Pricklee Cactus Water works best when it leans into its (deep, desert) roots

USA Today

21-07-2025

Hydration is important. It's also much easier when you're drinking something with actual flavor.
That latter piece has gotten more important as younger generations drink less alcohol and instead lean toward social drinks without the booze. This has helped fuel a robust market of non-alcoholic beers and cocktails expanding their reach into liquor stores across America. It's the same in your local grocery store as companies look for the right combination of taste and branding to fill coolers and the space in fridges created by downsizing from a case of beer to a six pack.
That's a void Pricklee hopes to fill. This cactus water has been featured across startup media -- Shark Tank and Thrillist, come on down -- and is looking to turn that splash into a lasting crater in the hydration landscape. The best way to do that is by tasting great on top of brain-reviving electrolytes and vitamins within. Let's see how it turned out.
Prickly Pear Original: B+
I've had nothing but good experiences with prickly pear. But coming from the northeast and currently living in Wisconsin, there's been like three of them. I'm optimistic, but aware things could go downhill quickly.
It pours with some minor carbonation. The liquid itself is a orange-ish pink flavor that looks more peach than pear. It smells sweet and tangy, inviting and a bit exotic.
The drink is light but flavorful. The prickly pear hits your tongue with a little tartness that creates a push-and-pull with the sweet fruit flavor. There's an unmistakable influence of agave sugars, though it's not overpowering.
That braids together for a satisfying and thirst-quenching finish. The citrus-adjacent tang of the prickly pear is the headliner, an underutilized fruit that makes entirely too much sense in cactus water. Honestly, Pricklee could go a bit harder with the flavor here, though that may throw off the 40 calorie diet drink balance.
Wild Strawberry + Hibiscus: C+
We're getting flowers on flowers here. And strawberry, which is probably where I should have started. It pours an uncarbonated pinkish orange, though it's light.
The three flavors here combine for a complicated mix. They don't especially work in harmony, with the strawberry squaring off against the floral backdrop of the hibiscus and cactus. It's busy, which is satisfying. It also may not be what you're looking for in a hydrating refresher.
Thus, you're left with a sloppy drink that tastes a little bit like those red-and-green wrapped hard candies you can find at most nursing homes. It needs some kind of sharpness or acidity to cut through that, but it never comes. That's a little frustrating, but it's easy enough to drink that it's not a total loss.
Tropical Mango + Ginger: B-
This is an interesting combination -- the creaminess of a mango contrasted with the spice of ginger. I'm not a huge mango fan, but this is appealing.
Cracking the can unleashes a wave of light mango flavor. A hint of ginger creeps in at the end. The first sip is more of the same. You get moderate mango, balanced here against the prickly pear that was overpowered in the Wild Strawberry flavor. That creates a soft texture that's just waiting for something sharp to cut through it.
The ginger doesn't quite get there, leaving you to linger on that softness rather than snap off each sip dryly. I'd like a little more flavor, turning up that ginger spice as well as bringing more mango into the mix. But it's a pleasant enough drink on its own, even if it's light on the benefits you might expect from what's ostensibly a healthier choice. Per the label, you get a modest amount of vitamin C and not much else.
Would I drink it instead of a Hamm's?
This a pass/fail mechanism where I compare whatever I'm drinking to my baseline cheap beer. That's the standby from the land of sky-blue waters, Hamm's. So the question to answer is: on a typical day, would I drink Pricklee over a cold can of Hamm's?
I'd swap one or two in if I'm drinking over the course of an afternoon, but there are better tasting hydration drinks out there.
This is part of FTW's Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey.