The 20 Best Hard Seltzers in the World
Hard seltzers are an alcoholic alternative to the bubbly beverage that has been increasing in popularity over the last few years. Since the non-alcoholic versions are selling so well, it seems logical enough to step it up with some hops and see how well this change in the recipe will pan out. According to the nearly $3 billion in sales from June 2019 until June 2020, it seems the move to bring hard seltzers to the market was a good idea. Low on ABV content and calories, but easily drinkable, hard seltzers have become a popular option at college parties and other functions where beer otherwise would have been the only option. In restaurants, it’s a preferred alternative to beer for some, as well as an alternative to mixed cocktails and wine. Such as the case with all alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, not every brand that shares the niche of hard seltzers shares the same level of taste and quality. Some producers bring forward better hard seltzer products than others. While everything is subject to taste, one common agreement among consumers is there is no substitute for quality.
20. White Claw Hard Seltzer Surge
The eight percent alcohol by volume (ABV) found in the White Claw hard seltzer beverages is higher than its original lineup and comes in four different flavors for the discerning palette. Between Blackberry, Blood Orange, Cranberry, and Lime, the consumer has access to the wonderful world of choice. The product comes from the Mark Anthony Group. Otherwise known as Mark Anthony Brewing, this American-based producer of hard seltzers has become one of the most preferred brands in the business since their startup in 2016. In addition to offering flavorful hard seltzers, the calorie-counting consumer may appreciate the fact each can only have a hundred calories and a single gram of carbs.
19. Good Company Hard Seltzer
The craft beer maker out of Colorado, Breckenridge Brewery, brings forth its hard seltzer lineup in Apple-Pear, Black Cherry, Hard Lemonade, Honeydew, Mountain Berry, and Peach flavors. There’s also that something extra breweries located within mountainous regions that make good use of the sources they have access to without compromising the environment that no other in the industry can provide.
18. Owl’s Brew Boozy Tea
Not always the easiest hard seltzer to come by, Connecticut’s Owl’s Brew Boozy Tea has been winning over fans of this alcoholic alternative to beer ever since 2018. The hard seltzer cans each contain a 4.8 percent ABV rating and refrain from using anything artificial in the product. Fans of Owl’s Brew Boozy Tea who live in communities that do not have their product stocked on their liquor store shelves will either find a way to have it brought to them by delivery or find the closest location possible to get it. The flavor options available with this hard seltzer lineup are Breakfast Tea Lemon & Lime, Darjeeling Tea & Hibiscus Flowers, Jasmine Blueberry & Lemon, Matcha Pineapple & Chamomile, and White Tea Raspberry & Watermelon.
17. High Noon by E&J Gallo Winery
The majority of hard seltzers sold in the United States are malt-based, which is the same ingredient used in most of the nation’s domestic beer products. With High Noon, its hard seltzer lineup is made with vodka. Since E&J Gallo Winery launched the High Noon brand in 2019, not only does the company pride itself on using real vodka in the product lineup but real fruit in the flavoring. This will result in slightly higher sugar and carb content compared to most other seltzers, but the quality level is still the same among those who have been deemed the best in the business. The popularity of High Noon as a hard seltzer has seen a surge of interest in the product by consumers across the United States, as well as an introduction to a better variety of flavors to choose from. Those flavors are Black Cherry, Grapefruit, Lime, Mango, Peach, Pineapple, and Watermelon.
16. Bon V!V
Inspired by women who enjoy vodka sodas at a bar in Connecticut, Bon V!V founder Nick Shields took it upon himself to recreate the cocktail mix into the form of a hard seltzer sold in a can. Starting in 2013, the Shields’ lineup of hard seltzers began to sell. He later sold the brand to Anheuser-Busch in 2016, who since gave the alcoholic beverage the name of Bon V!V. The timing couldn’t have been better as this came about just before the big boom of interest in hard seltzers began to sweep America.
15. Truly
One of the top competitors in hard seltzer products is Truly, which has become a highly favored brand among fans of this breed of alcoholic beverages. For mainstream flavors, Truly excels in this department. They also excel in experimenting with new flavors in hopes to win over new customers as the popularity of hard seltzers continues to rise. That, plus the growing number of companies getting in on the hard seltzer production game, whatever Truly can come up with to remain among the elite group of best hard seltzer makers in the business, they will do. In the flavor department, the list is very extensive, which gives consumers who like to experiment a good option to try.
