Most flavored sparkling water's "natural flavor" is, legally, exactly that. The bigger reason a lime or grapefruit sparkling water often tastes like almost nothing isn't a natural-vs-artificial question at all — it's a dosing one. A zero-calorie, zero-sugar drink can only carry so much flavor before it stops being zero-calorie.
Still, the question comes up a lot, usually right after someone cracks open a can expecting citrus and gets fizzy water with a rumor of it. Here's what's actually going on, and why a malt-based soda like Reckon ends up tasting like more.
What "natural flavor" actually means on a label
Under FDA rules, a "natural flavor" is a flavoring compound extracted, distilled, or otherwise derived from a plant or animal source, rather than synthesized from scratch. It does not mean whole-fruit juice, and it does not mean untouched by processing — a natural flavor can still go through real chemistry on its way from source material to a bottle in a lab, it just has to start from something natural.
That's a real, legal distinction from an artificial flavor. It says nothing about concentration. A can can be 100% natural flavor and still carry only a few parts per million of it, which is close to what's actually happening in most flavored sparkling water.
How do sparkling water companies flavor water without adding sugar?
They add a very small dose of flavoring, usually labeled "natural flavor," to carbonated water and stop there. That flavoring is typically built from aromatic essences or oils derived from fruit rather than from juice, so a can can smell clearly of lime or grapefruit while delivering almost no taste behind the smell. With no juice and no sugar going in, the calories stay at zero. The trade-off is the next section.
Why it tastes like almost nothing anyway
Three things work against flavor intensity in a plain sparkling water:
- No sugar to carry it. Sugar doesn't just sweeten — it rounds out and extends how flavor reads on the tongue. Remove it entirely and a flavor compound that would taste vivid in a regular soda reads as faint.
- No body. Carbonation alone has no mouthfeel to speak of. A malt or juice base gives a drink weight and texture; carbonated water by itself is just bubbles.
- Ultra-low dosing by design. Staying at zero calories and zero sugar caps how much flavoring can go in before the drink stops qualifying as "water." That's a formulation ceiling, not a shortcut.
Put together, that's the actual answer to "why does my sparkling water taste watered down": it mostly is, on purpose, by the rules of the category it's competing in.
The scrutiny the category has faced
Flavored sparkling water's "all natural" marketing has drawn real public attention over the years, not just consumer grumbling. La Croix, the best-known name in the category, was sued in 2018 over claims that its flavoring relied on synthetic compounds. The case dragged into a sanctions fight over whether the allegations were ever well-founded, and the plaintiff ultimately withdrew the claims in 2020 without a court finding against the company. So the honest summary is scrutiny and a lawsuit that went nowhere — not proof that any specific brand's flavor is artificial today. Worth knowing the claim exists; not worth treating as settled fact.
Where a malt-based soda lands differently
Reckon isn't trying to be sparkling water with more flavor bolted on — it starts from a different base entirely. A malt base gives it body and mouthfeel that carbonated water can't fake, so the natural flavors on top of it — tart cherry flavor in one can, sun-ripe apricot flavor in the other — have something to sit on.
That base does carry some sugar: 15 grams in Cherry, 12 in Apricot, per 12-ounce can, about 1/3 the sugar of a typical cola. Not too sweet, but not flavor-free either. Color comes from black carrot in Cherry and beta-carotene in Apricot, never a dye. No artificial sweeteners, caffeine-free, and both flavors are natural flavors, the same regulated category sparkling water uses, just dosed at a level meant to actually taste like something.
If you want the fuller picture on how Reckon compares across the board, see how Reckon stacks up against cola and sparkling water, or start with what tart craft soda actually is. To try the contrast yourself, the Cherry and Apricot variety 12-pack has both flavors, and in Cleveland you can pick up Reckon at these shops.
A quick way to check any can
- Look for "natural flavor" or "artificial flavor" on the ingredient list — that's the real, regulated answer, not the front-of-can copy.
- Check the serving size and calories. Nearly-zero calories usually means nearly-zero flavor dosing too.
- If it tastes thin, that's very likely the format, not a defect in that particular can.
Not too sweet. On purpose.
Frequently asked questions
Is "natural flavor" the same as artificial flavor?
No. A natural flavor has to be derived from a plant, animal, or other natural source; an artificial flavor is built from scratch in a lab with no such requirement. Both are legal, regulated categories, and neither term describes how much flavor is actually in the can.
Why does my sparkling water taste watered down?
Mostly because it's formulated to stay at zero or near-zero calories and sugar, which caps how much flavoring it can carry, and because carbonated water alone has no sugar or body to help flavor read on the tongue. It's a formulation limit of the category, not usually a sign of a bad can.
Why does flavored sparkling water sometimes taste artificial?
Usually because you get the aroma of the fruit without the sugar, acid and body that normally come with it, and that gap can read as perfume-like or "off." It's an effect of very low dosing, not proof the flavor is artificial. The ingredient list tells you which kind it is.
Does flavored seltzer have artificial sweeteners?
Most unsweetened flavored seltzers list no sweetener at all, just carbonated water and natural flavor. Some lines in the category do add a sweetener, and when they do it appears by name in the ingredient list, so check the panel rather than the front of the can.