The Bottled Water Brand That Barely Budges From Shelves (Even Before A Storm)

In January of 2026, a severe winter storm hit Dallas, Texas, which resulted in area grocery stores being sold out of bottled water entirely ... well, almost entirely. One brand was left behind to an almost comical degree. People on social media shared videos and photos of huge quantities of Dasani bottled water surrounded by otherwise empty shelves. No one would touch the stuff, even in the face of a dangerous blizzard. And although there's been speculation that bottled water, generally, is just filtered tap water (according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, the number is closer to 25%), people have openly hated Dasani bottled water, specifically, for years.

Dasani's ingredient list includes purified water, magnesium sulfate, and potassium chloride, noting that the last two ingredients are minerals added for taste. This is common among bottled water brands, so on paper, it doesn't seem like much of a concern. In fact, these minerals are usually why bottled water tastes better than tap water. And yet, Dasani gets more hate than most for its acidity and overly salty taste, with some people claiming that even after drinking it, they're still thirsty (thirstier, even). Conspiracy theories online claim that it's usually the only water available for purchase at sports games, theme parks, and schools. This has led some to believe that the extra salinity is a marketing ploy to get people to buy more water.

Dasani has an ingredient list comparable to many other bottled water brands, leading supporters of the drink to believe its haters are dramatically exaggerating or jumping on internet trends. Plenty of Redditors and former beverage industry professionals online are fans and say they truly can't taste the difference between Dasani and other bottled waters. Still, the war rages on in comment sections across the web. "The secret recipe for making Dasani is, before bottling, to let the water age in a large steel drum with a handful of pocket change, " jokes one Redditor, who continued, "That's how you can guarantee each bottle tastes like a nickel from a gas station register." Other words people use to describe it include nauseating, soapy, thick, dusty, and heavy. Many people note that there's a "fizz" sound upon first opening, like the release of carbonation that happens when you open a soda — which, given that its a Coca-Cola product, is suspect (with people positing that it's just Coke without the syrup).

That said, another Redditor posited that the reason Dasani is ever-present on grocery store shelves while other brands of bottled water sell out might be because Coca-Cola dominates the supply chains. Since the company likely has many local manufacturing plants, it can more easily ship water to stores compared to competitors. This, perhaps, is the real reason behind all of those cases of water seemingly left behind.