Best Hard Seltzer: 9 Best Tasting Hard Seltzer Brands We Tried in a Taste Test
What is the best hard seltzer? Over the course of two separate taste tests, we tried many, many, many cans (over 85) and we can confidently say these are the nine best hard seltzer brands to buy—both single flavors and mixed cases.
The best hard seltzer is hard to define because, after tasting through over 85 different cans of hard seltzer, I am more confused than ever as to what people are looking for in the category. What is hard seltzer? While some of the hard seltzer brands I tasted were essentially canned Vodka Sodas, others were straight up flavor-blasted malt beverages. How is something that tastes like carbonated Dimetapp a hard seltzer? I can assure you, it didn’t make our list. Technically speaking, hard seltzer (or “mature seltzer,” according to Wikipedia) is simply a drink made with sparkling water, booze, and optional fruit flavoring that typically comes in around 5% ABV.
That’s pretty vague.
So, here’s what I looked for in the best hard seltzer: A drink that tasted more like seltzer than juice or soda, pleasant flavor (it didn’t have to taste totally natural, but it did have to taste good), no prominent alcohol flavor, and a little something extra—an exotic flavor, nice packaging, an antioxidant—certainly didn’t hurt.
Before we get into the full, official best hard seltzer list, I want to throw out an honorable mention for High Noon Tequila Seltzer Grapefruit. If you could find it on its own, it would have made the list. But, at the time of this writing, you can only buy it in a mixed pack and the other flavors were simply not good enough to slog through in order to get to the grapefruit. But, if you see one of these tequila seltzers in a cooler at a party, snatch it up. It tastes like seltzer mixed with a Paloma—like Ranch Water with a squeeze of grapefruit. Give us a case of only grapefruit, High Noon!
With that out of the way, here are the best hard seltzer brands to buy right now.
Best Widely Available
Bud Light Seltzer Classic Variety PackTargetIf you’re in a grocery store or convenience store that doesn’t have a wide variety of hard seltzer brands, they’ll still probably stock this one along with a few others. Pick this one. The wide range of flavors (Black Cherry, Cranberry, Strawberry, Mango, Grapefruit, and Pineapple) means there’s something for everyone. And there’s nothing to complain about. It’s a fizzy beverage with a kiss of flavor. Most of them taste like watered down versions of Original New York Seltzer sodas—and that’s not bad at all. I liked the Cranberry, which brought me back to my days of ordering a Vodka Soda splash of cran as a newly legal drinker. But the best Bud Light Hard Seltzer flavor is the Black Cherry, so go ahead and stash a few of those away for yourself if you’re throwing a party.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
7.5/10
Sporks
Best Maybe Good for You
Vizzy Hard Seltzer Variety Pack #1TargetI give Vizzy an A+ for packaging. I love the colors, I love the pop-art fruit, I love it. Vizzy hard seltzers also contain antioxidants—so it’s the best spiked seltzer to drink during cold and flu season. (Please don’t only use hard seltzer to protect yourself from illness. Please get a flu shot.) But what about the flavor? It’s definitely a hard seltzer brand for people who want more flavor in their drink. These fall on the fruitier side of the hard seltzer spectrum. Out of the variety pack, Pineapple Mango is my personal favorite. It has a wonderfully tropical flavor and makes me wish I was lying on a beach—or, in my case, hiding under a full-coverage umbrella with a giant hat and sunglasses and probably a coverup…on a beach.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
7.5/10
Sporks
Best Not Sweet
Happy Dad Hard SeltzerVonsInstacartAlbertsonsDo you feel emasculated when you drink hard seltzer? Then Happy Dad Hard Seltzer is the best hard seltzer for you and your fragile sense of self. Upon first glance, the cans look like run-of-the-mill light beer cans. Look very closely, though, and you’ll see the words “hard seltzer” written very small. Happy Dad also contains electrolytes. So, I guess it’s the best spiked seltzer to drink after a workout. It’s also one of the best hard seltzer brands for people who like their drinks on the tart side. The Lemon Lime has that good fake lime flavor and it is actually tart and tangy—you can’t say that for a lot of hard seltzers. The pineapple also has nice acidity. Even the Watermelon—though it certainly has that Jolly Rancher essence—finishes with a limey bite.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
8/10
Sporks
Best Vodka Soda Dupe
Nutrl RaspberryTotal WineNutrl isn’t a malt beverage. It’s a real deal canned Vodka Soda made with real vodka and real juice. So I really thought I would like more of their flavors. But while the others disappointed, the Raspberry hit it out of the park. It tastes like someone dollopped a bar spoon of raspberry jam into a Vodka Soda. It’s a bold but still natural raspberry flavor. Raspberry is a really hard flavor to capture (unless you’re talking blue raspberry) but Nutrl has done it with style. Give this a go if you’re looking for the best hard seltzer that could totally pass for a cocktail you’d get at a bar.
