{"id":12373579,"date":"2025-12-26T09:00:20","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T17:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/?p=12373579"},"modified":"2025-12-28T00:38:33","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T08:38:33","slug":"taste-off-sparkling-ciders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/12\/26\/taste-off-sparkling-ciders\/","title":{"rendered":"Taste-Off: Sparkling ciders to toast the new year with \u2014 and those to toss"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Memorable moments with family and friends call for a glass of bubbly! For the growing contingent that prefer to drink dry, there are lots of festive bottles of sparkling, nonalcoholic bubbly drinks in champagne-style bottles that are fun to pop open.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"related left\"><h2 class=\"widget-title\" data-curated-ids=\"\" data-relation-type=\"automatic-primary-tag\">Related Articles<\/h2><ul><li>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/12\/12\/ranking-frozen-taquitos\/\" title=\"Taste-Off: Ranking frozen taquitos from crispy and spicy to empty and bland\">\n\t\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\">\n\t\t\tTaste-Off: Ranking frozen taquitos from crispy and spicy to empty and bland\t\t<\/span>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n<\/li><li>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/11\/26\/taste-off-supermarket-apple-pies\/\" title=\"Taste-Off: Supermarket apple pies you should \u2014 and shouldn&#8217;t \u2014 bring to holiday meals\">\n\t\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\">\n\t\t\tTaste-Off: Supermarket apple pies you should \u2014 and shouldn&#8217;t \u2014 bring to holiday meals\t\t<\/span>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n<\/li><li>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/11\/10\/taste-off-hawaiian-rolls-thanksgiving\/\" title=\"Taste-Off: Which Hawaiian rolls are worthy of your Thanksgiving table?\">\n\t\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\">\n\t\t\tTaste-Off: Which Hawaiian rolls are worthy of your Thanksgiving table?\t\t<\/span>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n<\/li><li>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/10\/27\/taste-off-ranking-baked-flavored-tofu-from-surprisingly-tasty-to-rubbery-and-bland\/\" title=\"Taste-Off: Ranking baked flavored tofu from surprisingly tasty to rubbery and bland\">\n\t\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\">\n\t\t\tTaste-Off: Ranking baked flavored tofu from surprisingly tasty to rubbery and bland\t\t<\/span>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n<\/li><li>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/10\/14\/taste-off-which-dipped-pretzels-will-satisfy-your-snack-cravings\/\" title=\"Taste-Off: Which dipped pretzels will satisfy your snack cravings?\">\n\t\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\">\n\t\t\tTaste-Off: Which dipped pretzels will satisfy your snack cravings?\t\t<\/span>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n<\/li><\/ul><\/aside>\n<p>Sparkling cider was once limited to apple, but the variety of sparkling ciders and juices has expanded in response to the growing demand. Martinelli\u2019s, the top producer, now sells seven different apple-based sparkling juices. Other companies have also jumped in, making kid-friendly sparkling drinks from other juices, including grape, pear and plum.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s important to know that, like traditional soda, sparkling juices tend to be quite sweet. Sugar content aside, these effervescent pours are a healthier alternative, as they contain natural fruit and antioxidants, and are generally free of artificial colors and additives.<\/p>\n<p>A pleasant sparkling juice starts with using the right fruit. It needs to be ripe and fresh, of course, but the varieties used must include those that are distinctly tart, with a fair amount of naturally occurring malic acid. The juice must also have a blast of carbonation, as bubbles cut through the sugar.