Cherry Limeade Flavors, Best To Worst
I have no idea how my intense infatuation with cherry limeade truly began, but I fell fast, and I fell hard. This tart yet sweet beverage has become a stable fixation of mine over the course of a year, turning every grocery-shopping trip and stopping-for-gas trip into a cherry-limeade-seeking adventure. I have exhausted all of my local grocery stores, gas stations, convenience stores, dollar stores, and restaurants during my search for this elusive drink flavor, and I have decided to share the somewhat expansive knowledge I have gained on my journey. I will sort all of the cherry limeades that I have tested thus far into the following categories: "my favorites," "yep, these are tasty," "pretty decent," "not really my style," and "this doesn't even taste like cherry limeade!"
I am by no means a food critic. I have no authority to claim certain brands as the 'best' and others as the 'worst.' This list is simply my personal opinion based on my own criteria for cherry limeade that I have put a lot of time and effort into. That being said, the drinks at the top of my list are typically both sweet and tart with a bold cherry-lime flavor. I typically don't rank drinks very high if I can't taste very much lime. I also tend to prefer carbonated options over non-carbonated options and I don't like beer at all so the cherry lime beers on this list are extremely low. I'll describe each drink as best as I can and share where I found them so you can find the ones that you might like the most! I would love to hear which drinks top your list! I'm always looking for fellow cherry limeade enthusiasts. :)
I will mark alcoholic beverages with an asterisk (*).
My Favorites
Top to bottom, left to right (none of these pictures belong to me): Arizona Cherry Lime Rickey, Rip It Energy Tribute Cherry Lime, Xyience Energy Cherry Lime, Minute Maid Soft Frozen Cherry Limeade, Hansen's Cherry Lime Cane Sugar Soda, Minute Maid Fizzy Cherry Limeade (to my knowledge, only found in Coca-Cola vending kiosks), Buffalo Wild Wings Black Cherry Limeade
Arizona Cherry Lime Rickey
Where I bought it: at a small local grocery store, this is the ONLY place I've ever seen it
Description: Super sweet and fizzy with a strong tartness from the lime. It has a very classic cherry lime flavor, which is what I am usually looking for. Definitely a top favorite of mine and the art on the can doesn't hurt its standing, either.
Rip It Energy Tribute Cherry Lime
Where I bought it: some gas stations, Menards
Description: A nice traditional cherry limeade flavor with a huge amount of caffeine. Sweet, tart, and slightly carbonated. The art on the can is a little fun and festive American flair for patriotic cherry lime lovers!
Xyience Energy Cherry Lime
Where I bought it: Meijer, I've never seen it anywhere else
Description: Perfect cherry lime taste that also provides a good jolt of energy. It's a little more pricey than the two previous cherry limeades, but Xyience products go on sale often, and the other products in this line are also very good.
Minute Maid Soft Frozen Cherry Limeade
Where I bought it: Family Dollar, I've never seen it anywhere else
Description: So good, but soooo bad for you. This is a sickeningly sweet frozen dessert that has an excellent sweet and sour cherry lime taste. Don't eat the entire container in one sitting, even though they're delicious!
Hansen's Cherry Lime Cane Sugar Soda
Where I bought it: ALDI, but I've only seen it there once and then never again
Description: I really like this one! I am not particularly used to the cane sugar flavor in sodas, but this very classic cherry limeade drink is quite good. I also like the smaller serving size when compared to Arizona's large cans.
Minute Maid Fizzy Cherry Limeade
Where I bought it: any restaurant or grocery store that has touch screen Coca-Cola kiosks: Wendy's, Noodles & Company, Meijer, etc.
Description: I believe this might have been the first cherry limeade I tried that inspired me to begin a massive taste-test of every cherry lime that I could find. This one is a bit more tart than the others, and slightly bitter. It is very fizzy and has a slightly deeper red color than the others, which I like. This one is one that I always return to.
Buffalo Wild Wings Black Cherry Limeade
Where I bought it: Buffalo Wild Wings, duh!
