Soda consumption has been on the decline for several years in the United States. It seems that Americans are waking up to the fact that sodas are just cocktails of teeth-corroding citric acid, artificial flavors and colors, caffeine, and high fructose corn syrup.
What’s interesting to see is which beverages former soda consumers are now gravitating towards as they give up soft drinks. Some consumers have switched to bottled tea, bottled water, and sports drinks, but based on a study by the Beverage Marketing Corporation, the biggest beneficiaries have been enhanced water products like flavored seltzer water. Specifically, the decline in soda sales has coincided with a 12% increase in sales of water products enhanced with flavors, minerals, or carbonation.
It makes sense why soda drinkers would easily find a new home with flavored seltzer. If you think about it, seltzer water is just soda without all the added colors, sugars, and preservatives, and it provides that same refreshing carbonation that so many of us have come to crave from soda. Plus, it comes in convenient 12-packs just like soda, so it doesn’t require much of a lifestyle change to make the switch.
The main hindrance I see in convincing a soda fan to make the switch to seltzer water is the flavor availability. If you’re a soda drinker who loves the flavors of Coke, Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper, it can seem like a big leap to find a new home among the fruity flavors like grapefruit, lemon, passionfruit, and coconut offered by the big seltzer brands like La Croix, Perrier, and Polar. Wouldn’t it be great if you could find seltzer water flavored just like our favorite sodas, just without the sugar and colors?
If you thought the same thing, then we have great news for you!
At Kroger (and Kroger subsidiaries like Ralph's and Mariano's), you can find 12-packs of Fizz & Co. brand seltzer water, naturally flavored to taste like cola, root beer, an Dr. Pepper!
As you can read on the boxes below, these store brand seltzer waters are just made of “seltzer water with a hint of cola flavor,” or root beer flavor or “the Dr.” flavor, and are naturally flavored and caffeine free. In fact, like other sparkling waters, their only ingredients are carbonated water and natural flavor. When you taste them, you’ll be surprised at how much they remind you of the sodas they’re flavored like!
And priced at just around $2.99 per 12-pack (and sometimes on sale for 4 packs for $11), they’re sure to be among the best priced of any sparkling water options you’ll find!
If you go to your local Kroger to pick up a case of these drinks, keep in mind that they may not be located where you expect. If you already drink seltzer waters, you are probably already aware that Kroger has an entire aisle dedicated to flavored seltzer with brands like La Croix, Polar, Aha, Bubly, Perrier, and Waterloo, plus an impressive selection of Kroger-brand seltzer water with delicious flavors like Lemon Lime, Grapefruit, Mandarin Orange, Blackberry Citrus, and Cranberry Lime (which are also a great price at only $2.79 per 12-pack). But you might not find the Fizz & Co. soda-flavored seltzers on this aisle, which may lead you to believe that your local store doesn’t carry them. But that probably isn’t the case. Simply check an aisle or two over where the regular sodas are kept, and you will probably find these Fizz & Co. drinks among the other Kroger store brand sodas.
So if you’re a Coke or Dr. Pepper lover looking to switch to a healthier alternative, you’ll definitely want to check out these Fizz & Co. flavored seltzers. They provide the best of both worlds – the delicious flavors we’ve grown to love but without all the harmful sweeteners, preservatives, and colors. We hope you love them as much as we do! If you’ve tried these Fizz & Co. drinks or have found a similar option at another supermarket, let us know on Twitter or Facebook!
