Review: Bud Light Seltzer Retro Summer
Bud Light Seltzer Retro Summer was just released in a tie dyed themed 3 flavor 12 can variety pack. Bud Light Seltzer Frozen Icicles are coming soon and will be packaged with the same three flavors and also contain 5% alcohol. Not only is Bud Light releasing new hard seltzer varieties at an incredible rate, but several Anheuser Busch owned breweries are producing their own hard seltzers. I think a hard seltzer fan could celebrate the Forth of July by drinking one A-B owned hard seltzer per day, every day, until Thanksgiving and never drink the same A-B owned seltzer twice. The three flavors Cherry Limeade, Blue Raspberry, and Summer Ice all bring up thoughts of frozen slushies or snow cones. Blue Raspberry was created in Cincinnati in 1958 by Gold Medal, a company that wanting to differentiate their raspberry flavored snow cones with blue color, as their Cherry, Strawberry, and Watermelon flavors were already red. Cherry Limeade is most associated with Sonic and their Cherry Limeade. By the way Sonic just released a hard seltzer and one of their flavors is also Cherry Limeade. Finally Bud Light Summer Ice, even has ice in it’s name. Each 12 ounce slim can contains the usual cold fermented cane sugar, natural flavors, and malted rice found in every Bud Light Seltzer. Stevia leaf extract typically found in Hard Seltzer lemonades is added to all three flavors, and food coloring is blended in two of the three varieties of Bud Light Seltzer Retro Summer. Read more 
Review: Shiner Straight Shooter Hard Seltzer
Shiner Straight Shooter Hard Seltzer was released by Spoetzl Brewery August 2020. The Sproezl Brewery is located between Houston and San Antonio Texas. Shiner Bock was the first beer produced at this brewery in 1913, and it is still their best selling beer. They also craft several fruit flavored beers including Ruby Redbird, Sea Salt & Lime, Strawberry Blonde, and Peach Wheat so it should surprise no one that they now produce a hard seltzer. Straight Shooter is available in a four flavor 12 can variety pack with flavors that include Peach, Raspberry, Grapefruit, and Lemonade. Those who like lemonade hard seltzer will be happy to hear they also produce a four flavor 12 can lemonade hard seltzer variety pack. Straight Shooter starts with the standard ingredients found in most hard seltzers including filtered carbonated water, alcohol from cane sugar, and natural flavors. Each flavor variety of Shiner Straight Shooter also includes cane sugar and stevia leaf extract in their hard seltzers. These are common ingredients found in most lemonade hard seltzer brands, and hint at a sweeter tasting hard seltzer. Read more
Review: Hell’s Seltzer
Hell’s Seltzer was just released by celebrity chef and star of Hell’s Kitchen, Gordon Ramsey. Gordon worked with Brew Pipeline and Lift Bridge Brewing Company for several months developing the flavors. Lift Bridge also make their own hard seltzer. Brew Pipeline is the parent company of several breweries including Surly Brewing Company, Sun King Brewery, DC Brau, and Hi-Wire Brewing Company. Each recipe of Hell’s Seltzer is inspired by popular menu items from Gordon Ramsay restaurants. Hell’s Seltzer is made from a dextrose sugar alcohol base and each 12 ounce can weighs in with 5.6% alcohol and 120 calories. Gordan Ramsay, the creative team behind the brand, the colorful packaging design, and flavor blends, all piqued my interest in this brand. Read more
Review: White Claw Hard Seltzer Iced Tea
White Claw Hard Seltzer Iced Tea was released March 2021. It is the third in our Memorial Day roundup of hard seltzer iced tea brands. White Claw currently offers three 12 can variety packs, White Claw Surge, their higher octane 8% hard seltzer, and Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer. At one time they also sold 2 flavors of a 70 calorie White Claw Hard Seltzer. White Claw Hard Seltzer Iced Tea is crafted using a unique Brewpure Process, sustainably sourced brewed black tea extract, purified carbonated water, alcohol from cane sugar, and natural flavor specific juice concentrate. It is sold in a four flavor 12 can variety pack with three cans each of Peach, Raspberry, Lemon, and Mango. Each 12 ounce can weighs in with 5% alcohol, and 100 calories. Read more
Review: Truly Iced Tea Hard Seltzer
Truly Iced Tea Hard Seltzer was released January 2021. Truly was the first hard seltzer brewed with real tea. This should come as no surprise since Twisted Tea, also produced by Boston Beer Company ended 2020 with a 90% market share of the hard tea category. Arnold Palmer Spiked, owned by MillerCoors was a distant second. After eight months and 250 iterations Truly selected Lemon, Strawberry, Peach, and Raspberry as their first four flavored iced tea hard seltzer varieties. Each 12 ounce slim can is made with filtered carbonated water, alcohol, natural flavors, citric acid, honey, brewed black tea, sodium citrate, and stevia sweetener. Read more
Review: Bud Light Seltzer Iced Tea