<\/p>\n<p>As a side note, when opening sparkling ciders and juices, it\u2019s best to do so when the bottle is very cold, and over a sink. More than half of the sparklers we tried spewed every bit as enthusiastically as a bottle of champagne.<\/p>\n<p>Good sparkling juice delivers a blast of crisp, fresh flavor of just-picked fruit. It has lots of bubbles and a touch of acid that makes it bright and refreshing. Bad sparkling juices range from sour to so sweet and syrupy that the flavor of the fruit is lost.<\/p>\n<p>Here are details on the best sparkling juices to pour at your next celebration, and the cloying pours that taste more like corn syrup than juice. Nutrition info refers to 8 ounces.<\/p>\n<h4>Favorite Day Sparkling Apple Cider<\/h4>\n<p>This crisp cider has huge fresh apple flavor, and the perfect shot of acid. It\u2019s everything a great cider should be \u2014 sweet, tart and refreshing. 110 calories, 10 milligrams sodium, 24 grams sugar. $2.99 for 25.4 ounces at Target. (4 stars)<\/p>\n<h4>Martinelli\u2019s Sparkling Apple-Cranberry<\/h4>\n<p>Combining tart cranberries with apple is inspired. The dusty pink-colored juice isn\u2019t as pretty as others, but it\u2019s a luscious balance of tart-sweet flavors that may just need a second pour. 110 calories, 4 milligrams sodium, 22 grams sugar. $2.88 for 25.4 ounces at Target. (4 stars)<\/p>\n<h4>Welch\u2019s Sparkling Red Grape<\/h4>\n<p>While the twist-off cap on this bottle is nearly impossible to remove without a set of pliers, the deep purple juice inside is impressive. It\u2019s super bubbly and delivers a punch of rich grape flavor. 110 calories, 10 milligrams sodium, 27 grams sugar. $3.99 for 25.4 ounces at Target; $2 on sale at Walmart. (3 1\/2 stars)<\/p>\n<h4>Martinelli\u2019s Sparkling Apple-Grape<\/h4>\n<p>This is very sweet, but the pink color is gorgeous and the combination of apple and grape juice makes it more interesting than most. As with all Martinelli\u2019s, this one has great effervescence, but it opens with a bottle cap, so it can\u2019t really be stored. 130 calories, 10 milligrams sodium, 29 g sugar. $3.99 for 25.4 ounces at Total Wines. (3 stars)<\/p>\n<h4>Trader Joe\u2019s Sparkling Apple Cider<\/h4>\n<p>Bold apple flavor and lots of bubbles make this a decent choice, but it\u2019s begging for a bit more citric acid. Add a few tart apples into the mix, and it would be perfect. 110 calories, 10 milligrams sodium, 24 milligrams sugar. $3.49 for 25.4 ounces. (2 1\/2 stars)<\/p>\n<h4>Martinelli\u2019s Sparkling Apple-Mango<\/h4>\n<p>The flavor of mango comes through in this handsome, amber-colored drink and it has definite sparkle in the glass, but it\u2019s simply too sweet. 140 calories, no sodium, 28 grams sugar. $3.99 for 25.4 ounces at Total Wines. (2 stars)<\/p>\n<h4>Martinelli\u2019s Sparkling Blush<\/h4>\n<p>While the light pink color is lovely, it\u2019s sorely lacking in apple flavor. It tastes like watered-down corn syrup. 130 calories, no sodium, 31 grams sugar. $3.99 for 25.4 ounces at Total Wines. (1 star)<\/p>\n<h4>Sprouts Sparkling Organic Apple Cider<\/h4>\n<p>Minimal effervescence and a lack of acid make for an unappealing, flat, cloyingly drink. This is one to avoid. 130 calories, no sodium, 26 grams sugar. $4.39 for 25.36 ounces. (1 star)<\/p>\n<h4>Trader Joe\u2019s Sugar Plum Sparkling Beverage<\/h4>\n<p>Yikes! This extra-bubbly pink pour looks festive, but it\u2019s just so unexpectedly and unpleasantly sour. 70 calories, 15 mg sodium, 17 grams sugar. $3.99 for 25.4 ounces. (1\/2 star)<\/p>\n<h4>Trader Joe\u2019s Sparkling White Chardonnay Grape Juice<\/h4>\n<p>This juice that\u2019s sealed with a champagne cork has the same warm color as Chardonnay, but it has little fizz and no fruit flavor. Best to leave this one on the shelf. 160 calories, 13 milligrams sodium, 39 grams sugar. $3.99 for 25.36 ounces. (no stars)<\/p>\n<p><em>Reviews are based on product samples purchased by this newspaper or provided by manufacturers. Contact Jolene Thym at <a href=\"mailto:timespickyeater@gmail.com\">timespickyeater@gmail.com<\/a>. Read more Taste-off columns at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/tag\/taste-off\/\">mercurynews.com\/tag\/taste-off<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The best nonalcoholic bubbly drinks are crisp, tart and sweet, while the worst are too sugary or too sour.