Review: Soma Hard Seltzer
Soma Hard Seltzer was released exclusively in Northern California June 2020. It is now available in the 32 states 21st Amendment distributes. It is made with purified water, Champagne yeast, alcohol from dextrose, and natural flavors sourced from Virginia Dare, a Brooklyn New York flavor extract company that opened in 1923. Soma is named for the South of Market District in San Francisco, home of the 21st Amendment Brewery’s 2nd Street Brewpub. 21st Amendment was opened in 2000 by Co-Founders Nico Freccia and Shaun O’Sullivan. Shaun is also the master brewer. 21st Amendment Brewery is best known for their fruit flavored beers including Hell or High Watermelon, Hell or High Pomegranate, Hell or High Water Mango, Moon Boots Strawberry IPA, and Brew Free of Die Blood Orange IPA. For six months they brewed small batches to get the flavors correct. Soma Hard Seltzer is currently available in a four flavor 12 can variety pack. The current lineup includes, Watermelon, Mango, Black Cherry, and Guava Passion Fruit. Each 12 ounce can weighs in with 4.6% alcohol, 100 calories, 2 Carbs, and 0 sugar grams. Read more 
Review: Mighty Swell Spiked Seltzer
Mighty Swell Spiked Seltzer was first released March 2016. It was created by three titans in the beverage universe. Sean Cusack Co-Founder of Waterloo Water, David Barnes Co-Founder of Waterloo Water and founder of Treaty Oak Distilling, and Clayton Christopher Founder of Sweet Leaf Tea, and Co-Founder of Deep Eddy Vodka. Since then they have had two reformulations of Mighty Swell Spiked Seltzer. They also recently released a 12 can 4 flavor Tropical Variety Pack. Originally made with an orange wine alcohol base, Mighty Swell is now made from a cane sugar alcohol base. Mighty Swell was also originally made with 11% fruit juice. The current formula includes 2.5% white grape juice from concentrate. Read more
Review: Corona Limonada
Corona Limonada was just released. It joins the growing list of hard seltzer lemonades that by my count now number seven brands. This is Corona’s third 12 can 4 flavor variety pack they have released in 14 months. It seems to be paying off as Corona is already the fourth best selling hard seltzer on the market today. Corona Limonada is made with carbonated water, alcohol from sugar, cane sugar, natural flavors, Mexican lime juice concentrate, citric acid, and lemon juice concentrate. Each 12 ounce slim can weighs in with 100 calories and 4.5% alcohol. Read more
Review: Two Lane Hard Seltzer
Two Lane Hard Seltzer was released March 2021. Two Lane American Golden Lager was also re-released. Two Lane is a collaboration between Country Music Star Luke Bryan and Constellation Brands. The beer was originally released February 2020, but production was paused September 2020 due to Covid. Two Lane Hard Seltzer and American Golden Lager are produced at Home Brew Mart in Daleville Virginia. This is the same brewery that makes Funky Buddha Hard Seltzer. Two Lane Hard Seltzer is made with water sourced from the Blue Ridge Mountains, alcohol from sugar, natural flavors, carbon dioxide, citric acid, and sucrose. Each 12 Oz. Slim Can weighs in with 110 calories, 4.5% Alcohol, 3 Sugar Grams and 4 Carbs. Read more
Review: Blind Pickle Hard Seltzer
Blind Pickle Hard Seltzer was recently released. If you were expecting Deep Ellum Brewing Company to play it safe in selecting their hard seltzer flavors you obviously haven’t tried their line of craft beer. While this is the worlds first Pickle flavored hard seltzer, there are already several pickle flavored vodka brands, including Deep Ellum Pickle Vodka. Pickle is one of five hard seltzers currently crafted by Deep Ellum Brewing Company in Dallas Texas. The other flavors include Blind Lemon, Blind Lime, Blind Peach, and Blind Berry. Blind Lemon was the first hard seltzer they released in October 2019. It is named for blues legend Lemon Jefferson who began his career on the streets of the Deep Ellum Neighborhood. Each flavor is made with water, alcohol from cane sugar, natural flavors, citric acid, and carbon dioxide. Blind Pickle is the first of a rotating seltzer series of Limited Release hard seltzers planned at Deep Ellum. Read more
Review: Cigar City Seltzer
