The Worst Prime Hydration Drink Tastes As Bad As It Smells
When you're thirsty, nothing hits the spot faster than a cold beverage, no matter if it's a cold bottle of water, a can of soda, or an energy drink. But a beverage should ideally be equal parts refreshing and flavorful — after all, how enjoyable is a cold drink with disappointing flavor or no flavor at all?
We tried and ranked 13 flavors of Prime and that's exactly what happened with Tropical Punch, the flavor we noted as the worst Prime hydration drink. In many cases, tropical punch is a safe bet on flavor. From healthy options like Olipop to kid-friendly favorites like Hawaiian Punch, tropical punch appeals to the tastebuds of kids and adults alike who enjoy the combination of fruit juices and sugar. Not so much with Prime.
With its pinkish hue, Prime Tropical Punch seems promising enough, but that's where the optimism ends for us. The drink smells nothing like what's on the label — so much so that we probably wouldn't have been able to identify it without knowing the flavor first. Things didn't get better once we tasted it and the flavor reminded us of pool water rather than actual tropical punch. The taste proved so uninspiring that we couldn't pick out any individual fruit flavors.
Where is the fruit?
Since its debut three years ago, influencer and pro wrestler Logan Paul's Prime energy drink hasn't been without controversy, specifically surrounding what exactly went into its much-hyped drinks. Controversy aside, a bottle of Tropical Punch looks appealing enough from the outside. The drink, comprised of 10% coconut water, is advertised as caffeine-free with zero added sugar, just 25 calories, and with BCAA and B vitamins.
But an examination of the nutrition facts reveals why it was hard for us to zero in on individual flavors. The list of ingredients includes citric acid (which is derived from citrus fruits and used for flavoring) and vegetable juice (for color, it says). Beyond that, the drink contains natural flavor and a host of hard-to-pronounce ingredients. Noticeably missing is any mention of specific fruit juices or concentrates that are present even in sugary options like Hi-C and Hawaiian Punch.
While Tropical Punch may be far from our favorite Prime flavor, we do enjoy another tried-and-true favorite from the drink marketed to "fill the void where great taste meets function." That flavor is Lemonade. It may be basic, but that's a good thing because we knew exactly what we were supposed to be tasting and it smelled like a traditional lemonade. The taste struck a perfect balance and this is a perfect dupe we can get behind.