17 Liquid I.V. Flavors, Ranked Worst To Best

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As anyone who has experienced muscle cramps or an especially bad hangover can tell you, there is no magic cure for dehydration, and while water alone works fine, our bodies need electrolytes to function optimally. Electrolytes are essential minerals like sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium that are vital for a wide variety of basic body functions. They're the reason your sweat tastes salty or why you feel a little better following a heavy workout with Gatorade. Our bodies are constantly using, expelling, and replenishing electrolytes to keep everything running smoothly.

For most people, electrolytes are simply replenished through hydrating foods and drinks found in standard, healthy diets. High-endurance athletes with sweat-heavy workouts can require extra replenishment to replace lost electrolytes, which is where Liquid I.V. comes in handy. Meant to replenish electrolytes in a flavorful, on-the-go format, the powdered water enhancer makes even the hardest workout (or most dizzying hangover) a breeze. The only problem? There are over 30 flavors to choose from. I reviewed the most popular flavors, considering the flavor, saltiness, and drinkability, and ranked them in order from worst to best. The truth is there are no bad flavors, but some are worth stocking up on again and again.

If I were ranking fresh fruits alone, pear would be somewhere between watermelon and crisp Fuji apples right at the top of the list. The soft texture paired with the mild flavor is a dream for bakers, especially, who can roast, bake, and caramelize the autumnal fruit into delicate works of pastry art. The problem with pears, though, is that the flavor alone is earthy and almost a little grassy, making it a hard flavor to translate into drinks. Without the balance of punchy cinnamon or a sweet sugar glaze, the flavor falls a little flat and is almost not pleasant at all.

For most of the list, my fiancé (a certified athletic trainer and electrolyte aficionado) had slightly different opinions than me, which we navigated with a structured number ranking system. The only flavor we can agree misses the mark for both of us is Pear, and not for lack of accuracy: It tastes exactly like a pear, and that's why it is a problem. It's just a bit too earthy — a flavor we'd prefer from the fruit itself and not pressed into liquid form.

Some flavors have to be at the very bottom of the list, and, much to my fiancé's dismay, Guava falls to the near-bottom of this one. The fruit resembles a small watermelon with a thick, green outer shell and soft, pink insides. Though similar in resemblance, the flavor of guava is milder and sometimes a little more sour than watermelon. How guava is eaten differs a little, too: The skin is edible, so it can actually be bitten into like an apple. So how does this unique fruit translate into Liquid I.V.? Turns out, it depends on who you ask.

To me, Guava tastes a bit medicinal with an artificial, plastic-like aftertaste. I rated Guava low, on par with Pear, until I asked for a second opinion. To my fiancé, the flavor is almost identical to Guava Hard Candies (yes, the ones piled in a bowl near the hostess stand of your favorite Chinese restaurant). I had to admit I'd never liked those candies, but he was right, and guava thus moved slightly up the rankings for accuracy.

The peach flavor in this packet is pleasant and similar to that of candies like peach rings, which makes it a good choice for those who like peach-flavored treats and drinks. Something to know about white peaches, though, is that they are mellower than yellow peaches. This earned it a spot on a list of Chef Jacques Pépin's all-time favorite foods, but it may not work for you if you prefer your peaches as sweet as the candies.

Full disclosure: I don't really enjoy peach-flavored things. Having been a little wary to rank White Peach fairly, I asked for my fiancé's peach-loving palate to double-check my assessment. How does the lack of sugar fare for someone who loves peaches? He ranked it just as low, opting instead for the punchy fruits towards the top of the list. It may work for someone who wants just a touch of peach flavoring in their water, but for us, it just isn't as strong as the other flavors on the list.

Added electrolytes aren't just useful for workouts and hangovers. It can also aid in strengthening the immune system, replenishing lost fluid, and fighting fatigue before, during, and after getting sick. The immune support flavors of Liquid I.V. are designed specifically for fighting off a cold, packed with enough vitamin C to quadruple the daily recommended value.

Coincidentally, I caught a cold the day I reviewed the immune support flavor, and while it didn't affect the taste whatsoever, I was able to dually test the effects of the added vitamins and minerals. The flavor itself is surprisingly mild for a typically bold-flavored citrus. Comparatively, it falls a little flat but isn't unsavory or even salty like the flavors I rated lower. The best part? I woke up feeling better the next day, so I'd get this mild — but pleasant — flavor again to beat a cold.

Like the White Peach, the sugar-free designation may be what holds this flavor from a top spot. The mango flavor is accurate to the fruit but delicate and muted behind the sodium without sugar to balance the sweetness. What is more curious is the pineapple, a barely-there sweetness that could enhance the overall flavor better with a little more presence.

