There's sparkling water, and then there's LaCroix, the nectar of gods. Boldly flavored but completely unsweetened, this Midwestern-flavored seltzer brand has captured the hearts of millennials and moms alike. With kitschy Miami Beach vibes, zesty flavors, and the whole no-guilt soda thing going for it, it's hardly surprising that this sparkling beverage has gained such a devoted following. It pains us to say this, but for all the hits — and there are many — there are some serious flavor flops as well. In other words, for every Pamplemousse, there's a Cran-Raspberry. Because I care, and at least partially because I wanted an excuse to try every single flavor, I've ranked 20 flavors for you here. Without further ado, here's our the definitive ranking of the best LaCroix flavors.
Cran-Raspberry
Cran-Raspberry is terrible, just terrible. It has a certain medicinal note to it. We'd rather drink lukewarm tap water.
Pure
"LaCroix Pure is my favorite flavor," said absolutely no one ever. At the end of the day, it's just run-of-the-mill seltzer water.
Mango
Whoever designed this can deserves a high-five; sadly, Mango is all style and no substance. Instead of a juicy tropical flavor, it tastes cooked, with a weird, almost-tannic aftertaste.
Coconut
Coconut is perhaps the most polarizing flavor; you'll either love it or hate it. (I fall squarely in the hate camp.) If you dig frozen piña coladas and wish your sparkling water tasted the way Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen smells, give it a shot.
Berry
Weak. This tastes like the leftover melted dregs of a cocktail.
Pomme Bayá
If you took all of the joy out of Martinelli's sparkling apple juice, you'd have this.
Lemon
Fine, but inferior to all of the other citrus flavors; it tastes like licking a lemon Mr. Sketch marker.
Melón Pomelo
Props to LaCroix for highlighting the oft-underappreciated pomelo, but why pair it with cantaloupe, arguably the worst part of fruit salad?
Orange
The poor man's tangerine, this is essentially semiflat unsweetened orange soda. It's decent, but not our first pick.
Peach-Pear
This is not in the main rotation of true LaCroix connoisseurs, but it's a fun novelty. It has Haribo Peach vibes.
Múre Pepino
This dupes you into thinking it's chill sparkling spa water with the pastel can and cucumber part. In reality, the blackberry dominates. It's another polarizing flavor. (I like but do not love it.)
Passionfruit
Passionfruit brings the party vibes with its sassy color scheme and tangy flavor. While not a favorite, it's pretty darn good.
Lime
Lime is the utility LaCroix flavor. It's crowd-pleasing and inoffensive.
Piña Fraise
For advanced LaCroix fans only, this is like a tropical vacation in a can.
NiCola
Bizzarely, according to the official website, NiCola is only sold in the Chicago area and at Whole Foods in the Rocky Mountain region. It is also the only flavor sold on said official website [2]. With a superintense vanilla-citrus bouquet, just like real colas, this one is definitely worth seeking out.
Apricot
This has a shockingly true-to-life apricot flavor; it's the sleeper hit LaCroix.
Kiwi Sandia
If you're all about watermelon Sour Patch Kids — and really, who isn't? — this is your flavor.
Pamplemousse
The gateway drug of LaCroix, this is refreshingly zesty, with a fancy-sounding name and a top-notch can design to boot.
Cerise Limón
This tastes super indulgent, like it should be bad for you; it's essentially guilt-free soda.
Tangerine
We don't know how they did it, but somehow the flavor geniuses at LaCroix captured the essence of kishu mandarins here. This is immensely crushable but worth savoring.
P.S. In case you're wondering, if you mix all of the flavors together, King's Cup-style, it tastes strangely similar to an unsweetened Red Bull. More weird than good, but worth trying for yourself.