During the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Show in Chicago last year, Avitae had a small little booth on a aisle across from the huge Monster Energy installation. Monster had models, hot tubs, giveaways, and a lot of foot traffic. One benefit of this, however, was that the crowds tended to build and back up folks to be near the Avitae booth. It's here that many may have discovered the simple caffeinated water in a funky bottle.

The ingredients are pretty basic: Purified water, natural caffeine, and natural citric acid. That's it. There are no calories or any other nutritional elements of note. With such a simple recipe, the product stands out with the uniquely-shaped bottle. It's basically a clear, upside-down plastic wedge. The plastic in the front is transparent to showcase the clear water, while the rear of the bottle features silver coloring and product information, with a well-designed transition between the two. It's a sharp-looking package!

Avitae comes in two versions, with differing levels of caffeine. Their base product is 45 mg, which features that amount of caffeine per bottle. They describe this as "about the same as a diet soda." Then there is the more potent 90 mg version, "about the same as a cup of coffee." For comparison, Mountain Dew contains 4.5 mg caffeine/oz. Avitae 45 mg comes in at 2.66 mg/oz, while Avitae 90 mg measures up to 5.33 mg/oz.

The product itself tastes very clean and unaltered. You could not really tell that anything such as caffeine was added to the water. I liked that. The caffeine effect was noted not to long after, however, as I did get a sense of "pep." Granted, I'm a new father to a 3-week-old newborn baby, so we've had many long nights. I'll take all the caffeine I can get these days, and Avitae fit the bill nicely. I guess there was a sense of less guilt associated with consuming the product, as it provided the benefits typically associated with caffeine without the added overhead of calories, syrups, or artificial sweeteners.

Avitae is clear, clean, and quite appealing — and that describes both the flavor and the great packaging. A unique approach for a simple idea!

Official Website: MyAvitae.com

"Optimal hydration." Those are the words used over and over again on the Nuun website. Nuun, pronounced "noon," is a dissolvable tablet that is to be dropped into a 16 oz water bottle providing a flavored concoction which promises to replace electrolytes lost when the body is dehydrated.

Some of you may be thinking, "Well, isn't that what Gatorade is for?" You would be partly right. Unlike Nuun, which only contains electrolytes, Gatorade and other sports drinks also provide sugars, complex carbohydrates, amino acids, proteins and sometimes stimulants like caffeine, taurine, ginseng or guarana. Nuun prides itself on simply replacing electrolytes:

"…we know some people simply want to avoid unnecessary carbs, and it doesn't make sense to consume sports drinks loaded with them. Now, if you're participating in intense exercises lasting more than 60 to 90 minutes, you should consume carbohydrates to ensure energy levels for working muscles. But how you do that is up to you. Everyone manages energy consumption differently, whether it's with sports bars, gel or other sources of calories and carbohydrates."

So, what's all this talk about electrolytes, and why should you even care? For those of you who may have slept through high school biology, here's a quick refresher. The cells in our bodies are made primarily of water. In order for our bodies to work properly, we need to stay properly hydrated. In other words, we need to drink plenty of water! So why isn't drinking water enough? Well, our bodies use electrolytes to regulate the amount of water in our cells. If we run low on electrolytes, it is harder to stay hydrated, and we can quickly become dehydrated causing weakness, disorientation and, in sever cases, death. Electrolytes also play a key role in muscle and nervous system functions. I won't go into detail about that. I can already sense some of you lapsing into a coma. Suffice it to say that electrolytes are important!

Electrolyte balance becomes even more important when you are an athlete. The most common way for the body to lose precious electrolytes is through sweat, and athletes sweat a lot! This is where Nuun enters the picture. Nuun is "a small startup comprised of competitive cyclists, skiers, rock climbers, runners and triathletes" who needed a way to replace electrolytes in an easy and effective way without the extras that come as part of typical sports drinks. The makers of Nuun figure that it's easy enough to regulate things like carbs and proteins, but electrolytes are trickier.

Let's take a look at the product. I was provided with five different flavors to test drive: Tropical, Fruit Punch, Grape, Strawberry Lemonade, and Lemon Tea (which happens to be 'Caffeine Enhanced'). The tablets come in a tube that reminded me those tubes with the chlorine and pH testing strips I used when I was a lifeguard in college. Even the logo design is reminiscent of a pool chemical supplies company.

