Sparkling Ice -Talking Rain: Lemonade with Tea (2013)

The “Lemonade with Iced Tea” flavor of the new Sparkling ICE Lemonade line is a very enjoyable product that offers a nice twist on the classic “half and half” blend of iced tea and lemonade. Thw twist is a formulation that has zero calories and carbonation. The base flavor is quite good, with accurate iced tea and lemonade flavors. The product contains 3 percent juice (apple and lemon), added green tea extract for antioxidants, added B vitamins and sucralose (its primary sweetener). There is some slight aftertaste from the sweetener, but it’s definitely within the realm of what we typically see from sucralose-sweetened beverages. All in all, we’re quite pleased with this flavor. Visually, the 17 oz. plastic bottle follows the same format as the other Sparkling ICE flavors. It’s definitely not the most eye-popping design, but it’s an effective one -- you can figure out what the product is from quickly looking at it. There’s definitely room to make the product more visually appealing, but we’re sure that what Talking Rain has created will make for a good line extension to the brand. Overall, this is a nice entry for Sparkling ICE.