The Waterloo Sparkling Water Flavor We Ranked The Best, Hands Down

One might reasonably assume that sparkling water is the world's second most basic beverage, next to still water. But one would be woefully wrong. Sparkling water brands can be so disparate that one person's beloved La Croix absolutely inflames the next bubble devotee. Even a single brand's individual offerings can run the gamut from delightful to frightful. So Chowhound cracked open many, many cold ones to rank 15 Waterloo sparkling water flavors from worst to best. And its unique raspberry nectarine variety took our top spot.

The first thing you notice about Waterloo's raspberry nectarine option is how uncommon the combination is versus the pretty typical citrus infusions that you're probably more used to seeing. And it sure works! The premium fruit flavors actually tasted like the source ingredients depicted on the label; they mingled in an ideal balance, and the botanical novelty is just not something that you see from other H2O carbonators. While some came close, no other Waterloo sparkling water formula could beat the raspberry nectarine combo. There were also a few others that you'd just be better off leaving at the store.

We tested each Waterloo sample straight from the refrigerator for a consistently optimal chill. Upon opening, we graded each bouquet. Banana berry needed to be perfumed that way, black cherry had to capture the essence of its petite stone fruit (our second and third picks, respectively), and so on. Raspberry nectarine was the most successful in doing so. We also, of course, expected each pour to taste as promised, and raspberry nectarine just could not have been mistaken for anything else.

Waterloo's cherry limeade, on the other hand, took our last place position because it simply could not successfully assert both of those elements. The lime came across just fine, but the purported cherry could have been anything. You might also recall our separate ranking of the three cans in Guy Fieri's Waterloo sparkling water collaboration. That trio was sold for a limited time, so only one, Fieri's lemon Italian ice contribution, factored into this broader flavor evaluation. And it was one initiative that ultimately failed the long-serving mayor of Flavortown's constituents. Lemon Italian ice squeaked in at No. 14 largely due to its one-note sourness and divergence from the frozen treat it referenced. Raspberry nectarine remains, fortunately, much more readily available, and, as the winning Waterloo sparkling water, a heck of a lot better.