Each tab dissolved in 16 oz of water is under 8 calories and contains sodium carbonates (360 mg), potassium bicarbonate (100 mg), calcium carbonate (12.5 mg), magnesium sulfate (25 mg), Vitamin C (37.5 mg), Vitamin B12 (500 mcg), sorbitol, natural colors and flavors, and polyethylene glycol. (Lemon Tea contains 40 mg of caffeine per serving.)

Upon opening each of the tubes, I was greeting with the same kind of powdery sweet smell you get when you open a gelatin package of a similar flavor except for the lemon tea, which smelled like Nestea Instant Tea powder. The tablets looked were about the size of a half-dollar coin, but thicker, resembling an Alka-Seltzer or Airbourne tablet. When I dropped the tabs in water, they fizzed just like these types of tablets. It took about two minutes for a tab to dissolve, and each flavored tab slightly colored the water to match the flavor.

How does Nuun taste? According to the Nuun site:

"Our new flavor lineup includes a modern take on your old favorites. This medley will transport you back to summer days on the old cul-de-sac when a skinned knee or a grass stain were quickly erased by a cold glass of fruit punch, strawberry lemonade, or a grape popsicle. In classic Nuun fashion, the flavors are lush without being overpowering, sweet but still light. It's nostalgia in a glass without the sugar crash."

After reading a description like that you'd expect to maybe get something resembling Crystal Light. What I got was something that more resembled Alka-Seltzer with diluted flavoring. While Grape, Lemon Tea, and Fruit Punch did resemble watered down versions of what you'd expect from a powdered drink mix, Tropical was more reminiscent of diluted peach flavoring. As far as Strawberry Lemonade… let's just say it didn't taste like strawberry lemonade.

That being said about these flavors, the sole purpose of Nuun is electrolyte replacement. Electrolytes come from salts. I can't say from experience, but if you are running a marathon or in a long distance cycling race, the last thing on your mind when wanting to keep your electrolytes and hydration balanced is vibrant, true-to-life flavors. I think Nuun would be better off focusing on the purpose of their drink tablets rather than overstating the flavors their tablets come in.

Nuun seems to be hitting a growing niche of drinks targeted at hydration replenishment effectively. I like their aim at doing one thing, "optimal hydration" through electrolyte replacement, and doing that thing well. It's a viable alternative to other sports drinks, especially if you want to pass on the extra sugars, carbohydrates, and proteins in those sports drinks. It also seems to be a good value at $6 per tube of 12 tablets, which comes out to $.50 for 16 oz of hydration… that's definitely less than a sports drink!

Official Website: Nuun.com

I wasn't sure how to approach this review, because let's face it, if you market a children's drink and package it in a graphically colorful aseptic juice box with a straw attached, you've pretty much won 80% of the battle. If your kids are like mine they will flock like rabid animals to it and beg to try it. And as long as your beverage doesn't taste like cardboard or flaming hot Cheetos, it will probably be universally loved by kids as a whole.

Which brings us to the topic of this review: O.N.E. (One Natural Experience), one of the pioneering companies in the coconut water category, has just debuted their kids' line of coconut water flavored juice drinks called O.N.E. Kids. This line comes in a 6.75 oz (200ml) aseptically packaged box with a straw attached, like many other kids juice products. The dominant theme here is "healthy hydration."

In case you're not familiar, coconut water has been growing in popularity as a natural alternative to sports hydration drinks because it contains all five essential electrolytes and is high in potassium (more than a banana). The listed ingredients for the Raspberry Lemonade flavor include the following: organic coconut water from concentrate, filtered water, apple juice concentrate, pear juice concentrate, lime juice concentrate, raspberry juice concentrate, natural flavor, and ascorbic acid. (Note: I'm not sure how you can market a drink with a lemonade flavor but have no lemon juice, but I digress…). There is no added sugar. One serving is 60 calories.

So the question becomes not whether my kids like it (they do) but whether I as their dad think it is worth purchasing for them at the supermarket. As a parent, I have lots and lots of choices in this category. In the birthday party and playdate circuit I inhabit, you see a lot of the same selections, from a basic Minute Maid apple juice to a more upscale Honest Kids organic low sugar pouch.

