The Sparkling Water I Like Way More than LaCroix

There’s no way to downplay this: I’m obsessed with carbonated water. There’s just something about the fizzy goodness that appeals to my tastebuds in a way normal H20 never could. If I’m being honest, I reach for seltzer way, way more than tap water. (Spoiler alert! That’s okay. Read: Is Seltzer an Okay Substitute for Water? Experts Weigh In.)

I know I’m not alone. Recent numbers find that Americans are drinking close to 170 million gallons of seltzer per year. While most Kitchn readers are hardcore LaCroix fans, I prefer a different brand.

I recently stumbled across a new sparkling water brand called Phocus and found myself liking it more than most brands. Yes, even LaCroix.

At first taste, Phocus seems like any other seltzer or sparkling water brand. It has a great water-to-bubbles ratio and comes in several cool flavors like blood orange and yuzu lime (which, if you ask me, blow Pamplemousse out of the water — though Phocus does have a grapefruit option). It also has the caffeine equivalent of an eight-ounce cup of coffee. The geniuses behind Phocus used ingredients like tea caffeine, L-Theanine, and electrolytes to naturally caffeinate an already-zesty sparkling water.

See, the midday slump is a very real thing, but whenever I grab a cup of coffee or iced tea I usually can’t fall asleep until well after midnight. Phocus, on the other hand, gives me the jolt of energy I need without keeping me wired all night long.

At about $1.66 each, these things aren’t exactly cheap. (You can sometimes find LaCroix at Aldi for just 26 cents a can!) But you’re also not going to drink three of these before lunch, as some of my fellow Kitchn staffers have been known to do with LaCroix. I mean, you could, but you’d be wired. Now that I’ve found Phocus, I have regular seltzer water in the morning and one of these in the afternoon. The only downside: I think the Phocus flavors are so much better than LaCroix, I wish I could chug a bunch at a time. (I don’t because I actually want to sleep at night.)

Related: This Is the Cheapest Place I’ve Found to Buy LaCroix — And It Totally Surprised Me

What do you think about caffeinated seltzer? Yay or nay?