Hard seltzers are refreshing, come in a variety of flavors, and are super easy to drink. But if you’re anything like us, you go to the liquor store and experience the paradox of choice. There are so many hard seltzer brands that make so many flavors. Should you get White Claw or Truly? Cherry or Lime? Why does hard seltzer have to be so… hard?
We did the work for you by rounding up some of the most popular hard seltzer brands and some newcomers. After an extremely scientific taste-test of 15 brands and over 60 flavors, our team of experts ranked them all from worst to best. So next time you need to pick up a variety pack for your next party, check out our picks below.
Looking for more beverage recs? These are the best canned cocktails, tequila brands, and our favorite wine you can find at Costco.
Flying Embers
Flying Embers is well known for their hard kombucha, but have you ever tried their hard seltzer? If you haven’t, it should probably stay that way. The flavors we had were infused with botanical bitters, a concept we loved in theory, but all we could taste was the malt liquor and artificial fruit flavors competing with each other. The blood orange flavor smelled “like glue,” and the cranberry raspberry gave us flashbacks from our college years.
Hornitos
We had high expectations for this tequila brand’s line of hard seltzers because it uses real agave tequila. It thankfully lacked the malt liquor flavor that some hard seltzers have, but the additional flavorings are really off. They were all too sweet for our liking, with some of us comparing the taste to “melted cotton candy” and “bubble gum Amoxicillin.” In the words of one of our testers, “It’s a no from me.”
Wild Basin
Wild Basin’s line of hard seltzers uses water from the St. Vrain River in the Rocky Mountains. Unfortunately, that water was tainted with some intensely artificial flavors. Wild Basin has the most exciting flavors we’ve seen in a hard seltzer, like lime and coconut, blue Hawaiian, and passionfruit orange guava. But without any natural juice, they tasted more like “sparkling Jolly Ranchers,” “hand soap,” and “chemicals.”
Two Robbers
Two Robbers is a Philadelphia-based hard seltzer brand, and most of their offerings have no sugar or added sweeteners. Most of the varieties are fun variations on traditional seltzer flavors (think cherry lemon and watermelon cucumber). The one flavor we didn’t like, however, was their mango punch. It actually made a few of us gag. As long as you skip that one, Two Robbers is worth a try.
Vizzy
Vizzy distinguishes itself from the other brands by adding a boost of vitamin C to each can with the superfruit acerola. Each of the flavors we tried are a combination of different fruits, like strawberry and kiwi, mango and pineapple, and cherry and lime. While they seem like they should taste good together, we found that each one tastes “super artificial.” One of our testers described the flavor in just one word: “ick!”
White Claw
Hard seltzer is basically synonymous with White Claw. It’s the OG hard seltzer brand, and each of our testers came in with pre-existing perceptions about it. It’s reliable, easy to find, and comes in tons of flavors. However, unless you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t tried them before, you know that they taste very artificial. One of our testers says they taste like “TV static” and another called the brand “aggressively mid.”
Truly
Truly is one of the most popular hard seltzer brands, and for good reason. The effervescence is perfectly balanced, and the wide variety of flavors means you can satisfy everyone’s preferences. Our favorite Truly flavor was Citrus Squeeze from their Citrus Mix Pack. “It’s perfect for when you’re torn between grapefruit, orange, and lime,” said one of our testers, “the Libra in me is very happy.”
Press Premium
Out of all the hard seltzer brands we tried, Press presented itself as the fanciest. This premium hard seltzer brand appeals to “discerning consumers” by pairing unique flavors like pear and chamomile, grapefruit and cardamom, and lime and lemongrass. We were drawn to the brand’s exciting flavor lineup and low sugar content. Our favorite flavor is actually the first one they ever made: pomegranate ginger.
Juneshine
Hard kombucha brand Juneshine put their stake in the hard seltzer game by launching their version of ranch water in a can. While it’s not made with Topo Chico, as is traditional, we think it’s a great substitute for a margarita in a pinch. “It tastes better the more you drink it,” said one of our testers. Another person commented, “This is a straight-up margarita and I love it.”
Straightaway
Straightaway specializes in high-quality canned cocktails. They collaborated with Steven Smith Teamaker to produce a line of tea-infused hard seltzers. Each flavor includes a splash of vodka and hints of fruit to complement each tea variety. Our tasters thought Straightaway “nailed the tea flavor” and was “surprisingly tasty.” This is the brand to pick when you want to drink hard seltzer but still want to look classy.
Volley
Volley is a relative newcomer, and the husband-and-wife team behind the brand wanted to shake up the hard seltzer status quo. While their flavors aren’t particularly groundbreaking, they use 100 percent agave tequila and organic fruit juice unlike most other hard seltzers. We absolutely loved the packaging and their commitment to high-quality ingredients. The seltzer is definitely tequila-forward, and it tastes closer to a real cocktail than any of the others we tried.
Lunar
Lunar is the love child of two friends who wanted their hard seltzer to capture “Asian Americana in a can.” After rounds of testing (including brewing in their own apartments!), the team launched their line of hard seltzers. The plum flavor divided our team: some thought it smelled like “Elmer’s glue” while others said it reminded them of childhood and freeze pops. Almost all of us preferred the lychee flavor because of its “light, floral” taste and “delicate sweetness.”
High Noon
When we think of major hard seltzer brands, High Noon is near the top of the list. Their recipe uses vodka in place of generic grain alcohol and they flavor each can with real juice—and you can taste it. Our tasters said each High Noon actually tasted like the flavor listed on the label. However, because of the real juice, the sugar content is a little higher than many other seltzers on the market. “I would probably get a bad hangover with these,” said one of our testers, “but it’d be worth it.”
Topo Chico
Our favorite sparkling water gets a splash of booze, and we’re all for it. Each can has Topo Chico’s signature effervescence with subtle fruit flavors. Our tasters loved that the brand used a light touch when it comes to flavor, versus the overwhelming sweetness found in some other hard seltzers. Our favorite Topo Chico flavor is pineapple because it “isn’t too sweet” and is “perfectly crushable.”
Spindrift Spiked
Many of our tasters had already heard rave reviews about Spindrift Spiked, and this drink definitely didn’t disappoint. Each flavor is made with real fruit juice and has a bright hue. Some of us initially thought the bright colors were “concerning,” but the taste more than made up for it. We especially loved the Half Tea Half Lemon flavor, which “tastes like a real Arnold Palmer.” A close second is the Blood Orange Tangerine, with its “natural citrus flavor” that tastes “super refreshing.”
Expertise: TikTok Trends, Drinks, Pop Culture
Education: B.A. in Journalism and B.S. in Communications from NYU, Culinary Arts degree from The Institute of Culinary Education
About Me: As an associate editor at Delish, Gabby works on everything from features to recipes to content on our social media channels. Before joining the team, she wrote for StarChefs Rising Stars Magazine, Mashed, and Food52. When she’s not developing cocktail recipes, she’s making cocktail-inspired dishes like Dirty Martini Pasta and Aperol Spritz Trifle. Her features cover online trends like the Millennial Shopping Cart, rank everything from hard seltzers to frozen French fries, and answer some of your most pressing food safety questions. You can also find her posting content on Delish’s TikTok, including her three-part series about cooking like influencer Nara Smith that garnered over 3M combined views. She loves eating spicy food, collecting cookbooks, and adding a mountain of Parmesan to any dish she can.
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