s a right of passage for many millennials. And now they’ve gone and canned the stuff. Yep, vodka-spiked Zero Sugar Crystal Light can now be purchased in two flavors: Lemonade and Wild Strawberry.

There’s just a couple of differences between our homemade cocktails of yore and the modern day canned bevies. First of all, they’re sparkling and secondly they’re only 3.8% ABV (our DIY versions were for sure stronger than that). But how do they taste? Read on for the full review.

New Spiked Crystal Light!

Crystal Light Zero Sugar Sparkling Lemonade Vodka Refresher

Pros: I cracked open the can and immediately was hit by a wave of lemony nostalgia. This smells exactly like classic Crystal Light. And the flavor is on point, too. It’s bright and citrusy and crispy. It tastes just like old-school Crystal Light Lemonade with one difference—it’s sparkling. But the bubbles are gentle and they’re there to help. They counteract any artificial sweetener flavor and accentuate the acidity. If you have any love for Crystal Light and are looking for a daytime summer boozy beverage, you simply must try this stuff.

Cons: It’s only 3.8% ABV! C’mon, Crystal Light, let’s kick it up a notch!

Credit: Liv Averett / Kraft-Heinz

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

New Spiked Crystal Light!

Crystal Light Zero Sugar Sparkling Wild Strawberry Vodka Refresher

Pros: The strawberry version is sweet with a strong fake strawberry flavor. I likened it to Jell-O (most fake fruit flavors taste like some sort of Jello to me), while my colleague Gwynedd Stuart compared the flavor to Flintstones vitamins (in a good way).

Cons: It’s too sweet for me, personally. And if you don’t like that fake strawberry flavor, you’re not going to be into it either. However I’d still probably take one of these over most hard seltzers.

Credit: Liv Averett / Kraft-Heinz

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

About the Author

Hi! I’m the editor-in-chief of Sporked. I will never turn down a fresh-shucked oyster but I’ll also leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and I love a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients. Why you should trust me: I have been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and am an avid at-home cook and snacker. I began my career writing about fine dining and recipes, moved into cocktails and spirits, and now I talk about groceries. If you can eat it or drink it, I’ve probably written about it. What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s dried okra. Appleton Farms prosciutto from Aldi. Some sort of Trader Joe’s cheese (I’m into the aged gouda at the moment). Frozen waffles (usually the Eggo Cinnamon Toast Minis). Spindrift water (loving the Cosmopolitan right now). Favorite ranking: Smoked salmon. Imagine me as Scrooge McDuck but instead of coins I’m diving into a vault of slippery smoked salmon slices. Pure joy. I also found some real steals in that taste test! Least favorite ranking: Canned oysters. I had such high hopes for this but it quickly became a chore. The kitchen smelled like an uncleaned aquarium.