REVIEW: Powerade Sour Sports Drinks

Just in time for summer sweat season, Powerade has introduced three flavors in its new Sour line: Blue Razz, Watermelon Lime, and Green Apple.

Let’s get this out of the way first: we all know they should have called it Sourade.

Blue Razz is my favorite of the three. It reminds me of a blue Sour Patch Kid, but not as sour. At first, I was underwhelmed by the sourness. But after going on a six-mile evening run, I found that I couldn’t chug this drink because my mouth wanted to pucker just a little bit and savor the tartness. It’s not like a Warhead or Cry Baby bubble gum; rather, it has just enough of a punch to notice the sourness.

Watermelon Lime is the most confusing of the three. I have never heard of those fruits paired together before, yet it manages not to taste like either. Yes, I know that watermelon flavor doesn’t actually taste like watermelon, but I do know what watermelon candy tastes like. If I concentrate really hard, I can kind of taste watermelon candy, but not the lime. In a blind taste test, there is no way I would guess either of the flavors. It is also less sour than the others.

Green Apple has the same sour level as Blue Razz. It has a nice fake apple flavor. However, I love Gatorade Fierce Green Apple, and the Powerade just seems less, well, fierce. It’s not as flavorful, and I don’t think it’s any more sour.

I usually drink powdered Gatorade to replenish my electrolytes after a long, sweaty workout. Powerade Sour is not going to do anything to change that. But if you are even casually interested in Powerade, these flavors are worth a try.

Purchased Price: $0.88 each
Size: 28 fl oz bottles
Purchased at: Smith’s Marketplace
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Blue Razz), 5 out of 10 (Watermelon Lime), 6 out of 10 (Green Apple)
Nutrition Facts: (12 fl oz) 80 calories, 0 grams of fat, 250 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 21 grams of sugar including 21 grams of added sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Powerade Sports Freezer Bars

Powerade Sports Freezer Bars Box

What are Powerade Sports Freezer Bars?

Jel Sert, the company that makes Otter Pops and Fla-Vor-Ice, has teamed up with Powerade to make freezer bars in two of the sports drink’s classic flavors: Mountain Berry Blast and Fruit Punch.

But it’s not just the flavors. These are sports freezer bars, meaning they have electrolytes in them.

How are they?

Powerade Sports Freezer Bars Bars

Now, I have a hard time describing what they taste like. The Fruit Punch has a nondescript fruity flavor. Mountain Berry Blast has more of a noticeable berry flavor; it’s probably raspberry, but since they didn’t specifically call it raspberry, it could be anything.

But even though I can’t really describe them, I quite enjoy them! Both the flavor and the texture are as good as any freezer bar I’ve had. They have a little bit of sports drink flavor, but I wouldn’t detect it if I didn’t know.

Powerade Sports Freezer Bars Fruit Punch

Powerade Sports Freezer Bars Mountain Berry Blast

I compared the bars, both frozen and refrigerated, with their respective Powerade flavors to see how true they are. I think Jel Sert used the same flavoring, but they’re not exactly the same: the freezer bars are better! They taste less watery and less medicinal. (I’ve never thought of Powerade as tasting medicinal until I tried it next to the bars.)

Anything else you need to know?

I compared the nutrition facts of these with regular Powerade. Serving for serving, they are roughly the same, except that the bars have half of the sodium (I’m guessing because salt affects the freezing point). The bars are like a concentrated version of Powerade. For your convenience, I have included the nutrition facts for both the freezer bars and regular Powerade below, including the vitamins and minerals.

Conclusion:

If you are going to be nibbling on freezer bars this summer and want some electrolytes to go with them, Powerade Sports Freezer Bars are a perfect option.

Purchased Price: $2.00
Size: 24 oz. box (16 bars)
Purchased at: Dollar General
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (Freezer bars – 4 bars, 170 grams) 80 calories, 0 grams of fat, 75 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbs, 19 grams of sugar including 19 grams of added sugars, 0 grams of protein, 18 milligrams of potassium, 2 milligrams of calcium, 4 milligrams of magnesium, 15% DV of niacin, 35% DV of vitamin B6, and 70% DV of vitamin B12.

(Powerade – 12 fl. oz.) 80 calories, 0 grams of fat, 150 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbs, 21 grams of sugar including 21 grams of added sugars, 0 grams of protein, 35 milligrams of potassium, 15% DV of niacin, 15% DV of vitamin B6, 35% DV of vitamin B12, and less than 2% DV of magnesium.