If you have an Instagram account and scroll through your feed often, the odds that you have seen a can of LaCroix are relatively high. I mean, the flavored sparkling water drink even has a website to design fictional cans and name them. There’s a question behind the frenzy that needs to be addressed here—what exactly is it?! Let’s break it down for you so there may be a rhyme or reason behind the obsession taking over the lives of twenty-somethings across the globe.
What’s it made out of?
LaCroix’s refreshing taste comes from the natural essence oils extracted from fruits. There are no sugars or artificial ingredients added to the drink. It’s also free from calories, phosphoric acid, castoreum, and fat, sugar, and sodium grams. In other words, it’s not going to make you feel gross after indulging. Gluten-free individuals and vegans alike can rejoice; this can of goodness will do you no harm.
Where did it come from?
This drink is a product of the 80’s, 1981 to be exact, and hails from Wisconsin. Created by a family owned brewery, GE Heileman, LaCroix has been deemed the fastest growing all natural sparkling water drink in the country. Today, you can find the eye-catching cans in the Caribbean, Canada, Japan, Colombia, Chile, and of course, the US.
When did it get so popular?
To be quite honest, it’s a mystery. The drink was originally a staple product in Midwestern mother’s fridges in the 90’s. Sometime in 2015, LaCroix arose from its slumber and was in every Whole Foods from Orange County to Brooklyn. The sudden success of the drink could be credited to a number of your favorite bloggers, Refinery29, The New York Times, or Time Out New York, but it’s safe to say that we wouldn’t be talking about it if it wasn’t amazing.
Is it really worth the hype?
If you’re asking this question, I was once like you. I saw cans of LaCroix every time I stepped into a grocery store or logged in to Pinterest. With a wary attitude, I picked up a pack of the drink—mango if you’re into specifics. A lover of Prosecco, I instantly found a new drink that could compare which was alcohol-free for more relaxed kinds of days. The crisp taste and fizzy feeling it leaves you with is incomparable. It’s downright impossible to pick up just one pack; because there are 20, yes 20, flavors, you’ll be on a hunt to find your signature drink after one sip.
You might be put off by the strong aroma, 80’s can design, or insane hype around the drink, but take it from an original skeptic—LaCroix is worth its newfound status on the cool chart.
