We tried Tropicana Spicy Lemonade to see if it lives up to its 'sweet and spicy' claim

Tropical Spicy Lemonade is the latest addition to a growing bottled lemonade market. The label shows images of lemons and a chili pepper.

We drove to a nearby Target to get a 46-ounce bottle so that we could test out the product label claim of "sweet and spicy." The label also says that the drink is made from real lemons and cane sugar. It is suspicious that chili peppers are not mentioned, though one is pictured.

The lemonade is pale yellow and looks the same color as regular lemonade. There is no pink or red tint indicating a chili pepper presence. Tropical Spicy Lemonade also smells like ordinary lemonade.

How does Tropicana Spicy Lemonade taste?

The drink tastes like an ordinary lemonade, but a slightly spicy aftertaste hits you in the back of the throat. It is very subtle. For those who like spicy things, it could be considered nonexistent.

The sweetness of the lemonade overpowers the spicy taste. In fact, consumers may do a double-take at the label to make sure they are drinking the sweet and spicy concoction.

A look at the ingredients list verifies our taste test

One 8-ounce serving of Tropicana Spicy Lemonade has 110 calories and 26 grams of sugar. Ingredients include filtered water, cane sugar, lemon juice, lemon juice concentrate, and natural flavors, including chili lime flavor.

Presumably, a chili pepper contributes to the chili flavor, but the lime was a surprise. There is no evidence of a lime flavor in the product. Perhaps it is added to tone down or offset the chili flavor, but isn't that what the lemonade does?

While it left us somewhat disappointed, lemonade lovers may disagree. Now, we will shift our focus to the Sprite + Tea beverage that will be arriving next month.