Ghost is more than just a line of energy drinks, it’s a burgeoning collection of workout essentials—at least, that seems to be the brand’s hope. They already make a slew of supplements and they just released a protein-packed Ghost cereal, and now they’re fully dropping the “energy” portion of their profile with the release of Ghost Hydration, aka Ghost Zero Caffeine. 

Made with 996 mg of electrolytes, 100% of your daily vitamin B6, B12, and C needs, and just 10 calories, these new Ghost flavors are all about replenishment and hydration after a hard workout. But how do they taste? Will they attract a new type of customer? Or are they only good if you already like all the Ghost energy drink flavors? I, a total Ghost noob, tried all four new Ghost Hydration flavors to find out. 

New Ghost Flavor!

This Ghost hydration drink smells a bit like a lemon-soaked paper napkin—the kind you get after eating a bunch of crab with your hands. Luckily, it tastes better than that. 

Pros: It’s very, very flavorful. I thought, perhaps, this Ghost hydration drink would be more like Vitamin Water or something, but it packs way more flavor than that or even Gatorade. It doesn’t have any of the saltiness of some electrolyte drinks—it’s all sweet, fruity, lemony liquid. The best way I can think to describe it is as Sprite concentrate. It tastes like the syrup you would mix with sparkling water to make Sprite. And, for a lot of folks, that’s a definite check in the pro column. 

Cons: It’s too sweet for me, personally speaking. If you wish melted popsicles came pre-bottled, then you’ll enjoy it. But I need a bit more dilution and acidity in my beverages. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Ralphs

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

New Ghost Flavor!

As a child of the ‘90s, I’m glad to see kiwi and strawberry back together and making the rounds. It’s the flavor equivalent of Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Patrow or Ryan Philippe and Reese Witherspoon getting back together. 

Pros: It smells exactly like I remember kiwi-strawberry smelling—like candy, like a Jolly-Rancher. But the flavor is more strawberry heavy. This new Ghost flavor tastes like liquid strawberry Jell-O. Love strawberry Jell-O? Wish it was even more concentrated and also packed with electrolytes? You’ll love this flavor of Ghost Hydration. 

Cons: I wish there was more kiwi in the mix. I think that would make it taste more like its own thing, rather than liquified Jell-O. And, once again, it’s just so sweet. This new Ghost flavor is the sweetest of the bunch, and that’s saying a lot. Because Ghost hydration does not shy away from sweet. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

6.5/10

Sporks

New Ghost Flavor!

Ghost is known for its liquid versions of candies, so I’m glad they brought that over to their line of Ghost hydration drinks. 

Pros: It smells exactly like Sour Patch Kids. That’s impressive—weird and, possibly, unnecessary, but impressive nonetheless. The flavor tastes like the sweet innards of a Sour Patch Kid, which, I realized upon drinking this, also tastes a lot like Swedish Fish (they make a Swedish Fish Ghost Energy, so that makes sense). Obviously, as a woman of a certain age, this drink is not for me, but I appreciate the science that went into making it.

Cons: I wish there was a bit more sourness. When something says it tastes like Sour Patch Kids, I want that sour sugar flavor in my mouth. It’s slightly tangy, for sure, but certainly not sour.

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

New Ghost Flavor!

As a boring old person, this was my favorite new Ghost flavor out of the four. Why? Because it tastes the most like something I’ve had before: Emergen-C. And, as an old person, familiar things make me happy. 

Pros: As I said, this Ghost hydration drink smells and tastes like Emergen-C. It’s a fake orange drink in a really nice way. It’s sweet, but it has that citric tang to it, as well. I could happily chug one of these if I was low on electrolytes.  

Cons: It’s not very interesting. If you’re a diehard Ghost Energy fan, this probably isn’t the Ghost Hydration flavor for you. But, if you’re new to the Ghost family, this is a great place to start. 

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

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