Description: It's slightly different at every BWW that I order it at, but it is usually consistently tasty. It is served with limes and maraschino cherries in the drink, which is always fun. I love this drink's tartness, sweetness, and color. It's a solid, classic-tasting cherry limeade, and I always order this when I get the chance!
Yep, These Are Tasty
Top to bottom, left to right (none of these pictures belong to me): Clear American Cherry Limeade, True Lime Black Cherry Limeade Drink Packets, Kroger Energy Cherry Limeade Liquid Water Enhancer, Core Organic Cherry Berry Lime, Brisk Symbiotic Dark Cherry Limeade
Clear American Cherry Limeade
Where I bought it: Meijer
Description: It tastes like a typical Clear American drink--lightly sweetened and bubbly with just a touch of flavor. This didn't wow me like some of my favorites, but I still enjoyed the crisp, refreshing taste. This cherry limeade is a good choice if you are craving something lighter and less sweet.
True Lime Black Cherry Limeade Drink Packets
Where I bought it: Most large and medium-sized supermarkets
Description: I like these drink packets because they are a lot healthier than the ultra-sugary cherry limeade options (which, unfortunately, are my favorites). They read both sweet and tart, which grants them a higher grade with my standards. I drink these often when I notice myself struggling to drink enough water during the day, and they mix very well with cold-brewed green tea!
Kroger Energy Cherry Limeade Liquid Water Enhancer
Where I bought it: I forgot . . . just kidding. Kroger.
Description: These are both sweet and sour but taste a little syrupy to me. A great benefit to this choice is the added caffeine! I will usually reach for a cup of joe when I need a quick boost, but these liquid water enhancers come in handy when coffee just doesn't sound good. Also, on the rare occasions when I have sparkling water on hand, liquid water enhancers really help me get through them!
Core Organic Cherry Berry Lime
Where I bought it: at a small local grocery store, this is the ONLY place I've ever seen it
Description: This brand reminds me of Sobe Lifewater or VitaminWater; watered-down juice with health benefits. The cherry lime flavor in this drink is very subtle. I remember liking this drink but not noticing a distinctive cherry lime taste. I may have to try this one again.
Brisk Symbiotic Black Cherry Limeade
Where I bought it: at a university market, but I think it's no longer available
Description: Sadly, I tried this one long before I started recording my cherry limeade escapades and the flavor of this one is lost somewhere in my memory. However, I remember liking it, so I rated it at this level. All I can remember is that it was sweet and refreshing. I hope that Brisk brings this flavor back one day!
Pretty Decent
Top to bottom, left to right (none of these pictures belong to me): Sparkling Ice Cherry Limeade, PurAqua Sparkling Frost Cherry Limeade, Frostie Cherry Limeade, IBC Cherry Limeade, V8 Splash Cherry Limeade, Market Pantry Cherry Limeade, Natural Light Seltzer Catalina Lime Mixer, IZZE Sparkling Cherry Lime
Sparkling Ice Cherry Limeade
Where I bought it: At most large and medium-sized supermarkets
Description: This drink is a little less sweet than its predecessors. In my opinion, its lime flavor is stronger than its cherry flavor, which gives it a slightly bitter flavor. It is still good-tasting, but, although I usually really like this brand, it doesn't impress me as much as some other flavors. In a pinch, it will satisfy a craving, but I don't reach for this option regularly.
PurAqua Sparkling Frost Cherry Limeade
Where I bought it: ALDI, this is the ONLY place that I believe carries it
Description: Very similar to Sparkling Ice (described above), but I actually thought this off-brand was a bit tastier.
Frostie Cherry Limeade
Where I bought it: local supermarkets, liquor stores, and convenience stores
Description: Super sweet artificial cherry with almost no distinguishable lime flavor! I like the taste of this one, but there isn't enough lime flavor to satisfy my cherry limeade obsession. Although, this brand does earn a few points from me for their vintage label art and glass bottles. Sometimes you just can't beat the aesthetic.
IBC Cherry Limeade
Where I bought it: most large and medium-sized supermarkets
Description: Very similar to Frostie Cherry Limeade (described above). Once again, points for the aesthetic Although I think Frostie's design is a bit more attractive, IBC is more commonly stocked, so it will do when Frostie can't be found.