Moms' (and more increasingly dads too) main concerns seem to be "is it healthy" which usually translates to "low sugar" and vitamin enriched. So let's take a look at how O.N.E. fares in those areas. One serving has 13 grams of sugar. Keep in mind this is from the fruit juice since there's no added sugar. Your child also receives 100% RDA of vitamin C and 220 milligrams of potassium (6% of RDA). Comparatively, Kraft's Capri-Sun has about 20 grams of sugar and 80 calories.

In terms of taste, there are four flavors: Orange, Raspberry Lemonade, Apple, and Fruit Punch. I tried all except the Orange and there wasn't much differentiation between the three. The Raspberry Lemonade is more tart than the other two. I think this is due to the lowered sugar and the presence of coconut water, which has a strong impact on the dilution of the natural flavors. I like coconut water so wasn't surprised by this flavor profile but your kids may not feel the same way, especially if they're used to higher sugar juice products like Nestle's Juicy Juice or Capri-Sun foil pouches.

Chances are your kids will suck down O.N.E. Kids like any other juice drink, while you as a parent can feel comfortable that they're getting less sugar and more vitamins. It's a win-win!

Official Website: ONEDrinks.com

If you were to describe what MiO is to someone who didn't have a clue, I might say, "it's like food coloring… with flavor." You've got these plastic, squeezable bottles – much like food coloring – that stream out colored liquid. But in this case, these are flavors designed to spice up your water and make it more… flavorful?

The idea piggybacks on recent trends we've been seeing where instead of actually making the product, companies are just providing additives to something that's healthy already, like water. Of course, anyone who has ever had Kool-Aid knows that this concept isn't new, but in recent years there has been a newfound emphasis, mainly from smaller companies. Even longtime beverage mix Crystal Light (incidentally, also a Kraft brand) has gotten into the racket with individual "on the go" packets and new lines that promise additives and nutrients.

The bottle claims to make 24 servings, with one squeeze being ideal for 8 oz. of water. That's about 1/2 teaspoon of liquid added. Of course, at the same time, MiO's ad campaign proclaims that you can add a little or a lot… whatever you want. It's your choice! Have the drink your way — which fits the name, as "Mio" means "my" or "mine" when translated from Spanish or Italian. And at $4 a bottle, I'm sure Kraft wants you to use as much product as you can to make it "yours"!

The packaging design is slick, with the silver plastic bottles shaped like "droplets" of water. The "M" logo sits on the front of each, colored to reflect the flavor inside. The side of the bottle tries to explain how to best use this stuff:

Make Your Mio

Flip It – Unlock the flavor
Tip It – Each squeeze into water adds more flavor
Sip It – Your drink, your way
Click It – Twice to lock tight

One squeeze for each 8 fl oz. serving

A little MiO goes a long way. Always dilute.

It's also noted that while this product does not need refrigeration, "for best quality, use within one month of opening." It also comes in a "just try to find a place to recycle this" Type #7 plastic container.

For the sake of this review, we followed the suggested "one squeeze for each 8 fl oz." quotient. In the case of both flavors, the water was slightly tinted by the squeeze (purple for Berry Pomegranate, orange for Peach Tea) — think Easter egg coloring dye but not as dark. Also, unlike the commercials, the fluid did not seem to equally break up as it was added to the water. Rather, the weight drew it to the bottom of the glass, making the top part of the water weak, while most of the flavor was found at the end of your drinking experience. We don't see it suggested anywhere, but the best way we found to get the flavoring distributed was to stir the liquid with a spoon to spread accordingly.

Let's get into the taste of each, shall we?

MiO Berry Pomegranate
When you smell this drink, there's hints of a fake grape flavor. And that's sort of what you get when you drink it. It's syrupy and watery. The berry residue sort of sits on your tongue, along with the artificial sweeteners (sucralose and ascesulfame potassium). There's definitely sweetness present, but the amount of water in place also dilutes that quite a bit. Overall, not really impressed.

MiO Peach Tea
This smells like peach tea. Actually, it smells like "peach tea flavoring," but still, you sort of know what you are in for. With just one squirt, I'd have to say that this MiO flavor closely resembles the taste profile of chlorine. It's harsh, watery, and chemical. You don't really taste much in the way of tea either. It's probably more sweet than anything.

