Last week I really hurt someone’s feelings with my review of coffee flavors; sorry to all the mocha lovers out there (Blake Tobey specifically gets my most sincere apologies). But drink flavors got me thinking and then Runza made the idea crystal clear by advertising their newest lemonades.
Let’s establish the parameters by which these lemonades are going to be ranked. First, the sweet-to-tart ratio needs to be perfected. I don’t want to have a visceral reaction while drinking my lemonade. Second, flavor. Seems pretty self-explanatory. Third, seasonal flavors versus year-long options will be compared. And you know what, we’re going to dive right in.
Strawberry: This is lemonade perfection in a bottle. The tart lemons are cut through by the sweetness of the strawberries, and I happen to LOVE a good strawberry. Plus, no matter where you are, you can almost always find a strawberry lemonade.
Blueberry: This one typically throws people for a loop because they have either never seen this option before or they know I really hate plain blueberries. But something about this lemonade is so subtly sweet and a bit on the more tart side, which I happen to really enjoy despite my aversion to blueberries.
Raspberry: Hey remember last week when I said that each hot take has the old reliable? Here she is, raspberry lemonade is the most solid choice of lemonade flavors I have ever discovered. It’s never unavailable, it’s always tasty and so perfectly sweet and sour.
Pear: I have never had pear lemonade until the very moment in which I’m writing this, and I have to say I am a huge fan. It’s on the tart side but we all know I prefer that. The only reason it’s not ranked higher is because I want to know where it’s been all my life and if it will suddenly disappear from my life the way it appeared.
Mango: So I know I’m going to lose some people here because I’ve learned that mango is a wildly popular flavor for some reason. However, I find that it is usually way too sweet and somehow it becomes even sweeter when mixed with other flavors. This deadly sugar combo is far too much for me.
Watermelon: You know what one of the key “flavors” of watermelon is? WATER. So when you add watermelon flavoring to anything, it tastes watered down. I will die on this hill if I have to.
