Stay sparkling, my friends

I met a few friends last week for drinks. We all walked into my buddy’s backyard with the very same brand and flavor of sparkling water in our hands — Polar’s Cranberry Lime. No, we didn’t talk or coordinate this beforehand — it just happened. Truth be told, it’s a great flavor and the brand’s been heavily promoted in the Milwaukee area lately, so it’s not a total surprise that three guys — all from generally the same 15-mile area — were enjoying the same beverage. But, when you think about the massive variety in the sparking, seltzer water space — it’s maybe a bit more surprising.

Nevertheless, it got me thinking — how do you shop for and select your sparkling seltzer waters? Some thoughts on the topic, if I may.

Store brands matter

The top selling brand of sparkling water, according to many industry sources, is private label — think Kroger, 7-Eleven, Albertson’s, Whole Foods, and others. Sparkling Ice is right up there near the top, too — but since that brand uses the artificial sweetener sucralose, it’s not on my radar.