We Tried All Three Flavors Of Guy Fieri's Waterloo Sparkling Water And Here Is The Best One

No stranger to consumable merchandise, Guy Fieri, mayor of Flavortown, launched his sauce line (Flavortown Sauces) in March of last year. However, his thirst for Flavortown-endorsed goods must not have been quenched with condiments, because he teamed up with Waterloo Sparkling Water for a trio of summer flavors. All "inspired by Guy's personal experiences," according to Waterloo's official website, the Austin, Texas-based sparkling water brand noted how Fieri's collaboration cans drew from the celebrity chef's memories from "summers along the boardwalk in the Northeast, a favored spot in the Pacific Northwest, and family fun in Mexico."

Lemon Italian Ice, Huckleberry Cobbler, and Spiced Mango Sorbet, respectively, round out the three aforementioned flavors, which come encased in a Waterloo printed aluminum cans, all of which sport a slightly more raucous design than Waterloo's standard schema. A toddler in sparkling water years, all of Waterloo's major competitors were founded long before Waterloo's recent 2017 release; La Croix (arguably the reigning king of bubbly waters) was founded in 1981,Talking Rain in 1987, and Poler dates back to the Gilded Age and first burst onto the scene in 1882. However new, Waterloo still sits amongst its more venerable peers and continues producing flavors that reach beyond more well-known carbonated waters. And with the unexpected partnership with the fun-loving television host and former chef, Waterloo seems to be signaling a potential growth in their once humble business, as it also introduced a line-up of mocktails within the past year.

While I first noticed the triad of 12-pack cases of Fieri's stacked in an elaborate display at my local Whole Foods Market, Waterloo's website points thirsty followers to several stores, including heavy hitters like Walmart, Target, Alberton's, Sageway, select Krogers, Amazon, HEB, Central Market, Stop & Shop, Hy-Vee, Fresh Direct, Gopuff, and with upcoming availability at Aldi later this summer. The bubbly brand leaves growth open for possibility as its press release also states "more" stores could end up stocking Guy's summer flavors later on.

Available in 12-packs and eight-packs, the latest Waterloo rollout is easy enough to find both online and in person. Though, depending on where you shop, you could be spending a slight percentage more for Flavortown 12-ounce cans. Whole Foods, the store with the most consistent stockpile of Waterloo's Flavortown trifecta, also charges more for a case of soda water than a less specialized grocery store. At $6.99 for a dozen of a single flavor, Jeff Bezos' supermarket charges around $0.58 a can compared to Target's $4.29 for an eight-pack and Safeway's $3.67, which saves between $0.04 and $0.13 per beverage.

The Pacific Northwest-inspired can takes notes from the region's famously tart fruit pie, widely available in the summer months. While I appreciate the swing to somehow encapsulate a baked good with a somewhat obscure fruit inside, after sipping a can of Waterloo's Huckleberry Cobbler, I was left wondering what a scaled-back can of simply huckleberry would've tasted like in its place.

Fieri's interpretation does manage to convey a confection warmed with baking spices and heat, despite being intended to sip from an ice-cold can containing 0 calories. Though not unpleasantly ripe or artificially tasting, the signature zing of a fresh huckleberry gets lost in the menagerie of surrounding tasting notes.

Round on the palate but lively with forest bramble, Fieri's Huckleberry Cobbler misses the sour, acidic notes I associate with the deep purple, nearly-black berry grown along the Rocky Mountains. As the carbonation depletes, the flatness reveals a further lack of dimension and a hint of bitterness (probably due to the appeal to baking spices) that coats the tongue without the gratefulness of when bubbles are present. In no way offensive, or even disappointing, the purple Flavortown can simply ring in at a middleweight amongst Waterloo's stable of offerings.

Another doozy of a flavor combination, Spiced Mango Sorbet, aims to capture an ice dessert Guy and his family encountered on a trip to Mexico. Like Huckleberry Cobbler, Flavortown tasks itself with a formidable mission in attempting to somehow deliver a Tajin-like tang, with the ripeness of fresh mango and the levity of sorbet.

By far the most aromatic of the tropic of seasonal flavors, Spiced Mango Sorbet makes itself known the second it's cracked open. Aggressively fragrant, even floral, Waterloo mis-measures the amount of tropical tones, and the can ultimately tip over into an overwhelming bouquet of perfume-esque notes. Reminiscent more of a natty orange wine than sorbet, Fieri's endeavor to relive a dessert from south of the border almost entirely misses its mark. With no spiced note on both the nose and palate, zero flickers of sorbet's icy tones, and even a lackluster recreation of mango flavor, I now suspect Spiced Mango Sorbet to have been an enticing idea, but it had a flavor profile ultimately too difficult to successfully achieve. Possibly improved if stirred into a cocktail or incorporated into a punch, the over tenacity of the drink alone nearly negates the urge to refresh.

The least ambitious of Guy Fieri and Waterloo's summertime fling, Lemon Italian Ice, the sparkling water can set its sights on a more achievable goal. Like its cohort, the Italian ice can was influenced by a beloved sweet of the Food Network star. Although unlike Spiced Mango Sorbet and Huckleberry Cobbler, Waterloo already produces a can of soda similar to Guy's contribution to the Waterloo canon.

Lemon-Lime, a can available since the brand's launch, triumphs over La Croix's drinkable explanation of both citrus flavors, and (along with strawberry, blackberry lemonade) sits at the peak of Waterloo's offerings. While not quite able to prevail over Waterloo's existing lemony option, Lemon Italian Ice sails above Flavortown's other two cans by far. While I wasn't able to locate any distinct Italian Ice notes, Fieri's can quaffs of Meyer lemon or limoncello, opposed to the perky tartness of its predecessor. Even after some of the carbonation subsided, Flavortown's Lemon Italian Ice remained enjoyable, refreshing, and undeniably satisfying, but when drunk straight from the fridge, the can was able to soar above most run-of-the-mill sparkling waters and reach the heights I hoped for when I spied Guy's Flavortown stamp of approval.

After my brief taste test, Guy Fieri's summer-long partnership with Waterloo achieves mild success with very little stake. While I'd never again reach for either a case of Huckeberry Cobbler or Spiced Mango Sorbet over the majority of my go-to sparkling waters, I also wouldn't shun being handed one at a party or salon. Lemon Italian Ice, on the other hand, extends its reach a little further than Fieri's other highfalutin flavors, and because of its limited run, I see myself collecting at least one more case as summer dissolves into fall.

The one through-line connecting the trilogy of Guys' collaboration, however, is the insistence to draw inspiration from hard-to-nail-down desserts and unique experiences opposed to widely known fruits and flavors interpreted in a remarkable way. If Guy returns to Waterloo in 2026, I'd gently suggest asking his team to amp up the acidic notes to help his often incredibly specific flavors take shape. Even my favorite, Italian Lemon Ice, leans sweet, and alongside the other two less-appealing cans, the profile of each has a tendency to blend. At the end of the day, I feel more like I took a short trip to a Flavor Village, more so than an entire town.