We Tried Aura Bora's Green Bean Casserole Seltzer. Stick With The Real Side Dish

The allure of traditional Thanksgiving side dishes is undeniable. The sheer number of essential items that congregate on holiday tables each November is truly staggering. Frankly, it's a veritable Murderer's Row of first-ballot hall-of-fame foods: mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole seltzer.

Wait ... that's not quite right, is it? Green bean casserole seltzer isn't what we had in mind when we pondered turkey day staples. But while the concept of a seltzer flavored like the uber-creamy side is inherently odd, there's no denying it grabs your attention. As luck would have it, beverage company Aura Bora actually did release a limited-time, green bean casserole seltzer flavor for the 2022 holiday, as part of its Secret Menu product line (via Food Network).

Is your mouth watering? Probably not. After all, green bean casserole is one of the more unusual Thanksgiving items we've encountered, and transposing those flavors into a sparkling beverage isn't necessarily enticing. But, then again ... aren't you just incredibly curious how this utterly bizarre, holiday-specific drink tastes?

We certainly were, so we tried Aura Bora's new green bean casserole seltzer. It's not exactly what we had in mind by having Thanksgiving entirely by can, but it was an experience, to be sure. If you're wondering what we thought after cracking open a can of this one-of-a-kind beverage, read on to find out.

The exact ingredients included in what we eat and drink isn't always clear, so we can appreciate when a product's listed ingredients are easily digestible (no pun intended). Since Aura Bora prides itself as a natural beverage company — and only uses natural herbs, fruits, and flowers in flavoring its seltzers, according to the website – it's no surprise its green bean casserole seltzer contains a short list of ingredients: carbonated water, natural green bean flavor, and sage extract.

Of course, we do have to quibble with this seltzer's natural green bean flavor component — mainly, what does that actually mean? It's a mystery. How exactly does Aura Bora extract the inherent flavor profile from green beans, and convert it into a liquid-soluble format to be infused into the seltzer as, ahem, the natural flavor of a vegetable? We can't say, but we wish we had more details.

Additionally, the absence of mushroom gravy and crispy onion notes in a so-called casserole-flavored beverage is slightly disheartening. Perhaps we're in the minority, but we can't help but think: If you're going to make something as head-scratching as a green bean casserole-flavored drink, you should go all the way with the expected flavors.

Seltzer water brands and flavors are a dime a dozen in 2022 (don't quote us on that price estimate), though Aura Bora tends to be on the more expensive end of the sparkling water spectrum. So if you're hoping to obtain a case of the brand's Special Menu green bean casserole seltzer while supplies last this Thanksgiving season, be prepared to pony up a pretty penny for the privilege.

In fact, a 12-pack of Aura Bora's green casserole seltzer costs a somewhat startling $33 if you order it through the company website (which appears to be the only way to purchase and obtain the product). Perhaps we're too disposed to seek out bargain brands, but even a 12-pack of Polar flavored seltzers costs a mere $6.29 in November 2022 (through Amazon). In other words, we're stuck scratching our heads wondering why Aura Bora feels the need to charge nearly five times more for its product.

Since the entire concept of Aura Bora's green bean casserole seltzer is its innate connection to Thanksgiving, there's little reason to expect the product's availability will extend far past the holiday on November 24 (though we weren't able to confirm this). But the product is currently available for sale (as of November 15) on the Aura Bora website, so anyone interested in trying this incomparable soda water flavor can place an order for delivery.

The green bean casserole seltzer is part of Aura Bora's Secret Menu line of products. According to the Food Network, this is only accessible through a company newsletter, and may require a customer to sign up with their email before being able to make a purchase.

While Aura Bora sells a number of its regular seltzer flavors in various stores around the U.S. (via Aura Bora), it doesn't appear this limited-time flavor is available in any physical locations. Consequently, if you're obsessed with a YOLO mindset, or driven by FOMO anxiety, you'll need to hop online and order a 12-pack of the green bean casserole seltzer while supplies last.

If you're wondering about the nutritional information for Aura Bora's green bean casserole seltzer, there's not much to tell. In fact, when you take a gander at the nutrition facts on the can, you'll find a cascading collection of zeroes up and down the label. The sparkling beverage has zero calories, and contains no fat, sodium, or sugar.

The lack of detrimental dietary components is indeed encouraging, particularly for folks who tend to rely on flavored sparkling waters to increase their hydration. Conversely, though, the lack of just about anything substantial in the green bean casserole seltzer means it doesn't contain any truly beneficial elements, either. There isn't any fiber, protein, notable vitamins or minerals to be found in the beverage.

Of course, when you consider a single serving of actual green bean casserole contains, on average, about 191 calories and 10 grams of fat (via Nutritionix), the green bean casserole seltzer from Aura Bora is the smarter choice. At least, it is if you're worried about your waistline this holiday.

While we haven't had the pleasure of sampling any other Aura Bora products, the company's reputation (and our experience with this funky flavor) indicate the green bean casserole seltzer may not, in fact, be all that different from its other offerings. Sure, the initially-overwhelming sage extract flavor means this variety may be more reminiscent of an herbal detox tea than other Aura Bora flavors sold year-round. But, at the same time, we'd have to imagine the green bean casserole seltzer flavor isn't drastically different from other Aura Bora flavors.

After all, based on the website, the company is committed to using all-natural, plant-based ingredients during the production process for all of its products. So while we can't directly compare the green bean casserole seltzer to other Aura Bora flavors, the company's reputation for minimally processed, non-artificial beverages makes us think this limited-time release slots comfortably alongside its other products.

Look: We're not in the business of being negative just for the sake of being negative. But if you're going to go big with a beverage that's modeled after a distinctive dish like green bean casserole, you need to go big. And Aura Bora simply failed to deliver on that expectation.

Maybe we were unfairly influenced by Violet Beauregard (Denise Nickerson) and her full-meal chewing gum experience in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" — i.e. an entire spectrum of savory flavors flowing forth from such a small source. The complete dearth of any casserole flavors beyond a greenish-tasting freshness (if that makes sense) though was a letdown. More than that, however, the almost-aggressive tidal wave of sage flavor is all but guaranteed to turn off less courageous drinkers.

Now, in fairness to Aura Bora, we did find the sage flavor became more tolerable the more we drank the seltzer. But when we're looking for a holiday drink, we don't find the idea of overcoming an initially unpleasant experience to simply tolerate the beverage all that appealing.

Does this mean you should avoid Aura Bora's green bean casserole seltzer? Unfortunately, in our humble opinion, yes. So when you're heading to a family member or friend's house on Thanksgiving, skip this gimmick seltzer, and stick with the real side dish this holiday.