Seeing if we could redeem our obviously negative reactions to the recommended dosage, we squirted more flavor into each glass. In the case of Berry Pomegranate, the berry flavor did materialize more prominently. However, so did the feeling that I was adding some sort of odd syrup to a glass of water. Conducting the same addition of flavor to Peach Tea, we got more tea flavoring out of the experience, less "I'm drowning in a public pool."

I grew up drinking Crystal Light, so the idea of adding flavor to water with artificial sweeteners isn't new to me. But MiO doesn't seem to fit that niche, because it's barely adding flavor to water, whereas a drink mix like Crystal Light is actually looking to transform completely the flavor of water. Perhaps that appeals to some people who have a hard time drinking their daily recommended portions of water, but to me it seems like "hey, what's this watered down flavored stuff?" I live in Chicago, and you know what? Our water out of the tap is pretty darn tasty (thank you Lake Michigan), so maybe I'm not the proper audience for this.

It would seem the best way to get any decent flavor out of MiO is to add a considerable portion to water. If you only want a hint of flavor, they why even bother adding it? Get yourself a lemon. However, if you do want flavor, that will take many squeezes of MiO into your water, cutting down your recommended 24 servings. You might get 10-12 servings instead. At $4 a bottle, that's somewhat expensive for bad tasting water, don't you think?

Here's the breakdown of ingredients and nutritional information:

MiO Berry Pomegranate
Water, citric acid, propylene glycol, malic acid, contains less than 2% of natural flavor, sucralose and ascesulfame potassium (sweeteners), potassium citrate, Red 40, Blue 1, potassium sorbate (preservative)

MiO Peach Tea
Water, citric acid, propylene glycol, malic acid, contains less than 2% of natural flavor, sucralose and ascesulfame potassium (sweeteners), potassium citrate, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1, potassium sorbate (preservative)

Both flavors have 0 calories, 0 g fat, 0 mg sodium, 0 g carbs, and 0 g sugars.

Official Website: MakeItMiO.com

It might sounds like a mouthful to say, but Cascade Ice 2-Calorie Sparkling Water is a beverage line with a very light and crisp taste. Unique Beverage Company, the parent company of Cascade Ice, is targeting the health conscious community with a sugar-free sparking water that is ideally healthier than other flavored waters on the market.

According to their website, "Cascade Ice is a two-calorie, sugar-free flavored sparkling water that eliminates all the unnecessary, unhealthy "extras" found in other flavored waters like sugar, sodium, carbs, caffeine and gluten."

Cascade Ice sent me four of their flavors in "2-Calorie" lineup to taste: Acai Blueberry Pomegranate, Lemonade, Orange Mango, and Pink Grapefruit.

Acai Blueberry Pomegranate was the first flavor I tried. When I open the bottle, it was bursting with fruity carbonation. It had a dark purple color and smelled very appealing. As with all the Cascade Ice 2-Calorie waters, the flavor pops on your tongue. I'm not sure if this is because there is more carbonation than other drinks or because I'm just not used to sparking water. Regardless, it was very pleasant. My first reaction to the taste was "berry madness." It is very powerful. If you love all things berry, you will not be disappointed.

The next flavor I tried was Lemonade. My husband also gave this one a try. I wanted his insight because he LOVES lemonade. His reaction: "I like it… it's much better than that Crystal Light stuff." It had the same sparkle and pop of the Acai Blueberry Pomegranate. Less overwhelming in flavor and would be great on a hot day.

Orange Mango was my favorite flavor of the four. The taste, texture, and smell make it go down so easily. It didn't take me long to finish the bottle. The carbonation made it a close cousin in taste to other big name orange sodas on the market.

My least favorite flavor was Pink Grapefruit. I also need to be fair and state that I don't really like the flavor of pink grapefruit overall. The tartness always gives me a shock rather than pleasure. But the overall taste, snap, and punch were just like the other three flavors I experienced. If you enjoy the punch of pink grapefruit, you will definitely enjoy this flavor.

