How Does One Define The Flavor Of Cool Blue Gatorade?

Gatorade, the popular sports drink, is unique in the sense that it's more known by its colors than its actual flavors. If you ask anyone what their favorite flavor of Gatorade is, they'd probably say something along the lines of "the red one" or "the green one" — never by the flavors the drinks actually are. But what if there's a type of Gatorade that has a flavor so complex, so vague, that its color can actually describe the drink better?

Cool Blue Gatorade is the perfect example of this. Unlike other Gatorade drinks, there's not even a set flavor written on the label to tell you what you're drinking. It's almost as if Gatorade itself doesn't even know what flavor it is. But there are some people who claim to have finally figured out just what exactly Cool Blue Gatorade tastes like — and how it stands against other blue flavors of the classic thirst quencher.

While red Gatorade tastes like fruit punch and yellow Gatorade tastes like lemon-lime, Cool Blue seems to be the only Gatorade without an actual, identifiable flavor. But, according to Soda Pop Craft, Cool Blue Gatorade does indeed have a real flavor: Blue raspberry. Soda Pop Craft describes Cool Blue Gatorade as having a very sharp flavor, a somewhat tangy and tart contrast to other sugary-sweet flavors of Gatorade out there. And while you might think that means the mystery is solved, think again. Blue raspberry itself is also something of a complicated flavor. Since blue raspberries aren't a real fruit, what is this flavor even based on?

Despite what you might think, blue raspberry is based on a real type of raspberry known as the Rubus leucodermis, or the White Bark Raspberry. As Spoon University explains, however, while the White Bark Raspberry does have that same sour flavor you'd expect from blue raspberry, it's closer to a blackberry in texture than an actual raspberry.

This would mean that, although neither "cool blue" nor "blue raspberry" are flavors that actually exist in nature, there's at least some truth behind these puzzling artificial flavors. But don't expect Gatorade to change the name of Cool Blue"to blue raspberry any time soon.

Cool Blue Gatorade's flavor may be very similar to blue raspberry, but it's not the only type of Gatorade that is known more by its name than its actual flavor. Glacier Freeze, for example, is a flavor of Gatorade known simply for being another shade of blue. Since Gatorade can't exactly describe what a frozen glacier tastes like, it's up to the public to discern the flavor for themselves.

The flavor of Glacier Freeze is also somewhat hard to identify, especially because no one can agree on its flavor. Some fans claim that the drink tastes like lemonade mixed with cherry, while others have noted a subtle blueberry taste. One Reddit user even e-mailed Gatorade regarding the flavor of Glacier Freeze and, surprisingly enough, received a response. The official response, if it is to be believed, describes Glacier Freeze as tasting of "sweet, juicy citrus/orange, and candied strawberry. It has slightly tart cranberry notes with slightly seedy sour berry notes." Pretty flowery stuff for an energy drink!

While Glacier Freeze's flavor profile may be more complex than Cool Blue's, there's no denying both drinks are very popular even without a concrete description. So long as they keep people hydrated, people will still be happy to call them by their colors.