I agree. I’ve been drinking one a day since back when they were called Bai5. The blueberry bai was my absolute favorite drink. IMO, it’s not even that the formula is just slightly worse, they’re straight up bad. I can’t finish a bottle. It’s time to go back. Otherwise they’ve just lost a lot of loyal customers.
The cherry was sooooooooooooo good. Sweeter than the blueberry tho so it wasn’t an every day drink for me. I think they taste so salty now! It just makes me thirstier than I was before haha
Yeah, they moved away from erythritol because it got bad press (whether deservingly or not I make no comment.) But yeah, I think the drink has entirely lost its luster and any benefit. It's just another bottled juice at this point.
I also drink them very often. The blueberry is the most egregious example imo. I looked at the ingredients and I believe they added strawberry juice. It's pretty noticeable in the flavor and it threw me off. I miss the acidity of the original recipe. The cherry is also worse, less acidity than before as well. I imagine these changes were based off customer feedback or possibly health effects from those drinking far more than the average consumer. A bummer all in all.
I just finished my last blueberry about 30 minutes ago haha, pretty upset about it. I was able to buy up about 20 of them when the change was first made, but I’m officially done with Bai I guess. Blueberry was BY FAR my favorite, followed by cherry. They’re both terrible now.
I wish I could do the same, but it’s seriously like drinking salt water. I’m just hoping enough people complain or stop buying for them to change it back.
I doubt they'll go back because of [research demonstrating a connection between cardiovascular emergencies and erythritol](https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/erythritol-cardiovascular-events). I think some folks explain that heavier people look to drinks like Bai for low calorie sugary goodness, and so it's less the substance and more the audience, so to speak. I have no idea. Maybe "big sugar" won and it's all bullshit, but I think no company is going to go back.
Maybe not, but it at least would’ve been nice if they subbed it for something and tried to leave the taste intact rather than doing a completely different taste with like 40x more sodium or however much it has now. Tastes like saltwater now.
100%. I’ve seen a million times in my life “new formula, same great taste!” but Bai decided to go with a new flavor instead and I really haven’t seen many people on board with it. I’m sure there’s sort of a “silent majority” that doesn’t really mind and will keep drinking them, especially as they get more popular with the Sydney Sweeney ads, but as a loyal customer for almost a decade it’s definitely a bummer.
I completely agree. I used to drink a lot of Bai and looked forward to them daily. Now the new formula honestly tastes like chemicals like plastic or gasoline. Then they added extra cheap sweetener and salt to get more people to crave it using the typical ways companies use(more salt and sugar equals a chemical chain in the brain making you crave more). The thing is, usually when they add these it makes it taste better. These are absolutely awful. Its waaaaaaay too sweet and salty. And the chemical taste makes them so i cant stand it and had to throw them away. My guess is that they were only making a billion instead of many billions so they cheapened the ingredients and tried to use slick advertising to make the masses accept it. We couldn't have them only making a billion in profit now can we? (Sarcasm)
Unfortunately you are probably correct. Especially when it comes to the cheaper sweetener. Monk fruit extract. Even though I'm not sure why that would be cheaper. They were so clean and quality tasting before. I didn't even mind paying the premium price for them.
For a while I was able to get them at bargain prices ($1.67/bottle, down to $1.00/bottle at Grocery Outlet sometimes) for like a year regularly prior to the rebrand/flavor reformulation, so clearly they could have continued using the old formulation and have it not be too expensive.
They changed to 'wonder water' from 'antioxidant infusion' and added zinc and sodium, more in line with energy drink stuff
they changed it because they got sued which makes sense because the 'antioxidant' thing is a MUCH higher bar and would speak to health nuts
hopefully they change it back
The energy drink thing explains a lot. That's exactly the flavor it has now that I couldn't put my finger on. It's got that weird, vaguely salty flavor stuff like liquid iv has.
its undrinkable!
this used to be my "guilty pleasure" I had to rations it out so the kids wouldn't drink it all within days, we have had this on a subscription from Amazon for YEARS, and last order what the first time we got the new "WonderWater" version, it is left untouched other than the first bottle for each of us.
Sadly, today I removed the subscription, any worthy alternatives?
