Red Bull has its Summer Edition. Mtn Dew is going red, white, and blue. And now Powerade is getting in on the summertime specials with their Powerade Sour line of drinks. I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that it is a MASSIVE missed opportunity that these were not named Sourade. But, regardless, these new Powerade flavors are hitting shelves, so it’s our duty to taste them.
The line features three flavors: Blue Razz, Green Apple, and Watermelon Lime, all offered for a limited time throughout the summer. Each contains only 80 calories per serving and 21 grams of sugar. But just how good are these bad boys? Here’s what I thought.
- Sour Powerade Green Apple
-
Pros: There is a very nice sour bite that hits immediately. This new Powerade flavor is just the right amount of sourness without dissolving your tastebuds (looking at you, Sour Skittles). And it’s also not too sweet.
Cons: It doesn’t really taste like green apple at all. I definitely get the general sourness and tartness from the drink itself, but it isn’t a sourness that I would associate with the flavor green apple. I believe if I was blind taste testing this and didn’t see the color, I wouldn’t be able to place the flavor at all. Good tart flavor, but not apple.
Credit: Liv Averett / Vons
- Sour Powerade Blue Razz
-
Pros: The blue raspberry flavor definitely manages to break through the sourness. It’s sweet and then sour. Sporked has gone on the record as arguing that blue raspberry is the best flavor, and I’m here to reiterate, it just works. Blue raspberry is the perfect flavor to combine with the sourness of Sour Powerade.
Cons: The Sourness kind of takes the backseat on this one, especially directly compared to the green apple. It’s definitely a great flavor, but I’d love to see the sour-meter turned up a few more notches. This is Sour Powerade, after all. Shift it into maximum overdrive!
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Sour Powerade Watermelon Lime
-
Pros: Baby, we are back in sour town! It isn’t CRAZY sour, but it definitely has a nice, sour bite that’s stronger than the Blue Razz. And that sour flavor mixes well with a really strong and surprisingly solid watermelon flavor.
Cons: The lime flavor is virtually undetectable to me, which is incredibly disappointing. I love flavored anything, so I was really hoping for a solid mix of watermelon and lime flavor. It’s still really tasty, but it could be so much better with a nice punch in the face from a lime.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
All three of these new Powerade flavors are pretty solid. Going into this, my biggest concern was, “How is Sour Powerade going to achieve being both refreshing and sour at the same time?” But I am now a firm believer in what Coca-Cola (maker of Powerade) is doing here. If anyone from Coca-Cola is reading this: You’ve got me 70% of the way there. The concept is incredible and there are some really tasty drinks in this line-up. If the sour flavor was turned up even more and there were even more flavors introduced, I would be a Super Sour Powerade Stan, through and through.
Social Media