V8 Splash Cherry Limeade
Where I bought it: at most large and medium-sized supermarkets
Description: This brand usually wows me, but this cherry limeade didn't seem to stand out. It tasted like a lot of their other juices; sweet and complex with the subtle flavors of multiple different fruits and veggies, but it lacked the strong signature flavors of cherry and lime. Disappointing, but still a decent beverage overall.
Market Pantry Cherry Limeade
Where I bought it: Target, this is the ONLY place that I believe carries it
Description: This brand is quite similar to Clear American, however, I felt that this drink was a little flat. It was drinkable and it tasted good, but it wasn't the bold flavor that I was looking for.
Natural Light Seltzer Catalina Lime Mixer*
Where I bought it: at most large and medium-sized supermarkets
Description: Spiked seltzer is not one of my favorite beverages, but I found this one to be a bit more tolerable than the rest, meaning, I could drink it without cringing after each sip. Extra points because there isn't much good cherry lime alcohol out there and I want to support brands that can handle my high standards for cherry lime flavor!
IZZE Sparkling Cherry Lime
Where I bought it: at most large and medium-sized supermarkets
Description: I actually like this brand's fusion of juice and sparkling water. It is not very sweet, but the juice flavor is good and makes it a lot more drinkable than other seltzers. I don't return to this brand often because of my preference for very sweet and bold cherry limeades, but I find myself considering buying it sometimes, which is more than I can say for many other cherry limeades. There's just something about it.
Not Really My Style
Top to bottom, left to right (none of these pictures belong to me): LaCroix Cerise Limón (Cherry Lime) Sparkling Water, PurAqua Belle Vie Bold Cherry Lime, NOMI Sparkling Water Michigan Cherry + Lime, Calypso Sweet Cherry Limeade, Smirnoff ICE Cherry Lime, Gatorade BOLT24 Cherry Lime
LaCroix Cerise Limón (Cherry Lime) Sparkling Water
Where I bought it: Most large and medium-sized supermarkets, ALDI
Description: Yeah, sparkling water isn't my thing. I tend to avoid it but when I see a new brand with a cherry limeade option I still like to give it a try. I taste next to no cherry lime flavor in these bitter beverages, but I can drink them fairly easily when I add a squirt of cherry lime liquid water enhancer!
PurAqua Belle Vie Bold Cherry Lime
Where I bought it: ALDI, I'm pretty sure this is an ALDI brand
Description: See the description above for LaCroix.
NOMI Sparkling Water Michigan Cherry + Lime
Where I bought it: a small local liquor store
Description: See the description above for LaCroix. But woohoo, go Michigan brand! The can design is nice, too.
Calypso Sweet Cherry Limeade
Where I bought it: Kroger
Description: This one was so disappointing. All it tastes like to me is weird, bitter lime with minimal cherry flavor. I couldn't finish the bottle, and neither could my boyfriend when I tried to give him the rest. I don't know if I disliked it so much because I was expecting something better from this brand that I normally really like, or if it was actually not very good. I may have to try this one again, just to be sure.
Smirnoff ICE Cherry Lime*
Where I bought it: a small local liquor store, I haven't seen it anywhere else
Description: I don't know about this one. It tasted bitter with not much cherry flavor. I like most Smirnoff ICE drinks, but I didn't care for this one. This could be for a few reasons. One, it may have been old. I've never seen this anywhere else and the bottle design seemed outdated. I bought it from a sketchy-looking liquor store so honestly, it could have been expired! Two, I tried this shortly after I started trying alcohol for the first time, and I may have still been ultra-sensitive to the flavor of alcohol, which I didn't like for a long time. If this product still exists somewhere, I would love to try it again because, in theory, this should be my favorite alcoholic beverage. However, every other cherry lime alcohol I've tried has had this really weird flavor . . . so I'm conflicted.
