13 Gatorade Flavors, Ranked Worst To Best

As a mom of three kids who love sports, there's never a shortage of Gatorade in my house. With added electrolytes, including potassium and sodium, Gatorade can be a helpful way to rehydrate after exercise or when it's hot outside. There is also a good amount of sugar in these drinks, however, so pay attention to how much you're drinking and don't go overboard.

But during the heat of summer, especially when we're outside running around, Gatorade is a go-to drink that tastes good and helps us stay hydrated. Every person in my family has a favorite flavor and way to enjoy it (Gatorade slushies are my go-to), and as a group, we put the lineup of sports drinks to the test to crown a winner.

When browsing the sports drink aisle at the store, I stuck with G flavors and some frost and fierce options. There are also plenty of Gatorade Zero, mashups, and other specialty versions, but for this test, I kept to just the classics.

When you look at the shelf of Gatorade flavors, it's pretty easy to see which one is the blue cherry. Just look for the most vibrant blue hue out there. 

This is a very bold flavor that has a lot of intensity. Blue Cherry is part of the line of Fierce flavors, which are known for, well, being stronger on flavor. It doesn't have the distinct cherry accent that I expected, and is more sweet than tart.

It tasted a little syrupy to me, which is what ultimately made me put it at the bottom of my list. But my kids like it, and it definitely appeals to those who are looking for a substitute for sugary drinks. Blue Cherry reminded me more of a popsicle rather than any sort of fruit. If you like the signature Gatorade "blue" flavor, this one hits in the same way but even more. But it was the intensity that ultimately made me less of a fan than I otherwise might have been.

This black Gatorade is another limited edition option and with a name like "Midnight Ice," it's easy to see why it was made with such an intense hue. The Midnight Ice Gatorade is a new flavor that has the signature saltiness that you'd associate with the sports drink.

If I'm being honest, the blackish-brownish-bluish tint when I poured the drink wasn't super appetizing. But the flavor was pretty refreshing, so it went a little higher on the list than I initially expected. It would be good after a long day in the sun when you need to rehydrate, but it's not particularly different than any of the other options. It was most similar to Arctic Blast or Lightning Blast. But the brown tint to the drink made this one much harder to get as excited about drinking.

The one upside to Midnight Ice compared to other similar flavors is that it would match plenty of team colors. If you're putting together a themed celebration or gift to support your favorite team, Midnight Ice would work in a lot of fun ways.

Another bold color is the bright pink Strawberry. It doesn't taste much like actual strawberries, but is a decent Gatorade flavor. This is a slightly sweeter option, but not as intense as any of the bold options. It has a more juice-like quality but still has a salty edge due to the extra hydration elements.

I could only find Strawberry Gatorade in the smaller bottles, which come in a multi-pack. They're a good size for younger kids, who may not need the larger Gatorade bottle. They also freeze faster so that you can enjoy a frosty cold Gatorade that is extra refreshing. We also tried the strawberry flavor in a berry smoothie for an extra jolt of hydration. 

I thought it tasted similar to a pink Jolly Rancher with quite a bit of sweetness. It had a bit of a syrupy flavor overall compared to some of the more refreshing options. I would put it in the same category as Green Apple, Grape, and Fruit Ppunch, using each flavor interchangeably. Even though they have different tastes, they still hit similar notes for intensity.

I was really surprised just how much the Green Apple Gatorade tasted like green apple candy. It had plenty of sweetness, plus a little bit of a tart edge as well. It wasn't quite as sugary tasting as the strawberry flavor, which gave it a slight edge. But it was still pretty intense, so be ready for some serious green apple flavor.

Green Apple is part of the line of Fierce Gatorade flavors, which are a bit bolder than the regular thirst quenchers. In general, these were a bit too much for me, but my kids particularly loved the green apple version. They added a little bit of lemon-lime soda to give it some extra fizz. This would also be a good option to spike with liquor for an adult version of a sports drink.

