Hard seltzers are the fastest growing alcohol category right now, thanks to White Claw, who has really accelerated the growth of this drink craze. It’s no wonder so many different brands and varieties have popped up on the market over the past couple of years, with every brand vying for your love and attention.
While White Claw remains the most popular brand (among the top ordered online). Is it really the best tasting? We set out to discover the answer to this question by conducting our very own blind taste test. Our tasters tried the top 25 selling flavors (based on alcohol delivery sales on sipsy.com), from popular brands like White Claw, and Truly to more boutique brands like Flying Embers. Our 5 tasters ranked these as the top 5 best hard seltzers based on flavor alone:
#5 – White Claw Tangerine
This slightly sweet, slightly tangy white claw flavor came in at number 5. The taste testers enjoyed the refreshing taste that wasn’t overwhelmingly citrusy. This flavor comes in the original variety pack so the plus side is you get 3 of the other most popular White Claw flavors in a pack.
#4 – Dezo Spiked Watermelon Water
This boutique brand promises healthy ingredients that give you a buzz. And if you’re going to drink, might as well get all the great benefits like antioxidants and vitamins from your beverage. Our tasters loved this almost candy-like flavor. One taster said it reminded her of a watermelon jolly rancher with a hint of cucumber but without the overly sugary taste. This brand also comes in a spiked cactus and spiked coconut flavor. With a 5.5% abv, it has the highest alcohol by volume (abv) out of all the hard seltzers on the market.
#3 – Two Chicks Sparkling Paloma
Our tasters raved about this tequila seltzer (although it’s technically branded as a sparkling canned cocktail). With most other hard seltzers using vodka or some other flavor neutral alcohol, this beverage really highlights the welcoming flavors of a blanco tequila. While the tasters noted this beverage was on the sweeter side, the tequila perfectly compliments the sweetness and tartness of the grapefruit. Also, another key difference here is that there are 2 servings per can so you can share with a friend (or not).
#2 – Truly Mango Lemonade
Truly really hit a home run with their lemonade variety pack and our tasters couldn’t agree more. Although our tasters enjoyed all 4 flavors in the variety pack, mango lemonade outranked the others…by a lot! Tasters agreed that this flavor tasted tropical and “juicy” and reminded you of childhood favorites. So you’ll definitely get a bit nostalgic drinking this seltzer.
#1 – Flying Embers Black Cherry Rose
This was the number one ranked product due to its complex flavor profile. Out of all the hard seltzers, this tasted the most “grown up” as noted by one of the tasters. You immediately taste the tartness from the black cherry and then an aromatic sweetness rose that lingers a bit on the tongue and it finally finishes with a limey/citrusy brightness. It’s tart, slightly sweet, and refreshing without the usually seltzer after-taste. This makes this particular flavor the winner among the 25 flavors our tasters tried. This comes in the Fruit and Flora variety pack so you get two other fruity and complex flavors to try from Flying Embers.
While White Claw did rank among the top (well, at least one of the flavors did), other brands beat it based on taste alone. So if you’re feeling adventurous and want to try something new and tasty, get any of these hard seltzers delivered to you in 30 minutes.
Sipsy is a Los Angeles alcohol delivery service so you can get other stuff too…not just hard seltzers. Cheers!
Sipsy provides free alcohol delivery in LA, specifically in Sherman Oaks, Studio City, North Hollywood, Van Nuys, Valley Village, Burbank, and Toluca Lake.