As is usually the case, I was already at Kroger (where my wife, inexplicably, actually enjoys shopping) when I wanted some kind of magical powder to give water some actual taste. And this here is the only reason that I sometimes don’t mind going elsewhere: variety. I don’t need a thousand of one kind of thing like supermarkets seem to “pride” themselves on, but when I’ve tried pretty much all of Aldi’s offerings, sometimes it’s nice to see what kinds of products other store brands are offering these days.
Surprisingly, I came to discover that Kroger has quite a decent selection of powdered drink mixes for being such a shitty store, and after perusing the aisle for a couple of minutes, I finally settled on this black cherry flavored fitness powder. Was I going to be active enough to justify getting a “fitness” themed powder? I wasn’t planning on it, but I wanted something that was a little different than the standard “fruit punch” and “lemonade” flavors, and one that didn’t have any caffeine in it…and this was pretty much the only one that checked off all the boxes in my search criteria.
I’m assuming it’s free of artificial colors considering it comes out relatively clear, although it does give the water a slightly unappetizing cloudy appearance that would make me pause for thought if I didn’t make it myself and know that’s what to expect. It’s also sugar free, as we can expect from both a “fitness” beverage, as well as a powdered mix (which almost all seem to be sugar free these days), and as such comes complete with a very light, sweet flavor that’s definitely more preferable to me than drinking plain water. However, I certainly don’t think I would peg it as “black cherry” if I didn’t already know that’s what it was from the packaging, and it’s not really a “good” flavor overall—this isn’t something I would get with anything resembling monthly frequency, but I could see myself grabbing it a couple times a year, to take a break from my normal flavors.
Value, though, is certainly a high point, with a ten-pack of drink mix sticks costing just $1.29, which is the same price as similar offerings from Aldi. Unfortunately, I can’t remember if this was a sale price, or if it’s the regular retail (I want to say it was on sale, with a typical price of $1.49, which may be wrong), but either way, it’s a pretty solid deal that should help hydrate you for a few days for little investment.
Overall: 6/10. It’s a nice, drinkable powder that’s infinitely more appealing to me than the taste of regular water (although, to be fair, drinking piss would probably be preferable to me), and there’s some solid value to be had, but the light flavor (which only vaguely resembles black cherry) gets less and less inviting the more I drink it. As such, I could never get these on a consistent basis, but it’s a different enough flavor from similar offerings at Dollar Tree and Aldi that I would pick these up a couple of times a year just as a break from the norm.
Our kroger used to handle it but not now for some reason. I loved it
Hmmm, that's weird. I haven't been to Kroger in a while, so I can't say for sure if our store is out too, but with as hot as its been (assuming you live somewhere closer to the equator lol) I wouldn't be surprised if these things were selling like hotcakes.
I BOUGHT 3 OR 4 BOXES A WEEK AND NOW THEY HAVE DISCONTINUED IT. i AM SO UPSET AND DISAPPOINTED IN KROGER FOR THIS. I WANT IT BACK I DANK LOTS OF WATER WHEN I HAD THAT NOW NOT SO MUCH. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING THAT COMPARES TO IT. IT WAS A GREAT SELLER BECAUSE IT WAS SOLD OUT EVERY WEEK AT 3 KROGER STORES I GO TO.
tAMMI