I like that Cascade Ice is trying to put products on the market that are a healthier alternative to sodas, as their flavors are very enjoyable. I'm not sure how easy it is to have access to their products, but it appears that they are trying to spread the word while also getting their customers proactive on the approach to get this product in supermarkets. The "health nut" in me still doesn't love products with artificial sweeteners. Cascade Ice 2-Calorie water contains sucralose, often sold under the brand name Splenda. I don't feel that you should consume these types of products on a regular basis in mass quantities. Water is always the best beverage. But, if you are itching for a drink that is low-calore, great taste, no aftertaste, and some bubbles — give this lineup a try!

All four flavors reviewed above have 4.3 calories per 17.2 oz bottle. You'll also find they have 0 g sodium, 0 g carbs, and 0 g sugars, and are caffeine free.

Cascade Ice 2-Calorie Acai Blueberry Pomegranate
Carbonated water, citric acid, pear juice concentrate, natural flavor, cochineal (color), potassium benzoate (preservative), potassium citrate, sucralose, Blue #1

Cascade Ice 2-Calorie Acai Lemonade
Carbonated water, citric acid, pear juice concentrate, gum arabic, potassium benzoate (preservative), potassium citrate, sucralose, natural flavor, glycerol ester of wood rosin, lemon juice concentrate, Yellow #5

Cascade Ice 2-Calorie Orange Mango
Carbonated water, citric acid, pear juice concentrate, gum arabic, potassium benzoate (preservative), potassium citrate, sucralose, natural flavor, glycerol ester of wood rosin, Yellow #6, Red #40

Cascade Ice 2-Calorie Pink Grapefruit
Carbonated water, citric acid, pear juice concentrate, gum arabic, potassium benzoate (preservative), potassium citrate, sucralose, natural flavor, pink grapefruit juice concentrate, glycerol ester of wood rosin, Red #40, Blue #1

Official Website: CascadeIceWater.com

Earlier this year a new beverage was designed for active individuals looking to hydrate while also giving their bodies the added protein it needed to help repair and build the muscles from a hard workout. Pro H20 is a high protein water designed to hydrate and supply protein without added fat and sugar. I recently had the opportunity to give it a "test run" and share a little of my thoughts.

Pro H2O is a sucralose-sweetened beverage that is enhanced with whey protein. Each 16.9 oz bottle has only 90 calories, 0 grams of fat, 2 grams of carbohydrate, and 20 grams of protein, which makes it ideal source of protein for those looking to keep calories down. The bottle is similar to other flavored waters on the market and the coloring is unique. It is fairly clear to cloudy white (both flavors).

How did it taste? I tried both Pro H20 Black Cherry and Pro H20 Kiwi Strawberry flavors, which were refreshing and good. It honestly tasted like similar artificially-sweetened drinks but with a different aftertaste that indicated the addition of whey protein. If you have experienced other protein drinks, you know what I am describing. It is not ideal, but it is often what results from adding whey protein. The best way to describe that sensation is that it quickly quenches and then immediately gives you a thirsty feeling again. Hopefully that is an area that will continue to improve the longer Pro H20 is on the market.

Why a protein water? Protein is essential if you are working out because it supports lean muscle tissue. Lean muscle tissue = higher metabolism. Who doesn't want that? If you don't give your body adequate protein, especially after a workout, your body WILL get what it needs even if you don't supply it. It will basically digest your muscles to get that protein. That, my friend, is a VERY expensive and inefficient way of getting protein. The developers of Pro H20 figured that you need to hydrate after a workout, why not also get the added protein that you need at the same time.

From a health perspective, I tend to lean away from artificially-sweetened beverages because I feel that they lead me to crave more sweet things during the rest of the day. I also tend to lean more towards natural products. But, if you migrate towards sucralose-sweetened beverages and are a seeking additional low-calorie protein in your diet, I think you should give it a try.

If I was choosing a recovery drink from Pro Foods, I would lean more towards their Pro Ade Orange sports drink beverage because it is sweetened with sugar (NOT high fructose corn syrup) instead of sucralose. Per bottle 16.9 oz bottle, Pro Ade has 220 calories, 0 grams of fat, 36 grams of carbohydrate, and 22 grams of sugar. I also didn't notice as much aftertaste in the Pro Ade. The calories are more than double that of Pro H20. But, if you have burned off adequate calories in a workout to truly deserve a recovery drink, then I wouldn't worry about the calories too much. Your body needs it!

