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.
- Waterloo Mojito Mocktail
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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!
- Waterloo All Day Rosé
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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.
- Waterloo Pi-ño Colada
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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.
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