Bud Light Seltzer Iced Tea was just released. This is not the first hard iced tea Anheuser Busch has launched, they released The Best Damn Sweet Tea back in 2017. Hard iced tea is not new, Boston Beer Company, the makers of Truly created the brand category when they introduced Twisted Tea in 2001. Since Truly and White Claw already have their hard seltzer iced tea variety packs on the market, it was only a matter of time before Bud Light launched theirs. With this being a 3 day holiday weekend and since I have not reviewed any of the big three seltzer iced tea brands, I thought this would be a great time to review all three in the next three days. I’m starting with Bud Light Seltzer Iced Tea because it is the newest. It comes in the standard 4 flavor 12 can variety pack. The flavors include Peach, Raspberry, Tangerine, and Apple. Each 12 ounce slim can weighs in with 100 calories, 5% alcohol, 2 carbs, and 1 gram of sugar. Read more
Review: AQAVE
AQAVE Craft Hard Seltzer has released in April and is currently only available in Los Angeles. Distribution throughout California will soon follow. I was instantly drawn to the colorful package design and selection of flavors. AQAVE was created by two friends who grew up on different ends of the state, one Northern, the other Southern California. Quinn Duffy and Ari Moreh sampling dozens of blends and spent months developing everything from the flavor profile, and ingredients, to package design. Each can of AQAVE is made with carbonated filtered water, alcohol from dextrose and organic agave nectar, and citric acid. AQAVE Coastal Citrus adds Tangerine extract, and Lemon extract. AQAVE Island Groove blends Pineapple extract, and Coconut extract. AQAVE is crafted by Absolution Brewing Co. in Torrance California. A portion of all profits from 2021 will go to All Peoples Community Center. They have been serving South LA since 1942. Read more
Review: Shiner Straight Shooter Lemonade Hard Seltzer
Shiner Straight Shooter Lemonade Hard Seltzer was recently released in a 4 flavor 12 can variety pack. It joins the previously released Shiner Straight Shooter Hard Seltzer 4 flavor 12 can variety pack that was launched August 2020. It also joins an ever growing list of hard seltzer lemonades that have arrived this calendar year. Both Shiner hard seltzers are crafted at Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner Texas. Kosmos Spoetzl was born in Bavaria. When he arrived in Shiner Texas in 1909 he purchased the towns brewery and he became Shiners first Brewmaster, a position he held for almost 50 years. Shiner Straight Shooter Lemonade Hard Seltzer is made with filtered carbonated water, alcohol from cane sugar, natural flavors, citric acid, cane sugar, and stevia leaf extract. Each 12 once thin can weighs in with 100 calories and 4.5% Alcohol. Read more
Review: Good Company Hard Seltzer
Good Company Hard Seltzer is crafted by Breckenridge Brewery in Littleton Colorado. Breckenridge Brewery opened in Breckenridge Colorado in 1990 making it the third oldest brewery in Colorado. In 1992 they added a second brewpub in Denver. Some of the beers they currently craft include Vanilla Porter, Avalanche, Amber Ale, Agave Wheat, 471 Double IPA, and Breck IPA. In 2015 they relocated to their current location in Littleton Colorado on land previously used as a carnation farm. In 2016 they were acquired by Anheuser-Busch and merged into their High End Family of Craft Beers. This group includes 10 Barrel Brewing, Blue Point, Devils Backbone, Elysian, Four Peaks, Golden Road, Goose Island, Karbach, Vera Sur, Virtue Cider, and Wicked Weed. Several of these breweries also produce a hard seltzer. Good Company was first released in Colorado February 2021. It is currently rolling out across the US. Unlike most hard seltzers Good Company is sold in a 5 flavor 15 can variety pack. Good Company recently released a Hard Seltzer Lemonade 5 flavor 15 can variety pack. Each 12 oz. can of Good Company Hard Seltzer is made from fermented cane sugar, natural flavors, malted rice, and citric acid and weighs in with 100 calories, and 5% alcohol. Breckenridge Brewery donates 1% of their profits to support National Parks. Read more
Review: Coco Cocktail
Coco Cocktail is described as a spiked sparkling coconut water. They also claim to be the first nutritious alcohol. Coco Cocktail is sold in an 8 can variety pack. The two flavors are Pomegranate Berry and Lemon Key Lime. A quick look at the ingredient list tells me this is not your typical hard seltzer. For starters both are made from a OTS Orange Wine base with purified water, coconut water (powdered), organic evaporated cane sugar, carbonation and Grand Fusion Powder which includes organic fruits: orange cranberry, blueberry apple, strawberry, and shitake mushroom. In addition each of the two varieties have their own flavoring. Pomegranate Berry has pomegranate, raspberry, and blueberry juice concentrate. Lemon Key Lime adds lemon and key lime extract. While most hard seltzers tout their low sugar and carb count, Coco Cocktails would rather discuss their vitamin count, with a significant amount of 11 vitamins and minerals in each 12 oz. can. Read more