Wondering if you had a hard enough workout to need a recovery drink? If you have to ask, then it wasn't hard enough!

Official Website: Pro-Foods.com

Yes, coconut water comes from coconuts and has been around for years, but not in the mainstream. It's big in the Caribbean, Central America, and Asia, though some producers are trying hard to bring it to your grocery shelves as an innovative drink. Coconut water is typically high in potassium, thus it can be marketed as a sports replenishment drink. In fact, my TetraPak of O.N.E. Coconut Water actually markets itself as a "Natural Sports Drink". The packaging notes that it has 15 times the amount you'd find in a standard sports drink, which by illustration obviously is pointed at Gatorade.

What was that, you ask? "What's a TetraPak?" Well, as you can see from the photo of this drink, it's not in a can or bottle. Rather, think of it as being in a 11.2 oz. juice box… for grown ups! The unique packaging reflects the distinctive nature of this drink. The packaging proclaims "100% natural" and the ingredients seem to reflect that:

O.N.E. Coconut Water
100% natural coconut water

The drink is made in Brazil, and for you folks with celiac disease, you'll be happy to know that it's gluten-free. But seriously, what's this stuff all about? We'll let the creative copywriting folks get their due by posting what's written on the side of the package:

O.N.E. Coconut Water is delicious all natural coconut water from young green coconuts. It has five electrolytes, more potassium than a banana, no fat, no cholesterol, and no preservatives. It is the most natural and refreshing way to rehydrate.

When you open the container, I was surprised not to be greeted by a strong coconut scent. It actually was pretty scent-free, though a subtle sweetness was present. When viewing the drink, you probably won't be surprised to find out that it's color-free, more like cloudy water.

As for the taste itself, it was rather surprising. Not quite what I expected at all. Maybe I was thinking this would be like a liquefied Mounds candy bar or something. One thing is for sure, however… the aspect of "refreshment" is very present, especially if the drink is strongly chilled. It's cool and can quench your thirst quite well. The flavor is water-y, with a subtle coconut flavor there. In some ways, almost tasted too watered down, but then again, this is branded as coconut WATER, so I guess that's to be expected. There isn't a negative aftertaste or anything like that, but it's quite unlike anything I've ever tried.

I can't say that I'm in love with the flavor. Then again, I'm new to this coconut water thing. A few years ago, I took a trip to Costa Rica, and the flavor resembles some of the juices and drinks I was able to sample there. There's quite a natural/organic feel, with a distinctive liquid pulp/fruit taste. It starts out sweet, with an almost creamy sensation, then turns somewhat mellow, with an interesting milky follow-up. I think it might be a taste I'd have to acquire over time, personally.

A single container of this stuff has 60 calories, 60 mg of sodium, 670 mg of potassium, 15 g of carbs – of which 14 g are sugars, and 1 g of protein. You'll pick up 40 mg of calcium, 17 mg of phosphorus, and 25 mg of magnesium.

O.N.E. Coconut Water is definitely a refreshing, natural alternative to quench your thirst. The real question remains whether the distinctive flavor is something that you'll like or not. The packaging is very contemporary and attractive, which I think is a huge plus in attracting folks to try coconut water for the first time. And if you are looking for a burst of potassium, it's hard not to consider this option!

Fruit2O was created by the folks at Veryfine, maker of various juices, and originally owned by Kraft Foods. However, just a few years ago Veryfine and Fruit2O were sold to Sunny Delight Beverages Company, makers of… you guessed it, Sunny Delight! All these brands are based in Cincinnati, OH.

This Cranberry Raspberry flavor combination is pitched as "the tart zing of cranberry softened around the edged with just the right touch of raspberry sweetness." Did you get all that? This series of drinks contain no calories, made possible by the use of artificial sweetener sucralose. While Fruit2O's flagship brand is just flavored water, the Essentials line tries to get in on the "nutrient drink" train that seems popular with many beverage brands these days. Specifically with the Cranberry Raspberry flavor, the highlighted nutrients include manganese (80% of your recommended daily values, in fact), zinc, Vitamin E, phosphorus, and potassium. There are 6 total flavors in the Fruit2O Essentials line, each with differing selection and levels of nutrients.

