This Was The Absolute Worst Vitaminwater Flavor We Tried By Far

To paraphrase one viral meme, the Vitaminwater C-suite seems to think that "sugar" and "blue" count as vitamins. Actual or perceived health benefits aside, the brand's zero-sugar line certainly helps beat the allegations. Still, in Tasting Table's ranking of nine Vitaminwater flavors, Zero Sugar Rise Orange ultimately tasted the worst.

It isn't the zero-sugar aspect that turned us off. In fact, the Zero Sugar Squeezed Lemonade climbed the ranks as our number-one pick for Vitaminwater flavors. The issue here is that any product marketed as a nutrition-based hydration drink should be refreshing with a pleasant taste as a baseline. Rise Orange tastes artificial, weirdly salty, and weighs heavily on the tongue after every sip. As we mentioned in our review, "There is some sort of orangey flavor there, but naturally, it tastes far from actual orange juice. Rather, it may be best described as the flavor of an orange soda, but with everything that's delicious about an orange soda noticeably absent from the equation."

Vitaminwater's branding is all about the intersection of good taste and nutrients. The Coca-Cola Company website describes its Zero Sugar Rise Orange Vitaminwater as "the delicious taste of orange fruit water with other natural flavors." We appreciate the electrolytes, but unfortunately, we have to disagree with that description. The main ingredients are reverse osmosis water (the same type of water Starbucks uses for its unique taste), citric acid, monk fruit extract, and stevia leaf extract (who could forget the less than 0.5% of natural flavors?).

Stevia leaf extract is an herb-based, calorie-free sugar alternative derived from the stevia plant. Like any sweetener, it's safe in small amounts and can be helpful for folks with specific dietary needs. But on the tongue, stevia registers around 400% sweeter than regular refined table sugar. Even though this super-sweet sweetener isn't artificial, somewhere in execution here, it gives Zero Sugar Rise Orange Vitaminwater an artificial taste that's less than refreshing. As our reviewer noted, "If you're watching your sugar intake, this may be a better option for you, but otherwise, that artificial sweetness is absolutely not worth what you'll have to endure to choke this stuff down."

Similarly, multiple Amazon product reviews praise the functionality of this nutrient- and electrolyte-enhanced water but mention a fake, almost chemical flavor and an odd aftertaste. The overall vibe of the reviews is that it's just decent but gets the job done. Elsewhere online, Walmart consumers echo disappointed feedback like "Yucky flavor. The flavor is awful! I like most vitamin water flavors ... very disappointed!," "This stuff tastes terrible," and, "This started out great, but it leaves a horrible aftertaste!" Still, we can't dock this offering for affordability. 20-ounce bottles run for $2.19 at a Target in Chicago, or $7.99 for a six-pack of 16.9-ounce bottles. But if your local store stocks any other zero-sugar Vitaminwater flavors, by all means, grab those ones instead.