Over the past few years, seltzers have become the latest cold beverage craze in the US. Both non-alcoholic and hard seltzers have been exploding in popularity, and now there are way too many seltzer brands to even count.
But did you know that Aldi has its own brand of seltzer that’s cheaper than most other brands? Aldi’s PurAqua Belle Vie and Belle Vie Bold seltzers are a total fan favorite among Aldi shoppers. Let’s find out why.
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Introducing PurAqua Belle Vie
PurAqua Belle Vie is a brand of flavored and unflavored seltzer sold by the popular grocery chain Aldi.
These seltzers come in 12 ounce cans and feature a wide variety of fruity flavors.
If you’re an Aldi shopper, then you’ve probably seen the colorful boxes of Belle Vie sitting on a pallet during one of your shopping trips. But if you haven’t tried this stuff yet, you might want to.
Despite some recent supply chain issues, Aldi has not discontinued their popular Belle Vie seltzer. If it’s out of stock at your local Aldi, just hold tight. It will come back in stock as soon as supplies become available.
Unfortunately, according to a user on Reddit who reached out to Aldi directly, Belle Vie is packaged in cans that contain BPA, a harmful endocrine-disrupting chemical.
Belle Vie Flavors
The original line of Belle Vie seltzer comes in the following flavors–grapefruit, blackberry, lime, passionfruit, tangerine, peach, and original (unflavored). You can sometimes also find a lemon lime version as well as a plain berry version.
They come in boxes of 12 12-oz cans and are typically priced at $3.19. You can also find some flavors of Belle Vie in 1-liter plastic bottles for $0.55 a piece.
Aldi also carries cans of the Belle Vie spinoff Belle Vie Bold. These seltzers come in a range of unique flavors including blackberry cucumber, pineapple strawberry, and cherry lime. You can think of them as Aldi’s answer to La Croix’s Curate line of seltzers.
Belle Vie Bold comes in packs of 8 12-oz cans and are typically priced at $3.49.
PurAqua vs. PurAqua Belle Vie
It’s a bit confusing, but Aldi carries two different types of PurAqua seltzer–one is just called PurAqua and the other is called PurAqua Belle Vie.
Belle Vie is much more popular because it contains just two ingredients–carbonated water and natural flavors. This makes it a straightforward dupe for products like La Croix and Polar seltzer.
The plain PurAqua seltzer contains artificial sweeteners, including aspartame which has been linked to certain neurological conditions, as well as several preservatives. Plain PurAqua also comes in a different assortment of flavors.
How does Belle Vie compare to La Croix?
When it comes to comparing seltzers, you want to pay attention to carbonation, flavor, and ingredients.
As far as ingredients go, Belle Vie and La Croix are comparable. Both are made from just two basic ingredients. They also come in similar flavors.
But when it comes to carbonation and flavor quality, things start to diverge.
Here’s some input from one Reddit user who thinks that some flavors of Belle Vie are actually better than La Croix:
The commenters on this thread seem to be in agreement that of all the Belle Vie flavors, Grapefruit is definitely the best:
It’s worth noting that one commenter on the above thread thinks that Belle Vie is less bubbly than La Croix and Polar seltzers.
According to these commenters, Belle Vie seltzer has actually gotten less bubbly over the years, potentially due to a CO2 shortage impacting manufacturers:
Overall, if you’re looking for a cheap pack of seltzer with decent flavor, grab a box of grapefruit Belle Vie’s when you can. But don’t expect them to live up to your top-tier seltzer expectations as they tend to be less carbonated than La Croix.
Why Do Aldi Shoppers Love Belle Vie?
The answer here is pretty simple. Aldi shoppers love Belle Vie because it’s cheap and tastes good.
A 12-pack of La Croix currently sells for about $3.82, while a 12-pack of Belle Vie is about 70 cents cheaper. So, if you’ve got a seltzer habit that has you drinking multiple cans per day, then buying Belle Vie could save you some money in the long run.
This Reddit user says it best:
Overall, I think part of the reason why Belle Vie is so popular is because Aldi shoppers are so loyal. Even if they can find a slightly better product elsewhere, they’re happy supporting Aldi and sticking with a product with reliable flavor and a low price.
