A little known fact about me is that I used to have a Tumblr called “The Gwynedd & Guy Project,” which I used to document my journey of cooking my way through Guy Fieri’s cookbook, Guy Fieri Food: Cookin’ It, Livin’ It, Lovin’ It. And I gotta say, when I was cookin’ it, I was definitely lovin’ it. The guy has some crazy ideas about food (and facial hair), but sometimes they work. So we were excited to try the three new Waterloo flavors that were just released with “Guy Fieri’s Flavortown” slapped on the label.
Pros: This has a really nice huckleberry flavor. It smells bold and the flavor is pretty bold, too. It reminds me of the way Strawberry Shortcake dolls smelled back in the 1980s. If you gravitate toward berry-flavored sparkling water, you’ll like this.
Cons: There’s not really a cobbler element. It’s mostly just berry. This Guy Fieri Waterloo still tastes great, but I guess I was expecting them to at least attempt a baked-goods sort of flavor. I don’t know if that’s ever been done in the sparkling water realm, but Guy Fieri would be just crazy enough to do it.
Pros: This new Waterloo flavor is so good. It has a nice, juicy, tropical aroma that slaps you in the face when you crack open the can. And the flavor lives up to the smell—there’s something going on here I can’t quite put a finger on. It tastes creamy, which I suppose is their attempt at sorbet. Frankly, it’s giving mango ice cream rather than mango sorbet, but no need to quibble. It’s great.
Cons: I know it says “spiced,” which doesn’t necessarily mean “spicy,” but I was hoping for a little peppery heat on the finish. That would have been nice!
Pros: If you’re a real Fieri Fanboy (like moi), you are aware that Guy Fieri’s Italian ancestors Americanized their last name to “Ferry” when they immigrated to the U.S., and, despite being raised as Guy Ferry, he changed his name back to Fieri when he was in his 20s to honor his heritage. Anyway, he clearly takes being Italian-American seriously, and maybe that’s why this new Waterloo flavor is so good. It doesn’t just taste like lemon; it really tastes like lemon Italian ice. It has that same brightness and even though it isn’t sweet (obviously), it strongly suggests sweetness. I like this much better than La Croix’s Limoncello flavor.
Cons: As you sip, the flavor does become less pronounced. Still, this is a highly refreshing bev that you should definitely toss in the cooler if you’re planning a beach day this summer.
Gwynedd Stuart, Sporked’s managing editor, is an L.A.-based writer and editor who spends way, way too much time at the grocery store. She’s never met an Old El Paso taco or mozzarella stick she didn’t like.
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!