That's not to say this flavor is bad. In fact, the flavor itself is nice, tropical, and true-to-fruit. It would work well for those who prefer their drinks a little less sweet. Compared to the top 10 flavors, though, this one just doesn't leave a lasting impression, causing it to fall towards the bottom of the list.

If you're anything like me, you probably didn't hear the word "açai" until the bright purple, handsomely-dressed smoothie bowls became popular sometime in the last decade or so. Coming from Central and South America, the berry is often sold frozen or powdered because of the fresh fruit's short shelf life. The frozen version is tart yet has an ice cream-like sweetness. This is what I expected the Liquid I.V. version to taste like. Thinking that, though, may have been my own mistake.

I thought I'd rank Açai Berry towards the top of the list, but I couldn't justify it when compared to the sweet, bright, punchy quality of the remaining flavors. Açai is delicious but subtle, best suited for those who like mild seltzer waters or fresh lemon in their water glass. What's good about such a mild flavor is that it would be easy to drink daily, landing it closer to the middle of the pack for its drinkability.

It's been a while since I've visited the cherry-lined towns of Northern Michigan, and in my time away, I've admittedly forgotten about sweet golden cherries. Unlike the dark red, richly sweet cherries you're likely to see in the grocery store during warmer months, golden cherries (which likely refer to Rainier cherries) are lighter red to yellow and sometimes even a colorful swirl of both. The flavor is more delicate than the darker red cherries, yet they have a higher sugar content.

Black cherry has become a popular flavor of hard seltzer, as the sweetness and neutral fruity flavor make for easy drinking. That being said, this flavor might not be the best hangover cure. Of the many White Claw flavors, it's similar to Black Cherry but with a more natural sweetness and pleasantly tart flavor. It wouldn't be my top choice, but it's a flavor I'd happily pour into my water on a warm summer day.

The flavor of a watermelon can be difficult to replicate. Too often, the sweetness that is so beloved in a fresh melon is overdone, leaving an artificial aftertaste that hardly tastes like the fruit itself. But this is where the list gets interesting: All of the flavors in the top 10 are bold, strong, and forward, with none of the mildness of the lower rankings and all the accuracy of the fresh fruits the flavors are meant to replicate.

The watermelon flavor is impressive, strong, and juicy — and neither overpowering nor artificial. It reminds me of Juicy Fruit gum's flavor, though it's distinctly watermelon-flavored in its own right. The reason it lands at No. 10 on this list has everything to do with the nine before it. Other fruits simply work better in drink form than watermelon, but this is a perfect flavor to bring along to a summer picnic.

Strawberry is another flavor that can be tough to replicate, often because the flavor of the fruit itself is so versatile. Unlike watermelon, wich is usually just sliced and eaten, strawberries can be made into jam, jellies, reductions, salads, smoothies, and desserts. And as arguably the most versatile fruit, it can also be hard to artificially replicate. I wasn't sure what to expect for this flavor and was pleasantly surprised.

Each Liquid I.V. flavor has a hint of saltiness due to the added sodium, which is necessary for the electrolyte benefit. For some flavors, this saltiness overpowers the fruit, while with others, like Strawberry, it works in tandem. The strawberry flavor combined with the salt creates a flavor similar to strawberry shortcake, which is pleasant and much more drinkable than the super-sweet strawberry flavor I expected. This would work well as an end-of-day drink alongside a slice of angel food cake and a helping of homemade whipped cream.

Grape is a controversial flavor and a bold choice to put firmly in the top 10. The truth is, though, that the Concord Grape flavor is bold, sweet, and fresh-tasting, like a homemade jelly or a glass of grape juice. It's also by far the most pungent, the drink revealing its flavor even several feet away.

Grape flavor gets a bad rap, and it's likely because, for many of us, it was the flavor of our cough medicine growing up. With that in mind, I ranked it slightly below the flavors that are equally flavorful and slightly less controversial because even if, like me, grape flavor doesn't remind you of the common cold, it's still a little too syrupy for an everyday drink.

The second mango flavor on the list rates quite a bit higher than the first, and comparing them side-by-side it becomes obvious as to why. While the sugar-free Mango Pineapple has the added benefit of lower sugar content, the Mango has more flavor and a sweeter taste. It isn't overly sweet, either; it's simply as sweet as a perfectly ripe mango would be.

So what gives Mango an edge over other great flavors like Watermelon, Strawberry, and Concord Grape? It's simple: its drinkability. Mango has a tropical quality, which makes it easy to sip on, especially over ice. Think about it: Mango is often used in creative margarita flavors, other cocktails, and juices for flavor enhancement, so it's no wonder it works well for electrolyte enhancement, too.