Credit: Liv Averett / Total Wine
7.5/10
Sporks
Best White Claw
White Claw MangoWalmartTargetYes, this is the only White Claw flavor on here because it is the best White Claw flavor. While the others are fine and totally inoffensive, Mango is actually worth recommending. If you’re a White Claw Strawberry stan, I’m not going to change your mind. You like what you like. But if you’re coming to this ranking with an open mind and are genuinely looking for suggestions for the best spiked seltzer, then I can earnestly say that White Claw Mango is good. It tastes like a beach vacation, refreshing and crisp.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
8.5/10
Sporks
Best Budget
Kirkland Signature Variety PackInstacartIf you like the flavor of White Claw, save your money and just buy Costco’s hard seltzer instead. They taste like a mainstream, name brand hard seltzer but they’re cheaper. Essentially, they taste like spiked LaCroix flavors. The Grapefruit tastes like LaCroix Pamplemousse. The Lime tastes faintly of Lime Jell-O (a good Jell-O flavor). The Mango is refreshing. The Black Cherry is the best of all—it actually tastes like real cherry. This is the best hard seltzer if you’re stocking a giant cooler for a beach trip or a party. It’s cheap and it’s tasty.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
9/10
Sporks
Best Different Flavors
Quirk Splash of Citrus MixBoulevard.comI love when a brand chooses more out-of-the-box hard seltzer flavors, leaving the basic mango, lime, and cranberry to the masses. Quirk, made by Kansas City’s Boulevard Brewing, is the best hard seltzer for folks who are tired of the same old flavors. They really go for it with flavors like Watermelon, Salt & Lime, Hibiscus Lemonade, and Pear Yuzu. Okay, they also include a Grapefruit Twist in this mixed pack, but I can’t blame them for staying safe with at least one flavor. And these flavors are just fun on paper. They taste great. The Watermelon, Salt, & Lime, in particular, is incredible. It’s tangy and subtle with a touch of watermelon sweetness followed by actual fresh lime flavor and just a touch of salt. If you’re not drinking this near a body of water, you aren’t living life right—even a baby pool will do.
Credit: Liv Averett / Total Wine
7.5/10
Sporks
Best Real Fruit Flavor
High Noon Sun SipsTotal WineTargetIf you like Vodka Sodas, this is the best hard seltzer for you. It tastes exactly like a blend of vodka and good flavored seltzer water. It’s just that easy to make a decent drink. (And yet so many fail!) The Pineapple, in particular, is, as managing editor Gwynedd Stuart put it, “so delightful.” It’s not too sweet and has a lovely, roasted pineapple flavor. The Grapefruit made a grapefruit convert out of Gwynedd. “This is the best iteration of that flavor,” she said. The Black Cherry actually has some tartness—something many black cherry flavored drinks lack. Even the Watermelon is good—it doesn’t just taste like a Jolly Rancher. It tastes like actual watermelon with a spritz of lime. Good job, High Noon!
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
9.5/10
Sporks
Best of the Best
Spindrift Spiked Sparkling WaterInstacartI love Spindrift’s non-alcoholic seltzers, so I had high expectations for this mixed case of Mango, Pineapple, Lime ,and Half & Half (the brand’s take on an Arnold Palmer). And, oh boy, Spindrift more than lived up to my hopes and dreams. Just like the original Spindrifts, these alcoholic versions are made with real fruit juice and no added sugar, so all you taste is that vibrant hit of real fruit flavor. The Mango is gentle and tropical. The Pineapple is zesty. The Lime is very tart and crisp (though, probably the least impressive of the bunch). And the Half & Half is genuinely the best hard seltzer I’ve ever tasted. “It’s the biggest format buster,” Gwyneddt commented. “They did something interesting. I am so impressed.” I need everyone to drop what they’re doing and try these spiked seltzers right now.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
10/10
Sporks
Rhett & Link’s Pick
White Claw Mango
Rhett & Link agree with us that White Claw’s Mango flavor is king (when it comes to White Claw, at least). “It’s the most effervescent,” Link said. “I can almost see it sparkling,” Rhett agreed. “Your eyes are sparkling after you drink it.” The duo also appreciated the design of the can and came to the realization in real time that a “white claw” is a wave. You know who else just realized that? Me!
Other hard seltzer brands we tasted: Mike’s Hard Seltzer, Ashland, Ranch Water, Bang Mixx, Corona, Flying Embers, Topo Chico, Truly, Michelob Ultra, Nutrl Watermelon, Nutrl Pineapple, Nutrl Mango, High Noon Tequila Seltzer, Simply Spiked Mango Peach, Simply Spiked Strawberry Peach, Simply Spiked Kiwi Peach, Kona, Press
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