14. Smooj
Smooj offers a smoothie-style hard seltzer that blends alcohol, alcohol, and just enough carbonation for the seltzer sensation. The Homes Brewery had been considering the creation of a hard seltzer product of their own. When the lockdown from COVID-19 swept the American nation in 2020, there was enough time in the hands of the brewery crew to work out some formula that would work. The result is a hard seltzer product that comes in the form of a smoothie and is full of fruity flavor. Smooj doesn’t even attempt to be like a carbon copy of the rest of the hard seltzer makers in the business as they’ve found their own little niche within a niche. Due to the creation of the lineup still so new, it has yet to spread from coast to coast within the American nation. However, this is expected to change as the popularity of this brand has been climbing. Since this is a hard seltzer designed as a smoothie, the calorie count ranges from 240 to 300. The carbs range between twenty-eight to forty-one grams, and the sugar count ranges between twenty-three to thirty-three grams. At the moment, there are three different flavors available, namely Banana, Pina Colada, and Strawberry.
13. DC Brau Full Transparency
The DC Brewery originally started out by making complex beers full of different flavors. The move to produce hard seltzers demonstrated a trend among many smaller breweries wanting a piece of the action. At the moment, DC Brau offers four different flavors which are Black Cherry, Grapefruit Crush, Key Lime Pie Crush, Kieboom Crush, Mango, Orange Crush, Passionfruit Orange Guava, Peach Melon Crush, and Raspberry Limeade. Already an award-winning brewery, to begin with, DC Brau Full Transparency strives to do the same with its hard seltzer lineup.
12. Social Club Hard Seltzer
Currently, Social Club Hard Seltzer has three flavors available on the market, which is Citrus Gimlet, Old-Fashioned, and Sidecar. The Sidecar is a mix of orange and lemon citrus, while the Old-Fashioned features a hard seltzer take on the classic whiskey cocktail with a blood orange flavor, plus a hint of smoky oak aroma. The Citrus Gimlet includes a hint of juniper into its flavor. The alcohol content of these hard seltzers is seven percent with a calorie count of 150. It is also gluten-free.
11. Amass Hard Seltzer
Well known for its botanicals-first approach to making spirits, Amass has brought forth its brand of hard seltzers that taste like bartender classics rather than simply as hard seltzers. Amass, who is already known for making high-quality gin and vodka beverages, has taken recipes that have already worked for them and applied them to the company’s concept of what makes a quality hard seltzer. The formula works as it is a favorite among the growing number of hard seltzer fans that are now embarking on something more unique instead of what’s sometimes feels like an overcrowded standard.
10. Ficks Real Fruit Hard Seltzer
Fed up not knowing what ingredients were in their cocktail drinks, two college roommates took it upon themselves to make their own beverages from sources they knew they could trust. From the state of California, operating as independents, all of the Ficks products are made from real fruit juice with the farm to fizz approach to product design in a hard seltzer, Ficks ferments cold-pressed orange juice as opposed to using the grains to make its alcohol base. What the lineup of hard seltzers lacks in flavor choices, they make up for in quality. Blackberry, Cranberry, Grapefruit, and Mango are the current choices from Ficks’ list. In addition to hard seltzers, Ficks also offers cocktail mixes that are low in sugar, but high in quality and taste.
9. Arctic Chill by Polar Seltzer
Among the oldest hard seltzer producers in the business, long before it became a cultural phenomenon, Polar Seltzer has been a family-owned and operated business specializing in the niche out of Massachusetts since 1882. There is no sodium nor fluoride made in their lineup of hard seltzer products, which makes it among the healthiest brands available, even today. The Arctic Chill lineup is not as fizzy as most other hard seltzer beverages currently on the market, but it’s still there. The focus of Polar Seltzer relies more on the quality of flavor rather than the buzz of bubbles. The choice of those flavors is between Black Cherry, Cranberry Lime, Fresh Lime, Ginger Lime, Mandarin Orange, Pineapple Pomelo, Raspberry Lime, Ruby Red Grapefruit, and Strawberry Watermelon.
8. Karbach Brewing Ranch Water
Coming from Houston, Texas, we have Karbach Brewing Ranch Water. While it does not include Topo Chico this is Karbach’s tequila and agave-inspired take on the West Texas bar staple, the Ranch Water cocktail.  There are a number of hard seltzer flavors the company offers, each of which serves as excellent beverage companions to go with a good meal.
