Sunny D Vodka Seltzer Purple Is a Throwback I Can Get Behind

If you grew up in the ‘90s and watched as much television as I did (i.e. a lot), you probably remember the SunnyD (née Sunny Delight) commercial that features a bunch of sweaty young men raiding a refrigerator after a beach volleyball game. One of them kindly catalogs the offerings for his friends: “Soda, OJ, purple stuff, Sunny Delight …” and they all go nuts for the SunnyD, but the most enduring rejected beverage from that iconic commercial is “purple stuff.”

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In the commercial, the purple liquid is in an unlabeled pitcher, which seemed to indicate it was Kool-Aid or Flavor Aid. Frankly, that sounds more refreshing to me than a tall glass of thick, sweet orange drink after rigorous physical activity, but hey, you have to give credit where it’s due for an enduring marketing campaign.
We’re all grown-up now (me, you, the sweaty refrigerator boys, presumably) and we’re craving something different with our beach volleyball: booze. In 2023, SunnyD released its first ready-to-drink canned vodka drink, inspired by the classic flavor of SunnyD. Now, they’re following it up with a canned cocktail inspired by the once-maligned purple stuff. I grabbed all

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SunnyD Vodka Seltzer Purple

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Pros: It definitely tastes like purple! This vodka seltzer has a strong, artificial concord grape flavor, although it reminds me a bit more of chewable vitamins than grape Kool-Aid (not that I’m guzzling a ton of grape Kool-Aid, to be fair). It’s very lightly carbonated—it has small, prickly bubbles that go down fairly smoothly. It’s also pretty low calorie (90 per can) and zero sugar, so it’s perfect for people who were watching Saturday morning cartoons in 1991 and are now watching their middle-aged waistlines. It’s a fun novelty for the ‘90s kids.

Cons: Because this is a seltzer, it doesn’t really mimic the purple stuff from the fridge. I’m a proponent of non carbonated canned alcoholic beverages and I do sort of wish this was still rather than sparkling, for accuracy and my own personal enjoyment. Another con that might very well be a “pro” for some people: You can’t really taste alcohol at all. When I’m drinking a canned vodka seltzer rather than a hard seltzer (aka a malt beverage), I like the clean, slightly bitter finish that vodka gives it. I didn’t pick that up in this can.

Rating:

6.5/10

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About the Author

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.