While many flavors at the bottom of the list required a second opinion for fair assessment, so did some at the top, with Passion Fruit being a leading example. I love passion fruit, and without being able to do a blind taste test on myself, I needed my testing companion's opinion again to avoid the inevitable bias. Interestingly, his blind assessment was puzzling: He thought I'd given him another glass of Guava.

I ranked Guava low, so how did Passion Fruit rise to the top? I tasted them side by side to find out. As different as they are as fruits, guava and passion fruit are similar in flavor. Passion Fruit, though, lacks the artificial flavor I tasted in Guava, with the plastic aftertaste nonexistent. It's fruity but not overwhelming, an easy sipper for every day. Not a fan of Guava? Try Passion Fruit instead.

The top five are revealing of my palate: I like my drinks on the sweeter side. Because Liquid I.V. packets are electrolyte enhancers and therefore contain a good amount of sodium, the sweeter flavors aren't sickeningly sweet. But the sweeter the flavor, the more the saltiness does fade to the background. This is evident in the Cotton Candy flavor, which tastes stunningly similar to real cotton candy. And that's not easy to achieve in flavored water.

Cotton Candy could easily be someone's No. 1 choice, but when compared to nearly 20 other flavors, it doesn't quite beat out the brand's very best. It's sweet in a dessert-like way that makes it a little hard to have after particularly heavy sweat sessions. Because it's not quite as versatile as a few others, it lands at fifth — a solid choice and one I'd recommend for sweet tooths.

You might be wondering how Tropical Punch, Mango, Mango Pineapple, and Tangerine all rank so differently despite being so similar. If you love tropical, citrusy drinks, you could stock up on all four and have a full set of great flavors; however, if you had to pick one, it should be Tropical Punch. It's sweeter than the rest, with a fruity blend that tastes exactly like Hi-C juice (likely the very drink it's named after).

What earns Tropical Punch such a high ranking is its drinkability. I find it unlikely anyone would truly dislike this flavor, albeit it may not be everyone's absolute favorite all the time. It's a workhorse, but it's fun and one you could easily bring to any party (or rather, bring for after the party).

When Liquid I.V. released its Popsicle Firecracker flavor in the summer of 2024, we all but ran to the store to try it. Most flavors of Liquid I.V. are fruit-inspired, so when a dessert shows up on the packaging, it's a treat. And as I've mentioned, Liquid I.V. does sweet flavors well, balancing the sugaryness of ice creams and popsicles with the saltiness of the electrolytes. The Popsicle Firecracker is a perfect example of this.

Sometimes called a Rocket Pop or Bomb Pop, the Popsicle is made up of raspberry, lime, and cherry flavoring disguised as a patriotic red, white, and blue. Liquid I.V. nails it, replicating the flavor of the Popsicle perfectly without overdoing the sweetness or overemphasizing any one particular flavor. It's delicious, a little more drinkable than cotton candy, and totally unique compared to the rest of the list. It's a flavor I'd happily keep around, earning it a spot in the top three.

If you thought I was biased against the sugar-free packets, here's where I get to prove you wrong. Rainbow Sherbet is nearly the best flavor of the entire collection, all while containing no sugar. It's impressively sweet despite its lack of sugar, and the fruity orange, raspberry, and lime are enhanced in a way that tastes exactly like real sherbet. It's also totally drinkable, not dissimilar in flavor to a white, blue, or yellow Gatorade.

What makes Rainbow Sherbet slightly better than the similarly flavored Firecracker is the tart orange, which replaces the cherry of the Popsicle flavor. While both are good, the added citrus leans the sherbet into a lemonade direction, making it easy to drink day-to-day.

Like vanilla ice cream, buttered noodles, or a warm cup of coffee, sometimes the best things are the simplest. A humble flavor, Lemon Lime is a sweet and slightly tart mix of two powerhouse citrus fruits that combine to create an easy-to-drink, all-year sipper. You don't need ice for this one to be refreshing, which is a testament to how accurate the lemon-lime flavor is.

You also don't need to be in the mood for it the way you might for popsicles, sherbet, or even grape juice, which makes it the most drinkable on the list and firmly the best flavor. You can drink this anywhere, anytime, all while feeling the healing hydration effects immediately. It's also the flavor that anyone new to Liquid I.V. should start with — its versatility an easy win for even the pickiest palates. It's neither too sweet nor too tart, making it the best Liquid I.V. flavor, hands down.

I tested each flavor in the recommended 16 ounces of water, using cold water for each trial and stirring until completely dissolved. I chose to test without ice to avoid dilution and most accurately assess flavor. To avoid bias, I asked my fiancé to blindly taste each flavor and offer a number ranking out of 10, which I combined with my number ranking for an average. We considered flavor, aftertaste, sweetness, saltiness, and drinkability. In other words, we ranked the flavors that we'd reach for again and again higher on the list.