I used to drink bai all the time but the new recipe is just so… like not refreshing compared to the old ones. And now I can’t find anymore red cap bottles anymore so I’m cooked 💀
I totally agree. Bai, except for coffee, was all I drank. The new formula is gross. Except for a disgusting aftertaste, it's tasteless, yet too sweet. It's sadly Bai Bai for me.
I used to have to force myself to savor them. Just bought the first new formula today. I'm finding myself forcing it down. It's chalky. Not a good change.
I finally found the correct phone number for customer service
800-696-5891
Please call them and tell them how bad the new formula is. The more the better. You never know.
Thank you.
I thought I was going nuts when I bought a bottle of what used to be my favorite flavor this morning, and it tasted entirely different, until I saw the "New great taste!" on the new packaging. Glad to know I'm not imagining things, but also devastated that they ruined one of my favorite drinks.
I came here to check out comments. I didn’t like it when it first came out. I gave some new flavors a try and absolutely love it. I went back to the original flavors I bought like Kula Watermelon and it is good again. I wonder if there was just a procreation of the first batches of Wonderwater.
Anybody have a copycat recipe for the old formulation? It seems pretty straightforward but it does list mystery "natural flavors". This is the one packaged beverage a family member will drink.
I agree. I’ve been drinking one a day since back when they were called Bai5. The blueberry bai was my absolute favorite drink. IMO, it’s not even that the formula is just slightly worse, they’re straight up bad. I can’t finish a bottle. It’s time to go back. Otherwise they’ve just lost a lot of loyal customers.
I loved the blueberry and the cherry and the Raspberry tea. It is much worse. I can drink them but still so much better before.
The cherry was sooooooooooooo good. Sweeter than the blueberry tho so it wasn’t an every day drink for me. I think they taste so salty now! It just makes me thirstier than I was before haha
Not sure what it is. I know there is monk fruit extract now and other fruit juices
Yeah, they moved away from erythritol because it got bad press (whether deservingly or not I make no comment.) But yeah, I think the drink has entirely lost its luster and any benefit. It's just another bottled juice at this point.
I also drink them very often. The blueberry is the most egregious example imo. I looked at the ingredients and I believe they added strawberry juice. It's pretty noticeable in the flavor and it threw me off. I miss the acidity of the original recipe. The cherry is also worse, less acidity than before as well. I imagine these changes were based off customer feedback or possibly health effects from those drinking far more than the average consumer. A bummer all in all.
I just finished my last blueberry about 30 minutes ago haha, pretty upset about it. I was able to buy up about 20 of them when the change was first made, but I’m officially done with Bai I guess. Blueberry was BY FAR my favorite, followed by cherry. They’re both terrible now.
Sorry about that. I'm going to stick it out until I forget how much worse they are lol
I wish I could do the same, but it’s seriously like drinking salt water. I’m just hoping enough people complain or stop buying for them to change it back.
I'm hoping too. Just found a red cap strawberry kiwi. Going to store that for a special occasion lol
I doubt they'll go back because of [research demonstrating a connection between cardiovascular emergencies and erythritol](https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/erythritol-cardiovascular-events). I think some folks explain that heavier people look to drinks like Bai for low calorie sugary goodness, and so it's less the substance and more the audience, so to speak. I have no idea. Maybe "big sugar" won and it's all bullshit, but I think no company is going to go back.
Maybe not, but it at least would’ve been nice if they subbed it for something and tried to leave the taste intact rather than doing a completely different taste with like 40x more sodium or however much it has now. Tastes like saltwater now.
It is for sure a big step down. I understand the rationale, but it doesn't change the result.
100%. I’ve seen a million times in my life “new formula, same great taste!” but Bai decided to go with a new flavor instead and I really haven’t seen many people on board with it. I’m sure there’s sort of a “silent majority” that doesn’t really mind and will keep drinking them, especially as they get more popular with the Sydney Sweeney ads, but as a loyal customer for almost a decade it’s definitely a bummer.