Cigar City Seltzer was launched February 2021. It is produced at Cigar City Brewery in Tampa Florida. Cigar City Brewery was founded by Tampa Native and fifth generation Floridian Joey Redner, and they began brewing beer in 2009. This brewery currently produces 180,000 barrels of beer annually. This is the equivalent of 2,000,000 cases of beer. Cigar City was acquired by Canarchy in 2016 at a cost of $60 million. Canarchy is a consortium of craft breweries that combined are now the 8th largest brewery in the US. This group includes Cigar City, Oskar Blues Brewery, Squatters Craft Beers, Wasatch Brewery, Deep Ellum Brewing Company, Perrin Brewing Company, and Three Weavers. Not only does this group craft dozens of beers but several make their own hard seltzer. This includes Perrin Clear Coast, Oskar Blues Wild Basin, and Deep Ellum Blind Lemon. Cigar City Seltzer is made with water, alcohol from cane sugar, natural flavors, citric acid, and carbon dioxide. Each 12 oz. slim can weighs in with 100 calories 5% alcohol, 0 sugar and 1 carb. Read more
Review: Funky Buddha Hard Seltzer Tropical Variety Pack
Funky Buddha Hard Seltzer Tropical Variety pack was released mid March 2021 but it is currently only available in the state of Florida. This is the second hard seltzer variety pack crafted for the Funky Buddha Brewery in Oakland Park Florida by Home Brew Mart in Daleville Virginia. The Original Funky Buddha Hard Seltzer variety pack was launched October 2020. The history of the brewery dates back to 2013 when Ryan Sentz and his brother opened Funky Buddha Brewery. Ryan had previously opened Funky Buddha Lounge in Boca Rotan Florida in 2007 and in 2010 he started brewing his own beer. In 2016 Funky Brewery was named a Top 100 Brewery. A year later Constellation Brands acquired the brewery. Funky Buddha is one of several beer brands owned by Constellation Brands including Corona, Modelo, and Pacifico. At one time they owned Ballast Point. Some of the beers currently crafted by Funky Buddha include Floridian Hefeweizen, Hop Gun IPA, Vibin Groovable Lager, Chant Repeatable IPA, 42 Hazy Daze IPA, and Chilla Thrilla Blonde. Funky Buddha Hard Seltzer is made from a cane sugar and blue agave alcohol base, with water, natural flavors, citric acid, and carbon dioxide. Each 12 Oz. slim can weighs in with 90 calories 4.5% alcohol, with 0 sugar and 1 carb. Read more
Review: Smithworks Hard Seltzer Lemonade
Country Music artist Blake Shelton has collaborated with Pernod Richard to launch Smithworks Hard Seltzer Lemonade. They previously partnered on Smithworks Vodka. Blake Shelton is not the first country music star to launch a hard seltzer brand, Luke Bryan introduced Two Lane Hard Seltzer in early March. Now the two can compete for fans with their music, TV Show’s, and hard seltzer lines. Unlike most hard seltzer brands Smithworks Hard Seltzer Lemonade is made from a premium malt beverage base, instead of the fermented sugar or dextrose alcohol base most are made from. Natural flavors are added. Each flavor weighs in with 100 calories, 5% alcohol, with 2 Carbs and 1 Gram of sugar. Read more
Review: Truly Punch Hard Seltzer
The Truly Punch Hard Seltzer variety pack will be arriving on store shelves in May. I was lucky to get my hands on some a little early. This is one of 6, 12 can hard seltzer variety packs currently produced by Boston Beer Company under their Truly Hard Seltzer label. The others include Berry, Citrus, Tropical, Lemonade, and Iced Tea. While Kona Brewing Company, Fruit Smash, Odd Side, Ashland, Two Lane, and Sun Rise have released individual punch flavored hard seltzers, only Braxton Brewing Company has created a four flavor punch variety pack, with their release of Vive Punch Hard Seltzer. With Truly jumping in the “Punch pool”, I’m expecting that number to grow to 5 before the end of summer. Each 12 ounce slim can of Truly Punch is made with filtered water, cane sugar alcohol, natural flavors, and Stevia sweetener. Read more
Review: N’Ice Breaker Hard Seltzer
N’Ice Breaker Hard Seltzer was released by Grain Belt in May 2020. Grain Belt Beer dates back to 1890. In 1891 four small breweries merged to become Minneapolis Brewing Company. Grain Belt became the companies flagship brand. In 1967 the brewery’s name was changed to Grain Belt Brewery. At it’s peak in 1969, Grain Belt was the 18th largest brewery in the US. In 1976 they were acquired by G. Heileman, and by 2002 they were acquired by their current owner August Schell. N’Ice Breaker is available in a four flavor 12 can variety pack with 3 cans each of Raspberry, Pineapple Mango, Juniper Lime, and Prickly Pear Guava. Each can is made with purified water, alcohol from cane sugar, and natural flavors. Each 12 ounce slim can weighs in with 100 calories, 5% Alcohol, with 1 carb and 0 sugar. Read more