The Good: Tastes all right
The Bad: Does not seem to DO anything, Expensive, Doesn't taste quite like anything.
The Basics: An unimpressive beverage, Powerade Fruit Punch does not taste like any particular fruit, does not refresh consumers and costs a lot to not do much!
With my rather significant arsenal of beverage reviews (still growing as I move the reviews into this blog!), I feel I have both a reputation and authority for consistently finding good things for people to drink (in the nonalcoholic realm). For a long time, I did not have reason to review sports drinks, though lately I have reviewed the Duff Energy Drink (click here for that review!) and the Powerade Mountain Blast (click here for that review!). It has been years since I ran and when it comes to the swimming my wife and I do, we seem fine with the exercise so long as we have water afterward to drink. We've never needed a sports drink to get the most out of our bodies or our exercise.
Last year, during our annual cross-country odyssey to the Las Vegas Star Trek convention, we began experiencing a load of new things that I have since reviewed. Unfortunately, as we traveled West, we found ourselves trying some less successful culinary experiences. One of them was Powerade Fruit Punch, a beverage we partook of while visiting my wife's friends in Michigan. While we were graciously put up by one of her friends, there was little in the house to drink outside filtered water. Eager for something different, my wife cracked open a Powerade Fruit Punch and shortly thereafter, she handed it to me.
I was not impressed. . . in any way.
Basics
Powerade is a sports drink, a type of beverage designed primarily for sports participants to quickly replace nutrients the body loses while working out. Powerade Fruit Punch comes in a 32 oz. (that's fluid ounces) plastic bottle that is bulky to the grip. Contoured not to slip, the #1 recyclable bottle is filled with the translucent red liquid that is Fruit Punch Powerade. Powerade is produced by the Coca Cola Company in their effort to compete with more established sports drinks, like Gatorade.
The 32 oz. bottle is intended to give consumers four servings, though the eight oz. serving size seems unrealistically small to me.
Ease Of Preparation
Powerade is a liquid in the 32 oz. bottle (I've not yet found a powdered version, but it would not surprise me if it was in the works to hit the marketplace in an upcoming quarter). So, preparation is as easy as opening a plastic bottle. Powerade has a plastic cap that easily twists off and can be put back on in order to reseal it. It is important to note that this is supposed to be refrigerated after it is opened, so quality of the beverage may degrade if it is left out at room temperature after the bottle is open.
Taste
Powerade Fruit Punch is surprisingly aromatic for a sports drink. Opening the bottle and actually inhaling the bouquet reveals a lush, fruity scent. The dominant scent is that of cherries, which makes sense because the beverage is colored red like cherry juice.
It is worth noting, despite my not being wild about Powerade Fruit Punch, that the drink still tastes better than any Gatorade product I have ever tried. Still, Powerade Fruit Punch is remarkably indistinct in its taste. Tasting most like watered-down Kool-Aid fruit punch, Powerade Fruit Punch is salty and watery more than sweet and fruity. There is not a single distinct fruit taste that I could pick out of the drink, though the closest fruit analogy I could make is that this is a mix of cherry, strawberry and sour apples. But more than anything that resembles a blend of fruit tastes, the drink tastes watery and slightly salty.
As well, Powerade Fruit Punch bears a punch, in the form of its aftertaste. This drink has a very dry aftertaste that is anything but refreshing.
Nutrition
As a sports drink, Powerade Fruit Punch is designed to replenish sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium quickly. This might restore electrolytes, but it does nothing that makes the consumer feel refreshed or energized. In fact, I've no proof that the drink actually restores electrolytes at an accelerated rate, only the assertion on the bottle that that is what the drink does.
Nutritionally, Powerade Fruit Punch is mediocre. It is primarily composed of water, high fructose corn syrup, and citric acid. It contains no fruit juice, so it is unsurprising that it is not rich in a variety of vitamins. However, it is not the worst beverage one can drink (though there are some fairly chemical-sounding elements in the ingredient list) as it has no fat and only 14 grams of sugar. Still, there is 100 mg (4% RDA) of sodium in each serving. There is also 10% of the RDA of three different B vitamins and 25 mg. potassium.
Storage/Clean-up
Powerade Fruit Punch comes in a plastic bottle and it keeps almost a year (our host said she bought it months ago and the expiration date was March 22, 2010. Stored in a cool place, it ought to be fine at least until its expiration date (whatwith having all sorts of preservatives).
This drink is a clear red color, but if it gets on light fabrics it will certainly stain them. Consult a care guide for your clothes, though I suspect light clothes would need bleach to get this out. Still, the drink wipes off surfaces easily with a cloth, assuming they are impermeable.
Overall
I was unimpressed by Powerade Fruit Punch. It did not quench my thirst, it did not taste wonderful and having drunk some after swimming for half an hour, it left me feeling no more ready to take on the tasks of the rest of the day than I did before. I suspect most people will find this to be an overpriced beverage that is not worth their time, money, or consumption.
For other beverages, please check out my reviews of:
Saphara White Tea With Schinzara
Lipton tea
Swiss Miss Dark Chocolate Sensation Hot Cocoa
4/10
For other food reviews, please visit my index page for a complete listing by clicking here!
© 2010, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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