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":953,"featured_media":12374567,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"subheadline":"The best nonalcoholic bubbly drinks are crisp, tart and sweet, while the worst are too sugary or too sour","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[13645,172,178,27655],"tags":[387,411,32732,22724,456],"feature":[],"location":[],"type-of-work":[24460],"coauthors":[9431],"class_list":["post-12373579","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-headlines","category-lifestyle","category-restaurants-food-drink","category-things-to-do","tag-drink","tag-holidays","tag-keywee","tag-pm-report","tag-taste-off","type-of-work-opinion"],"post_status":"","edit_last":0,"edit_lock":0,"highlights":"","original_byline":"","original_canonical":"","original_category":"","original_email":"","original_id":0,"original_pubdate":"","original_source":"","primary_section":"178","primary_tag":456,"print_workflow_body":{"deck_headline":"Taste-Off","print_title":"Sparkling ciders to toast the new year with \u2014 and those to toss","print_subheadline":"The best nonalcoholic bubbly drinks are crisp, tart and sweet, while the worst are too sugary or too sour","print_planned_ready":"","print_pub_date":"","print_slug":"SJM-L-TASTEOFF-COL-1228","print_content":"<p>Memorable moments with family and friends call for a glass of bubbly! For the growing contingent that prefer to drink dry, there are lots of festive bottles of sparkling, nonalcoholic bubbly drinks in champagne-style bottles that are fun to pop open.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Sparkling cider was once limited to apple, but the variety of sparkling ciders and juices has expanded in response to the growing demand. Martinelli\u2019s, the top producer, now sells seven different apple-based sparkling juices. Other companies have also jumped in, making kid-friendly sparkling drinks from other juices, including grape, pear and plum.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s important to know that, like traditional soda, sparkling juices tend to be quite sweet. Sugar content aside, these effervescent pours are a healthier alternative, as they contain natural fruit and antioxidants, and are generally free of artificial colors and additives.<\/p>\n<p>A pleasant sparkling juice starts with using the right fruit. It needs to be ripe and fresh, of course, but the varieties used must include those that are distinctly tart, with a fair amount of naturally occurring malic acid. The juice must also have a blast of carbonation, as bubbles cut through the sugar.<\/p>\n<p>As a side note, when opening sparkling ciders and juices, it\u2019s best to do so when the bottle is very cold, and over a sink. More than half of the sparklers we tried spewed every bit as enthusiastically as a bottle of champagne.<\/p>\n<p>Good sparkling juice delivers a blast of crisp, fresh flavor of just-picked fruit. It has lots of bubbles and a touch of acid that makes it bright and refreshing. Bad sparkling juices range from sour to so sweet and syrupy that the flavor of the fruit is lost.<\/p>\n<p>Here are details on the best sparkling juices to pour at your next celebration, and the cloying pours that taste more like corn syrup than juice. Nutrition info refers to 8 ounces.<\/p>\n<h4>Favorite Day Sparkling Apple Cider<\/h4>\n<p>This crisp cider has huge fresh apple flavor, and the perfect shot of acid. It\u2019s everything a great cider should be \u2014 sweet, tart and refreshing. 110 calories, 10 milligrams sodium, 24 grams sugar. $2.99 for 25.4 ounces at Target. (4 stars)<\/p>\n<h4>Martinelli\u2019s Sparkling Apple-Cranberry<\/h4>\n<p>Combining tart cranberries with apple is inspired. The dusty pink-colored juice isn\u2019t as pretty as others, but it\u2019s a luscious balance of tart-sweet flavors that may just need a second pour. 110 calories, 4 milligrams sodium, 22 grams sugar. $2.88 for 25.4 ounces at Target. (4 stars)<\/p>\n<h4>Welch\u2019s Sparkling Red Grape<\/h4>\n<p>While the twist-off cap on this bottle is nearly impossible to remove without a set of pliers, the deep purple juice inside is impressive. It\u2019s super bubbly and delivers a punch of rich grape flavor. 