LaCroix

Berry

We found a LaCroix Berry in the back of our fridge when scrounging around for today’s review and shrugged.

(Possibly what everyone does when they find a LaCroix Berry in their fridge?)

We haven’t reviewed a LaCroix in a while, so why not Berry? Even though it’s been sitting there all by its lonesome for quite some time now, continually getting passed up for the Rōzus and Uglys of the world.  Flashy, spirited young things always pulling our focus and our taste buds.

Poor sad, LaCroix Berry.

So let’s just get this out of the way: we’ve never really thought much about this particular LaCroix offering. The flavor is frustratingly unspecific. There’s a big difference between a raspberry and a blueberry, so which is it? Or is it both, like some Waterloo Summer Berry? Unclear.

Even the can is muted in color, as if it couldn’t decide if it wanted to be pink or purple. It’s pretty and pleasant enough, but it certainly lacks the firecracker appeal of, say, an AHA.

Berry is clearly not one of Roi LaCroix’s chosen enfants, the prosaic moniker dolefully lacking the exotification LaCroix bestowed upon cherished babies “Pamplemousse” and “Pastèque”. Berry gives us big middle child energy.

Even for LaCroix it seems like an afterthought, pushed to the back of their own metaphorical fridge to let the newer, bigger and brighter Limoncellos take center stage.

Especially in LaCroix’s current incarnation, with hypercolor zany flavor combinations like “Beach Plum” coming out, Berry feels old-timey and a little bit dusty on the shelves.

While some of the newer LaCroix creations are beating us over the head with their overhyped uniqueness, Berry remains a throwback to LaCroix’s 1980s midwestern origins.

We suppose LaCroix needs to retain some of its earlier flavors to stock the shelves of Michigan & Wisconsin, lest it be accused of committing the cardinal midwestern sin: tasting like anything.

So on today’s journey our ultimate questions will be: what berry is this actually trying to replicate? Does anyone care about this flavor? And ultimately, does LaCroix even care about this flavor?

Join us on this adventure into half-heartedness!

We try and suss out what we’re in for when we crack open the can. It’s hard to make out something specific, the nose is mostly giving us major Fruit on the Bottom vibes. Definitely a muddled compote of vagueness.

That said it’s not bad, it’s appealing!

We’ll take a sip of that.

Tasting Notes

🌬🫐🤷🏻‍♀️

If you close your eyes, and just let the flavors take you on a journey, the place it almost takes us is Waterloo’s dreamy Blueberry.

But like a stripped down, ghost version: a spectre of the buoyant, round juicy thing Waterloo created.  And here is its memory, rendered in liquid form.

Still, it’s a pretty taste.

Then the flavor suddenly twists into bubly Blackberry territory. There’s some of the chalkier, Flintstone notes that come with bubly’s berries, as well as something a little more tart and astringent to finish the flavor arc.

It’s nice, a welcome development, but also slightly confusing. Is it a blackberry? Maybe it’s a raspberry? Wait. Could it even be a blue raspberry?

For how mellow and easy it is, it’s certainly a confounding process to understand the what, why and how of this Berry.  The “why” especially.

Because let’s be honest: it’s an easy drink. It’s refreshing. But it’s also kind of unremarkable and unmemorable. And this isn’t because it’s bad.  It’s just that even from the commodity brands, we’re expecting a little more these days.

AHA is churning out electric, bold flavors and combinations. Waterloo consistently executes interesting, stand out solo flavors, and even LaCroix has stepped up their own flavors and branding. (Their Beach Plum has a beach on the can!)

So who left Berry behind?

This flavor could easily be rebranded. Wrap the can in some chic royal purple color, rename it “Baie” (that’s French for berry!), have it join its frenchy Pamplemousse and Pasteque siblings and perhaps breathe in some of that rarefied top shelf air.

But it feels a little like it got lost in the shuffle, forgotten, and by the end of this can we’ve moved onto a can of AHA’s Raspberry Acai and forgot about it, too.

So to sum it all up:

What berry is this trying to replicate?

Blueberry with a hint of sour blackberry. Final answer.

Does anyone care about this flavor?

If you made it this far, maybe it’s you. Otherwise, probably no one.

Does LaCroix care about this flavor?

Definitely not.

Roi LaCroix is already onto grooming Black Razzberry for the throne.