R.W. Knudsen Sparkling Juice Review

This is a review of R.W. Knudsen sparkling juice. I recently purchased a 12 ounce bottle for $1.50 at a local bakery on a whim. I love pop, but know that it is not the healthiest choice. Sparkling Juice sounded like a fabulous alternative, but did it measure up?

R.W. Knudsen has been making organic and natural juices and specialty products 40 years. The family introduced the twelve ounce spritzer in 1985 as an alternative to sugar-laden sodas. Their products are spritzers boast the fact that they are made of 100% fruit juice. I tried out the black cherry spritzer which according to their website is, "A twelve-ounce bottle of Black Cherry Spritzer is the equivalent of one serving of fruit, according to the USDA. To learn more about the USDA's Dietary Guidelines."

PROS

Drink a twelve ounce bottle of sparkling juice and you have one of your fruit servings over and done with! What a great way to add a little excitement to your day. I love this.

The beverages come in a wide variety of flavors that will cover everyones tastes. Spritzer bottle product come in black cherry, grape, red raspberry, and tangerine. There is something for every member of your family.

The twelve ounce bottle is resealable. It has a resealable twist off cap which is great for a mom on the go. I drank a little bit of this beverage, then capped it up for later. Most beverages with glass bottles allow you to twist off the cap, but you can not reseal it, thus forcing you to finish your beverage all at once.

The glass bottle with the twist off cap also gave me a variety of ideas for reuse of the bottle, it would be great as a little flower vase, etc.

The flavor was fresh. It was pure black cherry taste. I didn't feel like the flavor was clouded with chemicals as a soda pop tends to feel. You feel good when you drink it, not heavy or bloated as pop can make you feel. It is a taste treat for your mouth that you almost wish would never end.

The beverage didn't feel full of sugar, probably because there was no sugar added. I would definitely give this product to my children as a treat.

CONS

The cost. Here I go again with cost, but let's be honest who with an ever growing family the days of a dollar fifty beverage every day are gone. Yes I know some people go to Starbucks and spend five dollars on a drink every day, but they probably don't need to buy diapers. I couldn't justify this as a daily purchase.

Availability. I found this beverage at a little mom and pop bakery. The website does not list places where it is readily available. A little background check showed that this beverage is owned by Smucker's and that it is available at Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and select Giant Eagle locations.

The calorie content is the same as soda. If you think that you are going to cut down on calories by drinking a fruit spritzer think again because a twelve ounce bottle contains 160 calories.

Overall it is a very good product. I would buy it again as a treat, but I will not be making a regular habit of purchasing it.