I gave up drinking soda a few years back. Not completely – I’ll have one maybe once a month or something – but I cut it out when I started running and dieting and haven’t gone back. The sugar content is killer, even the natural ones like the glass bottles of Mexican Coca Cola.

But I love good a bubbly drink, and I didn’t want to give that up. Flavored seltzer became my substitute. No calories, no sugars, nada.

When my wife and I were still out on Long Island, Stop & Shop brand’s mandarin orange seltzer was my go-to flavor, and it was super cheap – usually between $3 and $4 for a 12-pack. It was more of an essence or scent of orange than a taste, but there was something in there that was orangey.

It worked to give me my bubble fix. Then I discovered La Croix at Whole Foods after we moved back to the city…

In particular this coconut flavor. It’s the Rolls Royce of seltzer. Sure, it is more expensive at between $4.50 and $6.00 for a 12-pack. But the amazing flavor that tastes real and natural. I’ve had other coconut seltzers in the past and they taste like fake coconut, if that makes any sense. And while I still enjoy the Stop & Shop brand well enough, this La Croix shit is miles beyond.