The Celsius Flavor You Should Avoid Picking Up At The Store

Celsius is known for being a healthy energy drink brand that offers a plethora of flavors, but not all were created equal. In our definitive ranking of 20 Celsius flavors, Tasting Table put Sparkling Green Apple Cherry in last place. Allow us to explain our decision. To be clear, not all the offerings under Celsius' health-centric branding are inspired by flavors that occur in nature. Arctic Vibe, Oasis Vibe, and Fantasy Vibe, for instance, are certainly more conceptual than literally descriptive. But, on the whole, Celsius has been praised for its thinner mouthfeel and more dialed-back sweetness compared to energy drink competitors, which often present pucker-inducing sweetness and viscous textures. 

As one Reddit fan posted, "I'm drawn to Celsius because they're more seltzer-y/less sweet than most brands." Others write "Can't ever go back to Red Bull or Monsters, those taste like medicine compared to Celsius," and another commenter similarly posts that they "get burnt out [on] the extreme flavors of Monster or Ghosts." If the tasteful (and palatable) thing about Celsius is its subtlety, then the Sparkling Green Apple Cherry flavor must have missed the memo.

Right out of the gate, Celsius set this flavor up for failure by making a green apple-flavored beverage, period. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Celsius' Sparkling Green Apple Cherry tastes reminiscent of the syrupy, sweet, and sticky sour candies of childhood, resulting in a candy-forward taste in a bad way. Don't get us wrong, we're all about the idea of a drinkable Jolly Rancher (we even have a cocktail inspired by the concept). But, in execution, Celsius' sparkling apple sipper simply falls flat (and sour).

To understand what, exactly, Celsius was going for with this flavor, a glance at its original concept could be helpful. The Celsius website describes its Sparkling Green Apple Cherry as a "blend of crisp green apple and sweet cherry flavors, inspired by classic candy apple nostalgia" for a "refreshing and bold flavor combo" that promises to "satisfy your sweet tooth." One thing is certain, even the stubbornest of sweet tooths are sure to be satiated after a sip of this. Even if the Celsius creative team intentionally threw subtlety out the window on this one, the green apple flavor dominates any cherry in the mix, which is supposed to be sweet-tangy, but misses the mark. Sweet-toothed energy drink fans might as well just relent and buy the birthday cake-flavored Bang. 

Still, on the utilitarian note, few energy drink brands deliver like Celsius. With 200 to 270 milligrams of caffeine per can (around three times the kick in a can of Red Bull), fans can expect any flavor in the lineup to pack a punch. When it comes to comparing energy drink caffeine levels, the PepsiCo-owned brand is on-par with C4, Prime, Ghost Energy, Reign Storm, and regular strength 5-Hour Energy shots, which all clock in at 200 milligrams per serving and leave Monster, Full Throttle, NOS, and Rockstar in the dust. But, ultimately, if it's utility they're after, caffeine lovers are better off sticking with Sparkling Lemon Lime (our favorite Celsius flavor) and leaving green apples for the autumnal baking season.