Overall, Green Apple was a fun departure from the more traditional options that focus on a refreshing blast rather than an intense flavor. But I'm not sure I'd turn to this option often just because it was so bold.

The grape version is a deep blue, which works well if you're trying to match themed team colors. It actually tastes like other grape-flavored drinks and candies, although with the slight saltiness that Gatorade is known for. While most Gatorade flavors are very hydrating, the grape version has the smallest hint of a dry finish, just like regular grape juice.

Grape is another Fierce option, so it's very bold in both flavor and color. I was very surprised how much this Gatorade leaned into the grape flavor, although it's nothing close to actual grape juice. 

I liked the blue hue, although it would have been nice for a purple since there are already plenty of blue Gatorades. A purple option would be a fun addition, especially if you're building themed gift baskets for your favorite player or fan with purple as a team color. But that's all personal preference and doesn't impact the actual taste, so this one still ranked toward the middle overall.

Gatorade Fruit Punch is nothing like the old-timey drink that was the OG fruit punch. It's closer to bright red tropical punch drinks, but with a sports drink twist.

If you like fruit punch flavor but want something with a little bit extra in terms of rehydration, this Gatorade flavor is a top choice. It has a bright red color that also makes it easy to identify among the lineup of flavors.

This is one of the sweetest of the Gatorades in my opinion, so it's not my favorite. I prefer to dilute it a little to get a less intense version. But it's the top choice of two of my kids, so I had to put it a little higher on the overall rankings based on their very enthusiastic reviews. This was their number one favorite and the Gatorade that's most requested in my house. It's not one of the top choices for the infamous Gatorade shower in the past, however, at least not in any big games or matches.

I'm not exactly sure what a "lightning blast" tastes like, so the best way that I can describe this Gatorade flavor is "cool." It was very similar to many of the blue Gatorades, but with a slightly sweeter edge. This was only noticeable when I tried them side-by-side, so these would be interchangeable in my book if I was at the store picking up Gatorade.

The color is also very unique. This isn't the most important factor, at least not in my book, but it can be helpful if you're trying to put together a spread to celebrate your favorite sports team. Lightning Blast isn't the only white frosty-colored drink in the Gatorade lineup, but it does offer some variety when you're trying to match team colors.

This flavor is a limited edition and not on shelves all of the time, so it may be worth getting if you want to try it. I also didn't see this in the smaller Gatorade bottles, only the larger sizes. 

This is another favorite for my kids, who like the bold blue color. It has a good flavor as well, especially when it's ice cold. I put a cool blue Gatorade in the freezer overnight, then take it to the ball fields to enjoy. As I sit in the stands, it slowly melts but keeps cold throughout the entire game.

Blue Gatorade is also one of the most iconic flavors and colors, so many people may have grown up drinking this option at sports games and not on hot days. For me, when I think of Gatorade, it's the Cool Blue flavor that comes to mind.

I can't pinpoint exactly what it tastes like, only that it tastes like a sports drink. It's definitely sweet, but it has a slight saltiness as well. Overall, this is a good choice, just nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to sports drinks.

The orange flavor is a little bit less in-your-face compared to the fruit punch but still a good option for those who want a strong juice-like Gatorade. It isn't as cool as the blue ones, either, but still packs a pretty heavy dose of refreshing hydration. If there's a Gatorade flavor that can be considered a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none, it's the unassuming orange.

What sets Orange Gatorade apart is the hint of citrus flavor. It's nothing close to orange juice, but it still has a distinctly different taste compared to the more unrecognizable flavors like Lightning Blast or Midnight Ice. It reminded us a little bit of an orange candy that's sweet without being too in-your-face.

While Life Savers orange is now one of the discontinued sodas that are probably never coming back, we imagine that this Gatorade tastes like a flat version of that drink with a slightly saltier flavor.

Another thirst quencher option that we'd put in the same category as orange is Lemon Lime. It has a bright yellow color that hints at the strong lemony flavor. Bring in some citrusy taste to your Gatorade by choosing Lemon Lime, which more than one taster in my home said was their all-time favorite. In the side-by-side rankings, it didn't do as well as many people expected, but was still a strong contender.

