Beverage Review: MetroMint Water ... It's Really That Good

Let it be known before I begin this review that I am not a fan of bottled water. Most of it tastes like plastic, like bathwater, or - hey! - like unfiltered tap water, which is what I preferred in the good old days when I lived in the country! However, the tap water in the Metropolitan DC area tastes like a mouthful of silt, so bottled water it is for me. I usually throw a flavor packet or two in there first, though. Occasionally, I'll grab a "flavored water beverage", but even those are just ehhhh.

Enter the only bottled water that literally makes me dance with excitement when I see it in the store aisle: Metromint water!

What is Metromint?

It's only the best bottled water on the face of Planet Earth! I've been crowing about it for about two years, and every time a new flavor comes out, I practically do a dorky cartwheel of joy in the middle of the street. (Um, well, I would, if I knew how to do a cartwheel.)

If you ever want to get me a present, and you aren't sure what to get, I'll take a carton or two of this joy-inducing elixir, thanks! Actually, maybe it's not fair to call it an "elixir" because the ingredients in a bottle of spearmint-flavored Metromint are the following:

Purified water, mint.

And that's it. (Other flavors, with the exception of Peppermint, all contain "essence" as well -- e.g., cherry essence, cocoa essence.) But that's what makes it so GOOD!!! It's cool, smooth, and refreshing. You can drink it at room temperature and it still feels like a rush of slightly cold air traveling down your throat into your tummy! (Metromint rates each flavor with a "cool factor" number that tells you just how cooling that rush is.) There are days when I grab a bottle of this stuff rather than a caffeinated beverage because it actually makes me feel better AND keep my eyes open. But I take a bottle of it to bed with me, too, because it's not like it makes my heart race.

So what kinds of flavors does this nectar of the gods come in?

There's...

Peppermint - The original. It's crisp and packs a bit more of a powerful punch than the others, so if you want a ton of mint taste, go for this one.
Spearmint - Very sweet and refreshing. Still lots of mint flavor, but it's not as "bold" as the peppermint, and it goes down so easy.
Lemonmint - Tangy and very slightly tart. Very nice lemon flavor with smooth mint finish. Interestingly enough, the mint and the lemon flavors taste equally strong to me. I thought one might kick the other's butt.
Orangemint - Nice and citrusy. The orange tastes absolutely delicious and to me, it appeared to mellow out the mint flavor quite a bit.
Chocolatemint - Just the slightest hint of delightful cocoa flavor. It kind of kisses your taste buds, then vanishes, while the mint flavor dances around it. This is a very mellow mint. It's wonderful.
Cherrymint - Surprisingly, this might be my favorite Metromint of the moment (and it's also the newest addition). I've found many cherry-flavored beverages to be cloyingly sweet, which is gross to me. (I'm looking at you, 7-Up Plus Cherry.) Cherrymint defies them to win my heart! The mint and the fruit flavor really complement each other quite nicely and are lip-smacking!

I'll sing the praises of this stuff for as long as Metromint keeps churning it out. You get amazing flavor that refreshes you (and your breath!) without leaving a nasty aftertaste of fake sugar, and there isn't a single ingredient that's bad for your body. And, I can't wait to see what the next flavor will be. (How about grapemint?)

If you're looking for it, Whole Foods grocery is your best bet on the East Coast (they usually stock all six flavors), but you could also check out Harris Teeter or Safeway (any Safeway, anywhere). Other chains that carry Metromint include Cost Plus, World Market, and Bel Air and Raley's (for those of you on the West Coast).

Still can't find it? Order it online at http://www.metromint.com/.