We Tried 13 Sparkling Water Brands — And the $1 Winner Is the One We’ll Drink Every Single Day

Step foot in the beverage aisle of any grocery store, and you’ll be met with an endless array of sparkling waters. If plain isn’t your jam, there are dozens of flavors to choose from: Calamansi, Pomegranate Acai, and even Huckleberry Cobbler (courtesy of Guy Fieri). Whether you’re mixing it into a cocktail (or mocktail) or sipping it straight from a can, sparkling water is the quintessential drink people can’t seem to get enough of. 

Naturally, we wanted to see which sparkling water brand ranked supreme. So we compiled a team of expert tasters to find the best store-bought sparkling water and got to sipping. 

We sourced a variety of name- and store brand plain sparkling waters (no fruity flavors, or spices — just the classics) found at most grocery stores today. After scouring aisles (and the web) for potential contenders, we narrowed down our tasting list to 13 brands. The sparkling waters ranged in price from $1 to $27; some came in large, party-size plastic bottles, some in cans in packs of eight, and others in bottles in packs of six. We also requested input from our editorial team.

After an hour of sipping the bubbly stuff, we found a surprising “standout” that our tasters couldn’t get enough of and would “totally buy again.”

Canada Dry Original Sparkling Seltzer Water was the clear winner among our testers. Ola, culinary associate, raved over its “lemony” taste, and Mara, our director of groceries & shopping, liked “how refreshing [it is] … I perked up after a sip.” While a few tasters felt it was either a little too flat or too bubbly, Alex, our editorial assistant, couldn’t get enough of its effervescence. “Ooh she’s bubbly,” she wrote, adding “this tastes expensive.” (It was also her overall top pick.)

If you like a “crispy” seltzer like Kelsey, senior director for brand partnerships, who drinks sparkling water everyday, this one is for you. Plus, it was one of the least expensive ones of the pack at just $1.89 for a liter bottle! You can’t beat that. 

• “Zesty, crispy, lemony”
• Budget buy

• N/A

Buy: Canada Dry Original Sparkling Seltzer Water, $1.39 (on sale!) for 1 liter at Instacart 

Coming in not too far behind was another surprising favorite: Liquid Death Mountain Water. The brand has gained popularity in the last few years for its beer-can aesthetic, particularly at social events like concerts and festivals. We didn’t know any of this at the time of our tasting, so we were judging what’s on the inside of this tall, dark can. And, boy, did it stand out.

Ola ranked it her top choice overall and loved its “sophisticated light fizz” while Haley, our associate creative producer, appreciated its “quiet bubbles.” She would happily buy it again: “It’s one of my faves and quenches my thirst!” A few tasters hoped for more bubbles, but Meg, our executive producer, wasn’t one of them. She also ranked it her favorite overall for its “small bubbles and mineral forward” flavor. (Liquid Death is made from mountain water after all, so she’s spot on.)

• Mineral-forward 
• Fine bubbles

• “Not bubbly enough,” for some 
• $$

Buy: Liquid Death, Sparkling Mountain Water, $11.85 (on sale!) for 8 (19.2-ounce) cans at Amazon 

Our tasters were split on Maison Perrier, but it earned high praise from a few to deserve an honorable mention. Mara ranked it as her favorite overall, noting that it “tastes expensive like natural spring water with bubbles” while Haley raved about its “crispy flavor.” However, many of our other tasters commented that it was “too flat” or “bland,” so again it’s all up to personal preference. 

• “Tastes expensive”
• Crispy

• A little light on bubbles and flavor 
• $$

Buy: Maison Perrier Ultimate Sparkling Water, $17.01 for 12 (16.9 ounce) bottles at Instacart 

If you’re looking for a sparkling water with a bit of zing, Hal’s is for you. Kelsey rated it as her favorite overall, calling it “perfect!” and “crispy!” Tamieka, our editorial assistant and a daily sparkling water drinker, also ranked it her top pick for its great taste and delightful bubbles. Meg also raved over its “spicy, lemony” flavor. 

A few tasters were less impressed (one even called it “kinda boring”) and thought it had a bit of an acidic aftertaste. Once again, personal preferences won’t always align — and we like it that way. 

• Lots of effervescence 
• Lemony

• A little acidic, for some
• Budget buy 

Buy: Hal’s New York Original Seltzer Water, $0.89 for 20 ounces at Stop & Shop 

The fancy blue bottle isn’t just a facade — Saratoga Sparkling Water also matches in taste and is made with spring water. Both Meg and Alex ranked it as their second choice overall. Meg appreciated its “mineral forward, lemony” flavor while Alex buzzed about the lasting effervescence. “I can hear the bubbles and fizz,” she said. Mara also loved its flavor saying it “tastes like there’s a squeeze of lemon.” 

Not everyone was convinced, though. Lizzy, our lifestyle editor, thought it was “neutral and too flat.” Again, flavor is subjective, but you can’t deny the bottle isn’t pretty (and can be upcycled, too)! 

• Lovely squeeze of lemon
• Delightfully fizzy 

• A little flat, for some

Buy: Saratoga Sparkling Spring Water Bottle, $5.14 for 6 (16-ounce) bottles at Amazon 

To determine the best sparkling water, we recruited 10 staff members to participate in an afternoon of tasting. We assigned each sparkling water a letter — from A through M — to conceal the brands and laid each out in a cluster of ready-to-drink paper cups. Tasters were handed a score sheet and encouraged to sip in random order before marking down their findings. 

Tasters rated each of the sparkling waters on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = No, thanks; 2 = Meh; 3 = Pretty good; 4 = Really like; 5 = Yes, Please!) across four criteria — look, smell, texture, and flavor — and included any specific observations, tasting notes, and general opinions worth mentioning. They were also asked to answer, arguably, the most important question of all: Would you buy this sparkling water?

To find out which sparkling water is worth adding to your shopping list, we compiled a team of 10 testers who work at Apartment Therapy Media, our parent company, to evaluate 13 different store-bought sparkling water brands based on texture, look, smell, eagerness to buy, and, of course, taste. 

Testers were unaware of the brands involved and sampled each one randomly. Each taster independently filled out a score sheet, scoring and ranking each sparkling water without larger discussion from the group throughout the entirety of the test. It was only after all evaluations were completed that we tallied the scores to reveal the winners.

Did your favorite sparkling water make the list? Tell us about it in the comments below.

This post originally ran on The Kitchn. See it there: We Tried 13 Sparkling Water Brands — And the $1 Winner Is the One We’ll Drink Every Single Day