Taste Test: A sparkler for the Fourth

For fizzy-water fans looking for something different for the weekend's holiday parties, R.W. Knudsen Family has come out with a new line of organic sparkling waters with no sugar, no calories and nothing artificial.

 What Sparkling Essence waters do have is three unusual varieties — mint, cucumber and blueberry — in addition to the familiar lemon.  We tried them all, and found the cool, refreshing mint to be the easy winner. The lemon was a cut above others we’ve tried, with a truer lemon flavor than most. The blueberry was kind of blah — sort of like a blue snow cone without the sweetness. And although we love a slice of cucumber in ice water, the Knudsen cuke was a bit strong for our taste.

 The waters come in sexy little 10.5-ounce silvery-blue cans, sleek, but petite in our hot climate. Find them at stores including Nature’s Finest Foods in St. Petersburg.

Charlotte Sutton, health and medicine editor