The bottle design is very light, being transparent with a bubbled "barbell" shape of raised plastic ridges at the top and bottom. The label is printed on a transparent material that allows you to see into the bottle, noting the clear appearance of the water. Each flavor in the Essentials line features a different color cap that ties into the flavor type. This bottle of Cranberry Raspberry featured a purple/pink cap and color accent in the package design. After talking to Kristen Orr, who is a public relations representative for the brand, she noted that the package design was intentionally created to appeal to the female demographic, noting that "consumer feedback revealed that women wanted a bottle they could comfortably hold, fit well in a cup holder, and a mouth opening allowing them to sip the water, instead of "chug"” like with various competitor bottles." This is also the reason that the water is clear instead of colored, given that research showed that customers wanted their water looking like, well, water!

So what does this stuff taste like? Well, you probably wouldn't be surprised if I told you that it tasted watery, right? (That was a little beverage reviewer joke… you are supposed to laugh at this point!) Starting with the opening of the cap, you are greeted with a sweet, candy-like scent and hints at the berry infusion inside. This somewhat oversells, I think, because the flavor itself isn't as strong as the scent.

The flavor is hard to pinpoint, actually. I know it says "Cranberry Raspberry" on the bottle, but I had a difficult time distinguishing either. Just tasted "berryish" to me. Granted, that's not a bad thing, as the overall flavor experience of Fruit2O Essentials Cranberry Raspberry was actually pretty good. It's light, sweet, and tasty. The primary drawback is the residue and aftertaste provided by the artificial sweetener. That's the price you have the pay for no calories, I guess! If the use of sucralose doesn't bother you, then I think you'll like this nutrient water quite a bit. It actually reminded me a bit of Gatorade's Propel line, though obviously marketed for more female-oriented, casual drinking vs. active, athletic lifestyles.

What's inside? Here's the ingredient list:

Fruit2O Essentials Cranberry Raspberry Water
Purified water, contains less than 2% of natural flavor, maltodextrin (fiber), potassium ascorbate (Vitamin C), manganese gluconate dihydrate (mineral), potassium chloride (electrolyte), potassium citrate (electrolyte), potassium pyruvate (electrolyte), Vitamin E succinate, zine lactate gluconate (mineral), calcium D-pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Vitamin B6, selenium chelate (mineral), citric acid, sucralose, sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (preserve freshness)

An 18 oz. bottle is 1 serving and features 0 calories, 105 mg of sodium, 350 mg of potassium, and 1g of fiber. The product is gluten free and caffeine free.

Fruit2O Essentials Cranberry Raspberry Water is a tasty entry in the nutrient-enhanced water category, though that's a pretty crowded space these days. The flavor is subtle and full of berry taste, which produces a light sensation, though earmarked with the aftertaste of an artificial sweetener. However, at zero calories and an interesting collection of nutrients thrown it, it's worth checking out if you are looking for more than just flavor in your water!

Officially described as "Part sustainable water company, part art project, part philanthropic project, and completely curious. Boxed Water Is Better is a boxed water company," the name of the company is exactly what the product is.

In my hand I hold a 1 quart box of water, functional in the style of an orange juice container with a screw-off cap. The design of the packaging is pretty minimal, a white box is clean typography denoting the slogan "Boxed Water Is Better For the Earth" so two sides, while the phrase "Hello" written in cursive adorns a third. On the fourth panel, there are a few symbols and paragraphs explaining why this Grand Rapids-based company feels that this is a better solution over plastic water bottles.

Now I'm not going to get into all the environmental arguments for or against the use of plastic water bottles, nor are we going to discuss things like carbon footprint or whatnot. We're a beverage review website!

However, given that it's both interesting and funny to say "I'm drinking a box of water," I felt it important to transcribe the 4th panel of the packaging that contains the message that the folks behind Boxed Water are trying to get across:

So why is boxed water better? Glad you asked

First and foremost, we're far more sustainable than plastic bottled water. 85% of this box is from a renewable resource, trees.

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The trees used to make this box come from certified, well managed forests. These forests remain healthy and stable through ongoing replanting while removing CO2 from the atmosphere.

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The creation and distribution of this box has a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to plastic bottles, up to 80% lower in some areas.

