Hint Water

Summer is a popular time for cold drinks. It’s relaxing and satisfying to sit on the patio with a soda, an iced tea latte, some sparkling flavored water, or even just some flavored water.

Aldi sells its own house brand of flavored water year round that comes in individual bottles, but during the summer it also sells name-brand Hint flavored water, which is not exclusive to Aldi, for a fraction of what you might pay at other grocery stores.

Hint water cost $9.99 for a pack of twelve 16-oz. bottles at the time of publication, which comes out to about 83 cents per bottle. That’s considerably less than what is costs at Walmart or Target. You can also order Hint directly from the manufacturer, and you can even subscribe and have it delivered on a regular basis. You can sometimes get a deal ordering from the manufacturer, but even the best limited-time deal I spotted at the time of writing was still going to cost $1 per bottle.

This product is a Seasonal Favorite, which means it’s on Aldi shelves for several months, usually during the summer, but it’s not stocked year round. So if you really like this stuff, stock up while you can.

The pack includes four flavors: blackberry, pineapple, watermelon, and cherry.

These contain no juice, but the ingredients appear simple: just purified water and natural flavors. The front labels state they contain “water infused with [blackberry, pineapple, watermelon, or cherry] essence and other natural flavors.”

Unfortunately, manufacturers are not required to disclose what goes into their natural flavors, and they are so refined that they are more of a lab creation than a food you’d actually find in nature. If that is a deal breaker for you, it is possible to make your own fruit water by placing cut fruit in your glass or decanter. Because it would contain fresh fruit, it just won’t have the long shelf life that this water has.

Nutrition information and ingredients for cherry Hint water. Ingredients lists are identical for all flavors. (Click to enlarge.)

Each Hint water flavor has zero calories and no sugar. I appreciate the fact that this water doesn’t have diet sweeteners, which I don’t like the taste of, and I usually avoid diet sweeteners because they can increase cravings for sugar.

The fact that it has no artificial sweeteners is something Hint touts on the bottles. They also claim they are free of sugar, MSG, nuts, soy, gluten, and preservatives.

In contrast, Aldi’s house brand Pur Aqua Frut Flavored Water contains both an artificial sweetener (sucralose) and preservatives, so if I’m going to drink flavored water, I prefer Hint over the Aldi brand.

Hint water also is certified non-GMO and the bottles are BPA free.

As for how this water tastes, I really like it. It literally is water with just a hint of fruit flavor. The fruit flavoring doesn’t taste fake or like candy, as it does with some other types of drinks. It actually tastes like the water was steeped with real fruit. If you’re looking for a strong flavor or a lot of sweetness, this is not your drink. But if you want something that’s just a little different from regular water, this is a good option.

These cost more than a lot of other flavored water bottles, so I don’t buy them often. I usually splurge and buy a pack when my family is getting ready to go on a camping trip. It’s a nice treat to look forward to cracking open one of these water bottles while sitting around the campsite after a day of activities.

The Verdict:

Aldi sells name-brand Hint water during the summer months for less than what you’d pay at other retailers. This product contains just water and natural flavors, with no sugar or artificial sweeteners. If you like flavored water, this is worth a try.