There are two things I love dearly in this world. The first is sparkling water, and the second is Costco.
When I saw that the retailer was selling a new Sparkling Protein Water, I knew I had to check it out. I discovered the beverage in a viral TikTok from @CostcoHotFinds, which revealed that the 12-ounce cans contain zero sugar and pack in 30 grams of protein a pop.
As expected, the reactions were all over the place. Some people were completely bewildered by the drink itself. “WHY do we need protein in EVERYTHING??” one person commented in the TikTok.
Others were quick to give the drink a big thumbs down. “It tasted so bad to me,” someone wrote.
And despite the hate the drink was getting, a few people argued that the drink was “actually pretty good.”
Since the drink was so polarizing, I decided I needed to try it for myself. Here’s my honest review of the Genius Gourmet Sparkling Protein Water sold at Costco:
There’s only one flavor of the Protein Water available: Blue Raspberry Lemonade. I had no idea what to expect, but I decided to give it a go after putting the cans in the fridge for 24 hours.
Before we dive in, here are the nutrition facts, if you’re curious. The drink is 130 calories, and the main ingredients are carbonated water, whey protein isolate, bovine collagen peptides, three different kinds of acid (L-Malic, Citric, and Phosphoric), natural flavors, and mushroom extract.
Before trying it, I gave it a whiff, and it smelled sweet, like candy.
Finally, I poured it into a glass and was surprised to see it wasn’t blue but a pale yellow.
It also fizzed up quite a bit, not unlike regular sparkling water.
I had a few sips before I could form my initial thoughts on the bev.
The first thing that stuck out to me was how sweet it was. At first, it left a cough syrup-like aftertaste in my mouth that I wasn’t the biggest fan of, but it honestly got better the more I drank it.
Overall, I would recommend this if (and only if) you like sweet stuff. Otherwise, it probably won’t be your cup of tea.
Would you try this Sparkling Protein Water? Let me know in the comments!
If you’re looking to easily (and deliciously) hit your protein goals, download the free Tasty app to browse and save thousands of high-protein recipes — no subscription required.
