Grab a Straw and Return to the Days of 'Liquid Cool' With the 10 Best Capri-Sun Flavors, Ranked
You may remember the allure of Capri-Sun from your own childhood, but it's not just a retro drink from yesteryear. Capri-Sun is still a thing today—especially for kids(!)—billions of pouches are sold per year. Yep, billions. With that in mind, some flavors are better than others and even sell more than others. So, we're getting to the bottom of the pouch to find out: What are the best Capri-Sun flavors?
Keep reading for more natural fun ranking the best Capri-Sun flavors from worst to best.
Disclaimer: Parade did not include any of Capri-Sun's Roarin' Waters, Organic flavors, or discontinued flavors.
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Why is it called Capri-Sun?
Many of us drank Capri-Sun all through childhood but never gave much thought to where the name came from. What is a "capri sun" exactly? And where did it come from?
Capri-Sun is a German juice product, but despite its German background, these laminated foil vacuum pouches are named after the sunny, Italian island of Capri. When it originally was introduced in 1969, it was called 'Capri-Sonne' abroad, but the name was retired in 2017. It has always been 'Capri-Sun' in the U.S.
What was the original flavor of Capri-Sun?
The first two original flavors of Capri-Sun—back when it was still Capri-Sonne—were orange and lemon.
What is the most popular Capri-Sun flavor?
According to the Capri-Sun website, the best-selling Capri-Sun flavor might not be the one you automatically think of. Capri-Sun's most popular flavor is one of its originals: Original Capri-Sun Orange.
Is Capri-Sun a healthy drink?
Juice has long been marketed to children as an alternative way for kids to get the daily fruit intake they need. In a convenient, tasty pouch, it's much more desirable to kids who maybe aren't as good about eating enough fruit every day.
But things get murky when you're dealing with juice concentrate versus whole fruit. Some brands combine the two in an effort to make them tastier, therefore more appealing to kids.
Capri-Sun is relatively high in sugar and it does not have the essential vitamins, minerals, and/or fiber needed. These drinks also contain high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which one 2020 study linked to complications like heart health, fatty liver and gout. Such drinks may also increase the risk of obesity.
However, Capri-Sun generally has less sugar than soda or Kool-Aid. While the total sugar content is 10g for Fruit Drink and 15g for the Roarin' Waters flavors, these numbers are comparable to many other drinks. Depending on the flavor, Vitamin Water has 15g, Gatorade has 20g, and popular sodas range anywhere between 38g and 46g.
Nowadays, Capri-Sun is made with monk fruit as a sweetener.
Is Capri-Sun really 100 juice?
The ingredients of each Capri-Sun flavor vary, but here is an example of the ingredients in Wild Cherry: Filtered Water, Sugar, Pear And Cherry Juice Concentrates, Monk Fruit Concentrate, Citric Acid, Grape And Apple Juice Concentrates, Natural Flavor, Mushroom Extract (To Protect Quality).
Because each fruit flavor has 'concentrate' after it, that does not constitute 100% juice. However, Capri-Sun has a line of 100% Juice. Those pouches contain 40g of total sugar, are made with all-natural fruit juice (nothing added), and use whole fruit juice.
Original Orange claims to include nothing artificial and both their orange and lemon flavors contain no added sugar at all.
Caprisun Juice Variety Pouches Coolers Pack as Original, 40 Count
10 Capri-Sun flavors, ranked
10. Strawberry
As a drink flavor, strawberry is a little tough. While it's yummy in theory, it can be hard to pull off and truth be told, there are better berry flavors than this. It gets a C- at best.
9. Passionfruit Mango
I'm not completely sold on the mango flavor in this one—but I could see it being perfect on a super hot summer day.
8. Red Berry
Like Red Berry! Red Berry is the prime example of a berry drink well done.
7. Dragon Fruit Punch
Dragon fruit is usually one to be skeptical of. It can sometimes... taste like nothing. Capri-Sun's version is pretty good, but if given the choice, you'll probably want to choose one of the below six instead.
6. Grape
There's a longstanding debate between lovers of grape flavor and those who prefer orange. But no matter where you fall in that flavor battle, Grape is good, but it just can't stand up to Original Orange. It's original after all!
Capri Sun Roarin' Waters Grape Ready-to-Drink Juice (40 Pouches, 4 Boxes of 10)
5. Strawberry Kiwi
Strawberry Kiwi is oftentimes a swing and a miss for other drink brands, but Capri-Sun gets it just right. In fact, Strawberry Kiwi is one of Capri-Sun's quintessential flavors.
Capri Sun Strawberry Kiwi Ready-to-Drink Juice, 6 Fl Oz Pouches, 10 Pack
4. Fruit Punch
Very few takes on the fruit punch flavor are actually successful, but it's a flavor Capri-Sun has down to a (delicious) science.
Capri Sun 100% Juice Fruit Punch Naturally Flavored Kids Juice Blend (40 ct Pack, 4 Boxes of 10 Pouches)
3. Original Orange
You can't go wrong with Capri-Sun's Original Orange. It's the flavor that started it all.
2. Wild Cherry
Wild Cherry is what dreams are made of and countless kids drink this flavor on the sidelines of soccer games or during basketball practice. Despite the sugar content, it feels like it's hydrating and all-around, the flavor profile is near perfection.
Capri Sun Roarin' Waters Wild Cherry Ready-to-Drink Juice (40 Pouches, 4 Boxes of 10)
1. Pacific Cooler
It's impossible to say the word 'Capri-Sun' without immediately thinking of their flagship Pacific Cooler. If there's a cooler of Capri-Sun at a party, it better have a pack of Pacific Coolers in it.
Capri Sun Pacific Cooler, 6 Fl Oz Pouches, 10 Pack