110 calories, 10 milligrams sodium, 27 grams sugar. $3.99 for 25.4 ounces at Target; $2 on sale at Walmart. (3 1\/2 stars)<\/p>\n<h4>Martinelli\u2019s Sparkling Apple-Grape<\/h4>\n<p>This is very sweet, but the pink color is gorgeous and the combination of apple and grape juice makes it more interesting than most. As with all Martinelli\u2019s, this one has great effervescence, but it opens with a bottle cap, so it can\u2019t really be stored. 130 calories, 10 milligrams sodium, 29 g sugar. $3.99 for 25.4 ounces at Total Wines. (3 stars)<\/p>\n<h4>Trader Joe\u2019s Sparkling Apple Cider<\/h4>\n<p>Bold apple flavor and lots of bubbles make this a decent choice, but it\u2019s begging for a bit more citric acid. Add a few tart apples into the mix, and it would be perfect. 110 calories, 10 milligrams sodium, 24 milligrams sugar. $3.49 for 25.4 ounces. (2 1\/2 stars)<\/p>\n<h4>Martinelli\u2019s Sparkling Apple-Mango<\/h4>\n<p>The flavor of mango comes through in this handsome, amber-colored drink and it has definite sparkle in the glass, but it\u2019s simply too sweet. 140 calories, no sodium, 28 grams sugar. $3.99 for 25.4 ounces at Total Wines. (2 stars)<\/p>\n<h4>Martinelli\u2019s Sparkling Blush<\/h4>\n<p>While the light pink color is lovely, it\u2019s sorely lacking in apple flavor. It tastes like watered-down corn syrup. 130 calories, no sodium, 31 grams sugar. $3.99 for 25.4 ounces at Total Wines. (1 star)<\/p>\n<h4>Sprouts Sparkling Organic Apple Cider<\/h4>\n<p>Minimal effervescence and a lack of acid make for an unappealing, flat, cloyingly drink. This is one to avoid. 130 calories, no sodium, 26 grams sugar. $4.39 for 25.36 ounces. (1 star)<\/p>\n<h4>Trader Joe\u2019s Sugar Plum Sparkling Beverage<\/h4>\n<p>Yikes! This extra-bubbly pink pour looks festive, but it\u2019s just so unexpectedly and unpleasantly sour. 70 calories, 15 mg sodium, 17 grams sugar. $3.99 for 25.4 ounces. (1\/2 star)<\/p>\n<h4>Trader Joe\u2019s Sparkling White Chardonnay Grape Juice<\/h4>\n<p>This juice that\u2019s sealed with a champagne cork has the same warm color as Chardonnay, but it has little fizz and no fruit flavor. Best to leave this one on the shelf. 160 calories, 13 milligrams sodium, 39 grams sugar. $3.99 for 25.36 ounces. (no stars)<\/p>\n<p><em>Reviews are based on product samples purchased by this newspaper or provided by manufacturers. Contact Jolene Thym at timespickyeater@gmail.com. Read more Taste-off columns at mercurynews.com\/tag\/taste-off.<\/em><\/p>\n","print_budget_line":"","print_excerpt":"The best nonalcoholic bubbly drinks are crisp, tart and sweet, while the worst are too sugary or too sour.","print_notes":"","photo_limits":"Photo limits are: 1 featured image, 5 featured gallery images, 5 embedded gallery images and 5 in-article embedded images. Articles that exceed these limits will not export. Please adjust images to reflect these limits.","print_featured_gallery_richtext":"","print_inline_galleries_richtext":"","print_inline_images_richtext":""},"print_workflow_exported_ts":"1766110634","print_workflow_exported_username":"Lisa Hix","print_workflow_shapes":"","print_workflow_side":{"print_section":13012,"print_status":12923,"print_endpoint":"bang","add_export_buttons":""},"really_short_title":"Taste-Off: Sparkling cider","short_title":"","syndication_source":"","market_neutral_title":"","social_title":"","dfm_hub_post_id":0,"paywall_level":"","featured_media_content":{"content_type":"image","content":{"id":12374567,"title":"Bottle and two glasses of cider on the wooden background","filename":"SJM-L-TASTEOFF-COL-1228-01.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SJM-L-TASTEOFF-COL-1228-01.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/bottle-and-two-glasses-of-cider-on-the-wooden-background\/","alt":"","author":"710","description":"","caption":"Good sparkling juice delivers a blast of crisp, fresh flavor of just-picked fruit. 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