Best Liquid I.V. Flavors Ranked (All 19+ Tested and Rated)

Top Tier: Buy Without Hesitation

🥇 Lemon Lime — The Gold Standard

If Liquid I.V. only made one flavor, it would be Lemon Lime. Sporked gave it a 10/10, calling it the definitive benchmark for the entire brand. It tastes like a slightly sweeter, more electrolyte-forward Gatorade Lemon-Lime — clean, citrusy, and refreshing without being sharp or artificial. It dissolves easily and looks good cold over ice. This is the one to start with if you’ve never tried Liquid I.V. It’s also in virtually every variety pack, so you’ll always see it around.

Best for: First-timers, everyday hydration, post-workout, travel

🥈 Watermelon — Most Refreshing

Consistently top 3 across every ranking we found. The watermelon flavor is authentic without being candy-like — light, genuinely refreshing, and one of the few flavors that doesn’t leave an aftertaste. Particularly popular in summer and for outdoor activities. If you find Lemon Lime too citrus-forward, Watermelon is your answer.

Best for: Hot weather, post-run, anyone who dislikes citrus

🥉 Passion Fruit — The Easy Daily Sipper

Smooth, tropical, and mellow. Passion Fruit hits a sweetness level that doesn’t overwhelm — it’s one of the least “intense” flavors in a good way. Reviewers often call it the most drinkable for daily use because it doesn’t feel like a commitment to finish a glass. One of the most reordered flavors among subscribers.

Best for: Daily hydration, people who want flavor without strong sweetness

Strawberry — The Safe Classic

A reliable, near-universally liked option. The strawberry flavor is sweet and clean, closer to a fruit punch than an artificial candy strawberry. Some reviewers find it a little one-dimensional compared to Lemon Lime or Passion Fruit, but it rarely disappoints.

Best for: Kids (adults), gifting, variety packs

Strawberry Lemonade — Bright and Balanced

A step up from plain Strawberry for people who want a little tartness. The lemon cuts through the sweetness well, making it feel less cloying over a full 16-oz glass. Consistently lands in the top half of every ranking.

Best for: Hot days, citrus fans who also like berry flavors

Solid: Good, With the Right Expectations

Tropical Punch

If you grew up on Hawaiian Punch, this will feel familiar. Sweet and fruit-forward, though some reviewers find it a bit generic. It’s a crowd-pleaser for mixed groups but not particularly distinctive. Still a reliable choice and widely available.

Açai Berry

Slightly tart and deeper than most Liquid I.V. flavors. The açai profile keeps it from being as sweet as Tropical Punch, which many people appreciate. Not as widely reviewed as the top flavors, but scores consistently in the middle-to-upper tier.

Popsicle® Firecracker

A limited collaboration flavor with Bomb Pop vibes — cherry, lemon-lime, and raspberry layered together. Beloved on TikTok and nostalgic in all the right ways. The challenge is availability: it sells out fast and doesn’t always restock. If you see it, grab it. Not the best everyday flavor, but a lot of fun.

Best for: Novelty seekers, Fourth of July, nostalgia

Mango

Good, not great. The mango flavor is accurate but leans sweet. Works well over ice. If you love mango-flavored drinks, you’ll like it. If you’re mango-neutral, Watermelon or Passion Fruit are more versatile picks.

Piña Colada

Genuinely tastes like its namesake — coconut and pineapple, no alcohol required. A polarizing genre of flavor in general, but if you enjoy tropical creamy-sweet drinks, this delivers. Reviewers note it can be cloying by the end of a glass. Better on a hot day than as a daily driver.

Polarizing: Either You Love It or You Don’t

Pear ⚡ The Most Divisive Flavor

Tasting Table ranked Pear as their #1 overall Liquid I.V. flavor. Chowhound ranked it dead last. It’s the single most divisive flavor in the entire lineup. The pear taste is subtle and sophisticated — fans call it elegant and light; detractors find it underwhelming or odd. Do not buy a 16-count until you’ve tried a single packet.

Arctic Raspberry

The “arctic” designation means it has a mild cooling sensation. Raspberry fans usually like it; people who don’t enjoy menthol-adjacent flavors should avoid it. Not widely reviewed but has a dedicated following.