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This box is recyclable by your existing recycling service. Hopefully you have one!

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We really care about the world's water supply. 10% of our profit is donated to world water relief foundations. We feel anyone who consumes our product is in a privileged position and it's important that part of their spending goes to help those who are not as privileged. Just makes sense, doesn't it?

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We really care about the trees. So much so that we donate yet another 10% of our profit to reforestation foundations. So when you're drinking this water, you're helping to plant more trees and protect our forests, strengthening mother nature's lungs.

Now, I live in Chicago, and have Lake Michigan coming out of my tap… and frankly, I'm cool with that. So purchasing something like Boxed Water may be a bit of an overkill for the situation I find myself in.

That said, whether this is a step in the right direction or not is probably going to be up to the marketplace. It's commendable that one of the motivations of this company is to help areas of the world that don't have water as easily as you and I. The donation angle is one that would help you consider a product like this if it was perceived equally with a similar bottled water item. The recycled paper angle brings up the classic "paper vs. plastic" debate regarding what is better for the environment in the long run. Sounds like something you and your friends should discuss over a nice glass of boxed water!

Speaking of which, how does it taste? We're told via the official website that "Boxed Water is carbon-filtered, purified water from Minnesota." I hear they have a lot of lakes there! Not having an array of bottled waters to compare it against, I tasted it side-by-side with good ole Chicago tap water. And you know what? It tastes pretty much the same… which, frankly, is a good thing. I was worried I'd be tasting something like a cardboard flavor, but to be honest, that wasn't there. Then again, neither was that somewhat plastic-y flavor that you can sometimes detect with bottled water.

I liked the taste. It didn't turn me off. Other experts and purveyors of water products probably could make many other observations, but from my perspective, Boxed Water is something to check out if given the chance. Who is to say whether their mission and purpose will come to light… but as far as the taste of the product itself… thumbs up!

This line of drinks is officially described as a "refreshing taste of fresh fruit and real cane sugar lightened with the perfect amount of bubbles." It features 4 core flavors & 2 green teas — with Sugar Free versions of each of these flavors also available.

The packaging design on this line features 10.5 oz. cans, bundled in 4 packs, similar to the trends we've seen with Tava and Nutrisoda. The shape and design of the can convey a light drink with nutritional/healthy overtones. The primary flavors come in silver cans, the green teas in green cans, sugar free flavors in light blue cans, and sugar free green teas in light green/yellow cans. They all follow a simple, restrained design that is prevalent in "Web 2.0" visual trends these days.

When I first opened the can of Pomegranate Green Tea, there was a certain "berry" scent that appeared. The flavor reflected this, with a sense of light, bubblyness, accented by just a bit of cherryish flavor. As for the tea element, it was minimal, as far as I could tell — though I'm no expert on the taste of green tea. Overall, it created a pleasant taste experience and something far different from the norm.

The sweetener of choice is cane sugar (24 grams), which provides 90 calories to a can. The drink also claims that each can contains 35 mg of EGCG per can (Epigallocatechin Gallate, an antioxidant).

A full ingredient list is as follows:

Hansen's Natural Sparkling Sleek Pomegranate Green Tea
Filtered carbonated water, cane sugar, natural flavors with extracts of Italian pomegranate, citric acid, green tea extract

The can also proclaims the following: "No High Fructose Corn Syrup", "No Preservatives", "No Artificial Colors", "No Sodium", "Caffeine Free", and "All Natural Flavors".

The same flavor characteristics carried over to the no calorie version of the drink, Hansen's Natural Sparkling Sleek Sugar Free Pomegranate Green Tea. Whereas the packaging of the regular version was a avocado green color, the Sugar Free version is a lighter, silvery green can.

This version of the flavor uses sucralose and Ace-K as the primary sweeteners (and it's even noted with a "Splenda" brand mark on the back). The drink has 0 calories, but still everything else claimed by the original.

Hansen's Natural Sparkling Sleek Sugar Free Pomegranate Green Tea
Filtered carbonated water, natural flavors with extracts of Italian pomegranates, citric acid, sucralose, green tea extract, acesulfame potassium

Overall, the diet edition wasn't bad, but probably was more pronounced in the artificial sweetener taste than I would have liked.

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