Gatorade BOLT24 Cherry Lime
Where I bought it: a small local grocery store, Family Fare
Description: Honestly, this one tasted good but it tasted nothing like cherry lime. It should be labeled as 'fruit punch.' Its rating is low because it truly does not taste like cherry limeade at all. But I like the caffeinated aspect to it.
This Doesn't Even Taste Like Cherry Limeade!
Top to bottom, left to right (none of these pictures belong to me): Smirnoff Ice SMASH Cherry Lime, Minute Maid Light Cherry Limeade, Brew Detroit YumTown Cherry Lime Lager, Daily's Cherry Limeade Frozen Cocktail, Shiner Cherry Limeade, Ritas Cherry Lime Rita Sparkling Margarita, Mike's HARDER Cherry Lime
DISCLAIMER: To me, cherry limeade alcohol has such a weird, strong, bitter, and sometimes sickeningly sweet flavor. Cherry lime beer is extremely sour. I am not a big drinker and a highly potent alcohol taste does not appeal to me. You may like these ones a lot, but I don't prefer them.
Smirnoff Ice SMASH Cherry Lime*
Where I bought it: a small local grocery store and a small local convenience store
Description: The can design is cool, but that was the only thing I liked about this one. It's bitter with a strong alcohol flavor. If you read the disclaimer above, you'll understand how I feel. I mixed this drink with V8 Splash Cherry Limeade to get through the rest of it.
Minute Maid Light Cherry Limeade
Where I bought it: a small local liquor store
Description: This one tasted wrong. I only took a few sips of it so I can't accurately describe the flavor, but I can describe how I felt when I tried it. This . . . did not taste good at all. I've grown unaccustomed to sugar-free juices and sodas and I am very sensitive to the excessively sweet flavor of aspartame sweeteners. Minute Maid has some excellent cherry limeades, two of which fall into my 'favorites' category. But this one tasted like something that isn't supposed to be a drink. I think this may be my least favorite cherry limeade on my list, perhaps because it is so disappointing to have such a loser come from such an established brand. Drink at your own risk.
Brew Detroit YumTown Cherry Lime Lager*
Where I bought it: a small local liquor store, this is the ONLY place I've ever seen it
Description: I actually love the art on the can, but to me, this beer is too sour. However, I'm not a fan of beer, so I am not a good judge of flavor. My dad also tried this one and he did not care for it, either. If you read the disclaimer above, you'll understand how I feel about cherry lime beer. But of course, I love a good Michigan brand. If you're a beer-drinker, give this one a try. If anyone is reading this, let me know if you like it!
Daily's Cherry Limeade Frozen Cocktail*
Where I bought it: large grocery stores, but it's rarely in stock in my experience
Description: I had high hopes for this one, but it ended up tasting too sweet and too bitter, like most other cherry lime alcoholic drinks. Read the disclaimer to understand what I mean. Maybe I'll try it again sometime because I am slowly able to handle stronger drinks, but for now, this one is low on my list.
Shiner Cherry Limeade*
Where I bought it: a small local liquor store, this is the only place I've seen it
Description: I love the vintage-inspired logo, but this beer is insanely strong for me. My dad chuckled when I showed him the bottle I had just purchased because he knew I wasn't going to like it. He was right--it was much too bitter and strong for my wine-cooler-loving tastebuds. Dad couldn't drink it without cringing, either. My feelings about cherry lime beer are in the disclaimer above.
Ritas Cherry Lime Rita Sparkling Margarita*
Where I bought it: a small local convenience store, this is the ONLY place I've ever seen it
Description: I couldn't finish the can. Too sweet and too bitter, you know the story. Read the disclaimer.
Mike's HARDER Cherry Lime*
Where I bought it: the occasional small local convenience store
Description: I love most of the Mike's Hard drinks, but I don't care for the Mike's HARDER options. If Mike's had a regular Mike's Hard Cherry Lime, I bet I would really like it. This drink was too bitter and strong for me to enjoy and I couldn't finish the can, just like most other cherry lime alcoholic beverages out there. Read my disclaimer for more info.
*alcoholic
Hope this helped!
See you next time, or something,
Faithy Tunkers (not my real name)
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