The pros:Â Trader Joe's Agua Fresca is new, light and refreshing. This is reduced calorie juice done right and best of all there are no artificial sweeteners. As an added bonus, this is organic and quite affordable. This product comes in a glass bottle. Doesn't everything taste better in a glass bottle?
The cons: Â Hibiscus flavor might be a hit or miss depending on what you enjoy. I wished they had released this before Cinco de Mayo, but they are perfect for summer time.
The verdict: Â I'm not really sure why agua fresca isn't more popular. It should be. The term literally means "cool water." In other words, this drink is meant to be refreshing. It's not 100% fruit juice, nor is it infused water. It a bit of fruit puree in water. On my most recent trip to Trader Joe's I came across a new product. Or should I say three of them. This is one of the few times where I will review three flavors all at once.
There are two fruity flavors and one that will remind you more of tea: Strawberry Lime, Pineapple Mango and Hibiscus. For $2.29 (**as of 4/5/18 this is now $0.99 each), these are great to reach for especially if you enjoy juice, but don't enjoy the calories. I also purchased the reduced calorie lemonade recently and the Agua Fresca is the better choice to reach for in terms of flavor. There is no artificial sweetener present in any of these. If you are wondering, these flavors would also make for some nice light drink mixers as well.
The strawberry lime was by far my favorite. It was light, fruity without feeling artificial or syrupy. It tasted of strawberry mostly. It was a very pretty color. The lime added a hint of acidity but otherwise was not noticeable.
The pineapple mango was fruity with a touch of mint. You can smell the mint, but the taste does not overwhelm the palate. Pineapple is the most noticeable flavor followed by mango. Overall, just sweet enough and very refreshing.
Lastly, I tried the Hibiscus flavor. I was asked by the cashier whether or not I had tried the products previously. He told me this one was the most cinnamon like. I have to say that I agree with him. This is the least "fruity" of the bunch as most of this will remind you of tea with some orange thrown in. It wasn't bad. However, it was more like drinking a slightly fruity iced tea.
Overall, I enjoyed all of these. My favorites were the Strawberry Lime and the Pineapple Mango. Those I'd like to add to the weekly list. It was so nice to have something light on calories, but not have any artificial sweeteners. Even if you are looking to cut back your juice consumption, this is a good way to go. I'm almost positive all of these will make some killer cocktails. I'll experiment with that and report back. In the meanwhile, I'll have to buy a few more of these as there are only 4 servings per bottle. I'm repurchasing these.
The three flavors of Trader Joe's Agua Fresca:
The nutritional information and the ingredients for the three juices:
Would I buy this again? This is a yes from me. I am not normally a juice drinker. However, this was just slightly sweet and there was nothing artificial about this.
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe’s for a searchable list.
Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
Julie says
I bought the Strawberry Lime this weekend and really like it. It's not too sweet and the lime flavor is not very noticeable which I like. I'll definitely be buying again.
becomebetty says
I agree Julie! Thanks for sharing!