Review: Simply Spiked Lemonade Variety Pack
Simply Spiked Lemonade was just released and it is available in a four flavor, 12 can variety pack. Coca-Cola and Molson Coors have once again partnered in creating the brand. They also collaborated on Topo Chico Hard Seltzer. Coca-Cola acquired the Minute Maid brand in 1960. It was their first non soft drink acquisition. In 2001 Minute Maid launched Simply Orange made from 100% never frozen never from concentrate orange juice. Simply is now Coca-Cola’s second largest brand generating over $1 billion in revenue. Simply Orange is the second best selling orange juice brand in the US only trailing the Pepsi-Cola Company owned Tropicana brand in orange juice sales. In 2006 they launched Simply Lemonade made from pure filtered water, non-GMO lemon juice, cane sugar, and natural flavors. They have since added Simply Light Lemonade which is made with a blend of sugar and stevia. Simply Spiked Lemonade is made from a fermented cane sugar base with natural flavors and 5% real fruit juice including lemon juice from concentrate and flavor specific fruit juice concentrates. Like Simply Lemonade Light it is made with a blend of sugar and stevia extract. The main challenge I see with the brand is that each 12 ounce can weighs in with 170 calories and 18 sugar grams. The leading hard seltzer lemonade brands produced by Truly, Bud Light, White Claw, and Vizzy all tip the scale with only 100 calories, and no more than 1 sugar gram. On paper Simply Spiked Lemonade aligns more with Mikes Hard Lemonade and the 220 calories and 32 sugar grams found in each bottle of Mikes.
Simply Spiked Signature Lemonade: Made with lemon juice from concentrate. The aroma leads with with fresh lemonade. The sweet lemonade entry builds to a slightly herbal lemonade peak. It fades with juicy lemonade flavor and finishes with tart lemonade and real sugar taste.
Grade: A-
Simply Spiked Strawberry Lemonade: Made with lemon juice from concentrate and strawberry juice from concentrate. It pours to a strawberry blonde color. The aroma leads with fresh sweetened lemonade and strawberry jam. The strawberry preserve and sweet lemonade entry builds to a tart and tangy strawberry lemonade peak. It fades with strawberry jam and finishes with strawberry syrup and tart lemonade.
Grade: B
Simply Spiked Blueberry Lemonade: Made with lemon juice from concentrate and blueberry juice from concentrate. The aroma leads with lemonade and blueberry preserve. The sweet lemonade entry builds to a blueberry bubblegum and tart lemon peak. It fades with blueberry pie filling and finishes with tart lemonade and finishes with sour lemonade and blueberry puree taste.
Grade: B
Simply Spiked Watermelon Lemonade: Made with lemon juice from concentrate and watermelon juice from concentrate. The aroma leads with lemonade. Jolly Rancher Watermelon candy follows. The sweetened lemonade entry is joined by Jolly Rancher Watermelon building to a Bubblicious Watermelon Bubble gum peak. It fades with sugar sprinkled fresh watermelon and finishes with tart lemonade taste.
Grade: B-
The Bottom Line: Hard seltzer lemonades in general have more flavor and sweetness than your typical hard seltzer. All four Simply Spiked Lemonade Seltzer flavors have real natural fruit flavor, but they are among the sweetest seltzer lemonades on the market today. They are also significantly higher in calorie, carb, and sugar count than any of the other seltzer lemonades. Simply Spiked Signature Lemonade is sweet but by adding a second fruit juice flavor the other varieties come off a little oversweet. The sweetness is also cumulative as each sips seems to intensify the sweetness. In the end Simply Spiked has more of a Mikes Hard Lemonade taste than hard seltzer.
Made by Molson-Coors
5% Alcohol
170 Calories
18 Sugar Grams
19 Carbs