There’s something a little funny about a company that sells water—which is, by definition, non-alcoholic—coming out with a line of non-alcoholic mocktails. But I love Waterloo. And, frankly, I love the idea of cocktail-flavored sparkling water minus the booze. Spindrift paved the way last year when they released Nojito, a minty, limey take on a Mojito that we absolutely love (it quickly became our second favorite Spindrift flavor). Now Waterloo has three “mocktail” options hitting stores: All Day Rosé, Mojito Mocktail, and Pi-ño Colada. Are they worth adding to your NA beverage rotation this summer—or will they drive you to drink? We tasted them to find out.
Making a mint-flavored sparkling water is risky. You definitely run the risk of it tasting like toothpaste spit.
Pros: I’m pleased to report that this new Waterloo flavor does not taste like toothpaste spit. It tastes like mint leaf—pure, bitter mint leaf. Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s a good thing, although I would definitely give this a shot with some bourbon to sweeten the deal.
Cons: As a cocktail, a Mojito works because the mint leaf is muddled with sugar, which offsets some of the bitterness. This packs a punch of minty flavor, but there’s no sweetness to counteract the bitterness. It just doesn’t really work, unfortunately. Another criticism: You can barely taste the lime. If I were to mix this with bourbon, I’d still have to add a squeeze of lime and that seems like it kind of defeats the purpose. Mint sparkling water isn’t very useful!
I truly did not know what to expect from a wine-flavored sparkling water. In fact, it kind of turned my stomach to think about it. The concept is weird, but the execution is surprisingly good.
Pros: This doesn’t taste like watery wine. I may never be able to put a finger on exactly what this tastes like, but it’s really refreshing and good. It’s lightly fruity—I’d guess it’s a mix of white grape and raspberry flavor. It’s a little bit floral, too. It’s elegant. It’s gentle. I would absolutely buy this again.
Cons: I think the flavor might be a little too gentle for some people. If you like sparkling water flavors that pack a punch, this isn’t the Waterloo flavor for you.
I’ve always been on the fence about coconut sparkling water. Coconut LaCroix isn’t bad (it’s fairly high on our list of the best LaCroix flavors), but it just tastes way too much like suntan lotion. Who knew that all it needed was a little hit of pineapple?
Pros: This new Waterloo flavor strikes me as an instant classic. It’s bright and tropical and refreshing. The coconut flavor is warm and round, but the pineapple flavor really brightens things up. And, yeah, I know the whole point of these is that they’re NA, but this is going to absolutely slap with a shot of Bacardi in the mix.
Cons: Yes, it’s a little artificial tasting. If that isn’t a dealbreaker, you’re gonna want to bring a case of this on your next beach vacation.
Howdy! I’m Gwynedd, Sporked’s managing editor. I live in Los Angeles and have access to the best tacos the U.S. has to offer—but I’m a sucker for a crunchy Old El Paso taco night every now and then. I’ve been at Sporked since 2022 and I’m still searching frozen mozzarella sticks that can hold a candle to restaurant sticks.
Why you should trust me: I’ve been a journalist for 20 years (yikes), a consumer of food for 40-plus years, and I’m truly hard pressed to think of foods I don’t like (or that I can’t tolerate at the very least). Oh and one time I cooked my way through Guy Fieri’s cookbook and wrote about the journey through Flavortown.
What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s Original Savory Thins. Fat free plain yogurt (usually Fage or Nancy’s). Honeycrisp apples. Sweet cream coffee creamer for my at-home Americanos. A frozen cauliflower crust pizza and some jarred mushrooms to top it with. Old El Paso Stand ‘N Stuff taco shells and Gardein Ground Be’f, even though I think “be’f” is a nightmarish contraction.
Favorite ranking: Stouffer’s frozen dinners. I don’t own a microwave (I get my cancers the old fashioned way!), so I love taste testing things that I don’t really buy to eat at home.
Least favorite ranking: Soy sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I love soy sauce—but consuming that much sodium in one sitting is probably illegal in some countries. Our frozen enchilada taste test was a close second; the smell of microwaved corn tortillas still haunts me.
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Gwynedd Stuart
Ariana Losch
Jordan Myrick