Cotton Candy

Kids 4–12 go crazy for it. Adults are more divided — the sweetness is intense and there’s a slight metallic aftertaste that some people notice and others don’t. Originally limited-edition, became permanent due to demand from the younger audience. If you’re buying for kids, this is the move. For adults, it’s a toss-up.

Seaberry

One of the newer flavors. Seaberry (sea buckthorn) is earthy and slightly tart — unlike anything else in the lineup. People looking for something different love it. People expecting a conventional sweet hydration drink are confused by it.

Flavors With the Weakest Consensus

Guava

The most consistently criticized standard Liquid I.V. flavor. Reviewers across multiple platforms describe it as “medicinal” or “like cough syrup” — the artificial guava note doesn’t land the same way the real fruit does. For a brand that otherwise nails natural-tasting flavors, Guava is the outlier. Skip it.

Orange Vanilla Dream

Intended to taste like a Creamsicle. It does, to some. To others, it tastes like orange-flavored medicine. The vanilla component is where it goes wrong for most critics — it reads as artificial and cloying. If you love Creamsicles, maybe try one packet. Otherwise, Watermelon or Lemon Lime are safer.

Grapefruit

Not actively bad, but grapefruit is a difficult flavor to execute without bitterness, and reviewers note this leans more artificial than the citrus flavors in the lineup. Lemon Lime handles citrus better.

Best Sugar-Free Flavors

The sugar-free line uses allulose + stevia instead of cane sugar + glucose. The flavor is surprisingly close to the originals — reviewers put it at about 80–90% of the regular version. The main adjustment is a slight stevia aftertaste that some people notice in certain flavors.

Rainbow Sherbet SF — Best in Class

The sugar-free flavor that gets the most enthusiastic reviews. Sweet, fruity, and doesn’t have a noticeable stevia bite. If you’re switching from regular to sugar-free, this is the easiest transition.

Lemon Lime SF

The most directly comparable to a regular flavor — and it holds up well. The citrus notes carry through cleanly, and the allulose base keeps it from tasting artificial. If you love regular Lemon Lime and want to cut sugar, start here.

Raspberry Melon SF

A softer, less intense flavor that works well for daily sipping. The raspberry and melon balance each other, and neither overwhelms.

White Peach SF — Proceed With Caution

A dividing line in the sugar-free lineup. Some people find it delicate and pleasant; others find the peachy sweetness too strong with the allulose base. Try before you commit to a full box.

Best Energy Multiplier Flavors

Each Energy Multiplier packet contains 100mg caffeine — roughly the same as a standard 8-oz cup of coffee. For context on how that compares to your actual morning cup, we wrote a full breakdown: Liquid I.V. Energy vs. Coffee: Which Is Better for Your Morning?

Yuzu Pineapple — Top Pick

The most recommended Energy Multiplier flavor. Yuzu is a Japanese citrus with a complex tartness — combined with pineapple, the result is tropical and bright in a way that feels appropriate for a morning energy drink. The 100mg caffeine + L-Theanine kicks in smoothly.

Blackberry Peach

Softer and fruitier than Yuzu Pineapple. Good choice if you prefer less tartness. The blackberry note is authentic and the peach keeps it from being too sharp.

Mango Tamarind

The most adventurous Energy flavor — tamarind has a sweet-sour tang that’s unusual in the hydration space. Liquid I.V. fans who like interesting flavors gravitate toward this one. Less universally appealing than the other two.

Which Variety Pack Should You Buy?

If you’re new to Liquid I.V. and want to try before committing, here are the best starting options:

• Official site Classics Bundle (16-ct): Lemon Lime, Passion Fruit, Strawberry, Tropical Punch — all top-tier or solid flavors. The safest intro pack.
• Amazon Variety Pack (16-ct): Same four flavors. Comparable price, faster shipping for Prime members.
• Costco 30-ct Variety (on sale): Rotates seasonally but typically includes Lemon Lime and 2–3 others. Best value at $0.65–$0.73/packet.
• Sugar-Free Variety Pack: Raspberry Melon, Lemon Lime, White Peach, Green Grape. Good way to test whether the sugar-free formula works for you before committing to a full box.

The one variety pack to approach carefully: any pack that includes Guava or Orange Vanilla Dream as a significant portion of the contents.

For everything else you need to know about the brand — including nutrition facts, product line comparisons, and where to find the lowest prices — head to our Liquid I.V. Complete Guide.