It has more lemon than lime, in my opinion, which was the reason it didn't get super high marks from me. That's far from a deal-breaker and ultimately didn't impact its spot in the final standings because the majority of people who tried it were really happy with the overall balance. But it is worth noting if you want something with a stronger lime taste. It's far from sour, however, and is closer to a lemon-lime soda or a lemonade. But it still maintains that slightly salty edge that makes it a sports drink.

I had never tried Arctic Blitz before, and I was pleasantly surprised by just how refreshing this option tasted. With its bright minty green color, I was expecting more of a fruit or punch flavor, but it was very similar to the blue Gatorade options that are my personal favorites. It's another refreshing choice that would be even better when put in the freezer to get icy.

I would get the Arctic Blitz in place of the Cool Blue and probably not notice much of a difference beyond the color. The only downside is that I only saw this flavor in the larger bottle, and it isn't one that I've come across often when scoping out Gatorades. You can pick up some of the smaller bottles in the frost multi-pack if you shop at some bulk warehouse stores like Costco, but don't expect to see this flavor as often as some of the more mainstream thirst quencher options like Cool Blue or Fruit Punch. Just be sure to follow the Costco rules you can't break in order to get the best deals and remain a member.

The Glacier Cherry Gatorade is pretty unique because it is in the frost series but has a distinctly fruity flavor as well. It has just a bit more tartness, which I liked, and was almost enough to unseat my all-time favorite. 

I was expecting something more syrupy, similar to the Blue Cherry flavor. But the Frost version is definitely refreshing, which earned it a much higher spot than its super sweet relative. It had a bit more salt in the flavor, which is what I liked and expected from a sports drink.

I only tried Glacier Cherry chilled from the fridge, but I have a feeling that popping it in the freezer to get a bit icy would really put this one on top. It also helps that the cool white color reinforces the ice-like quality of Glacier Cherry, even though it doesn't actually impact the taste.

Glacier Freeze Gatorade and I go way back, which might be part of the reason that it ended up high on my list. This flavor got me through many sports practices and runs in the heat of summer over the years. But even putting nostalgia aside, the Glacier Freeze flavor rose to the top of everyone's list that tried the selection of Gatorades. It wasn't too syrupy, tasted decent at room temperature, cool, or icy, and gave us that boost of rehydration without overwhelming our taste buds with sugar.

This is a super popular flavor, although like so many Gatorade flavors, it's hard to pinpoint exactly what a "glacier freeze" tastes like. Like Cool Blue, this is what we think of when asked what Gatorade tastes like. Glacier Freeze is just a little bit less intense than Cool Blue, however, which is what we like about this option over other blue Gatorades.

Glacier Freeze is also the top choice to mix with red wine in a Gatorwine, a TikTok invention to stretch cheap wine. It's one of the most refreshing options, which is why it works so well for a sports drink. It was this quality that ultimately earned Glacier Freeze the top spot in our rankings.

My entire family got in on the action when it came time to sample Gatorades side-by-side. We gave all of the Gatorade flavors a try, getting the opinions of sports drink lovers from age 5 to 45. We sampled them at room temperature and chilled in the fridge to get a good idea of how temperature impacts Gatorade as well.

For these rankings, we stuck with thirst quencher flavors, including the lineup of frost and fierce options. Some of these are available in Gatorade Zero versions as well as mash-ups between two flavors. But we wanted to get a good idea of how each compared to the others in the classic form.

The adults tended to like those with more refreshing taste while the kids favored the bold, intense versions. Fruit Punch, Orange, and Strawberry were at the top of the rankings for kids, while Glacier Frost, Lemon Lime, and Glacier Cherry were preferred by the adults. In the end, we all agreed that the blue Gatorades were the most iconic and had widespread appeal for those looking for a sports drink, but some of the others actually tasted better.