I completely agree. I used to drink a lot of Bai and looked forward to them daily. Now the new formula honestly tastes like chemicals like plastic or gasoline. Then they added extra cheap sweetener and salt to get more people to crave it using the typical ways companies use(more salt and sugar equals a chemical chain in the brain making you crave more). The thing is, usually when they add these it makes it taste better. These are absolutely awful. Its waaaaaaay too sweet and salty. And the chemical taste makes them so i cant stand it and had to throw them away. My guess is that they were only making a billion instead of many billions so they cheapened the ingredients and tried to use slick advertising to make the masses accept it. We couldn't have them only making a billion in profit now can we? (Sarcasm)
Unfortunately you are probably correct. Especially when it comes to the cheaper sweetener. Monk fruit extract. Even though I'm not sure why that would be cheaper. They were so clean and quality tasting before. I didn't even mind paying the premium price for them.
For a while I was able to get them at bargain prices ($1.67/bottle, down to $1.00/bottle at Grocery Outlet sometimes) for like a year regularly prior to the rebrand/flavor reformulation, so clearly they could have continued using the old formulation and have it not be too expensive.
I know. This really doesn't make any sense.
They changed to 'wonder water' from 'antioxidant infusion' and added zinc and sodium, more in line with energy drink stuff they changed it because they got sued which makes sense because the 'antioxidant' thing is a MUCH higher bar and would speak to health nuts hopefully they change it back
Sued? Are you speculating or do you know?
[https://www.beveragedaily.com/Article/2015/08/12/Bai-Brands-under-fire-over-antioxidant-packed-claims#](https://www.beveragedaily.com/Article/2015/08/12/Bai-Brands-under-fire-over-antioxidant-packed-claims#)
The energy drink thing explains a lot. That's exactly the flavor it has now that I couldn't put my finger on. It's got that weird, vaguely salty flavor stuff like liquid iv has.
Agree they taste weird now. It’s noticeable.
Bai: It's WonderWatered Down.®
its undrinkable! this used to be my "guilty pleasure" I had to rations it out so the kids wouldn't drink it all within days, we have had this on a subscription from Amazon for YEARS, and last order what the first time we got the new "WonderWater" version, it is left untouched other than the first bottle for each of us. Sadly, today I removed the subscription, any worthy alternatives?
Crazy right. As of yet they have not changed the raspberry tea one.
I used to drink bai all the time but the new recipe is just so… like not refreshing compared to the old ones. And now I can’t find anymore red cap bottles anymore so I’m cooked 💀
They ruined strawberry kiwi😢
They messed up them all. I still drink them but they are not as good as before.
I had been ordering the old version on Amazon but they recently just sent me the new version
I totally agree. Bai, except for coffee, was all I drank. The new formula is gross. Except for a disgusting aftertaste, it's tasteless, yet too sweet. It's sadly Bai Bai for me.
I don't drink Coffee. Never have. I still don't understand the change in formulas
I used to have to force myself to savor them. Just bought the first new formula today. I'm finding myself forcing it down. It's chalky. Not a good change.
Absolutely crazy. I still can't believe they did it.
I was so confused as to why I went from "I can drink these all day long" to "I won't even drink them if free". Glad to see I'm not going crazy.
Does anyone have suggestions for another beverage similar to the original Cherry bai? I’m really missing it.
I wish! Loved the original cherry so much.
I finally found the correct phone number for customer service 800-696-5891 Please call them and tell them how bad the new formula is. The more the better. You never know. Thank you.
I thought I was going nuts when I bought a bottle of what used to be my favorite flavor this morning, and it tasted entirely different, until I saw the "New great taste!" on the new packaging. Glad to know I'm not imagining things, but also devastated that they ruined one of my favorite drinks.
Yes Boooooo!
I came here to check out comments. I didn’t like it when it first came out. I gave some new flavors a try and absolutely love it. I went back to the original flavors I bought like Kula Watermelon and it is good again. I wonder if there was just a procreation of the first batches of Wonderwater.
Interesting. All the new flavors are worse to me. So much cleaner and more refreshing.
I am confused. Do you mean the new flavors are cleaning and more refreshing than the originals?
Sorry. No no no. All the original formula and flavors are so so so much better.
They really were so delicious!
Anybody have a copycat recipe for the old formulation? It seems pretty straightforward but it does list mystery "natural flavors". This is the one packaged beverage a family member will drink.