7. Bud Light Seltzer
Budweiser has specialized in the brewing industry ever since starting shop in 1876 out of St. Louis, Missouri. Through its Bud Light lineup, the hard seltzer recipe concocted has become a bar-selling favorite among many establishments who’ve come to trust the Budweiser brand enough to know they’re getting good value for their money. The variety of flavors the Bud Light Seltzers has available is vast as even through this brand Budweiser likes to celebrate special occasions with specialized brews to accompany it. Aside from the core lineup of hard seltzer flavors of Black Cherry, Lemon-Lime, Mango, and Strawberry, there are also Bud Light Selzer Lemonades that feature the choices between Black Cherry, Original, Peach, and Strawberry. The Platinum Seltzer lineup, which is at an eight percent ABV rating per can, features the flavors of Blood Orange, Citrus, and Wild Berry. There is also the Bud Light Seltzer Ice Teas and the choice between Apple, Peach, Raspberry, and Tangerine for flavors there. For the seasons of autumn, spring, summer, and winter, there are specialized hard seltzer brews to suit those occasions as well.
6. Wilie’s Superbrew
Brewed with real fruit juice, the quality level of the hard seltzer lineup coming from Willie’s Superbrew lineup has made the East American company one of the preferred choices among many establishments who have added this brand to their bar menu. At a 4.5% ABV rating and a 110 calorie count per can, the company insists people who enjoy a good beverage should taste real fruit instead of artificial flavors. Among discerning customers who have come to appreciate a good hard seltzer beverage, Willie’s Superbrew is very difficult to beat in this regard. There is a choice of flavor blends between Blueberry & Lemon, Ginger & Lemon, Mango & Passionfruit, Pineapple & Lime, and Pomegranate & Acai. Many publications such as Forbes, the Boston Globe, and Women’s Health have given Willie’s Superbrew hard seltzers high praise, as have the critics who admit taste-testing their product is more of a delight than it is a chore.
5. Good Company Hard Seltzer
The craft beer maker out of Colorado, Breckenridge Brewery, brings forth its hard seltzer lineup in Apple-Pear, Black Cherry, Hard Lemonade, Honeydew, Mountain Berry, and Peach flavors. There’s also that something extra breweries located within mountainous regions that make good use of the sources they have access to without compromising the environment that no other in the industry can provide.
4. Flying Embers
Low on calories and with alcohol by volume counts per can ranging from 4.5 percent to 7.2 percent, Flying Embers originally got its name from its founder, Bill Moses, when a wildfire nearly took out his facility in California. He admitted as terrifying as the experience was, he found himself in awe of the power of the fiery embers as it danced too close for comfort near his property. Knowing a cool name alone isn’t enough to make a company become the best in the business of making and selling hard seltzers to the consumer market, the recipe Moses and his crew use stick with ingredients that contain nothing artificial. There are no sugars added, nor gluten, nor preservatives of any kind. In addition to being gluten-free, it is also vegan-friendly. The quality of the hard seltzers, as well as the hard kombucha that also comes from this producer, is as good as it gets. However, if one has mushroom allergies, Flying Embers may not be for you as both the seltzers and the kombucha are fermented with adaptogen properties that come from medicinal mushrooms. The flavor varieties Flying Embers offers are Ancient Berry, Black Cherry Rose, Clementine Hibiscus, Ginger & Oak, Grapefruit Thyme, Guava Jalapeno, Lemon Orchard, Passionfruit Elderflower, Pineapple Cayenne, and Watermelon Chili.
3. Topo Chico Hard Seltzer
Topo Chico Mineral Water already has a solid reputation for producing a quality lineup of sparkling water to the market that does not contain alcohol, so it stands to reason they could just as easily establish themselves to capitalize on a niche that simply adds five percent alcohol to the recipe to add some spirit. This they do, and very well. It has a very low alcoholic content of two percent and averages at one hundred calories per can. The variety of flavors include Exotic Pineapple, Strawberry Guava, Tangy Lemon Lime, and Tropical Mango. Topo Chico hard seltzers also label themselves as gluten-free, so this means it’s not only less filling but an excellent option for people on special diets that need to watch what they eat and drink.
2. Bon V!V
Inspired by women who enjoy vodka sodas at a bar in Connecticut, Bon V!V founder Nick Shields took it upon himself to recreate the cocktail mix into the form of a hard seltzer sold in a can. Starting in 2013, the Shields’ lineup of hard seltzers began to sell. He later sold the brand to Anheuser-Busch in 2016, who since gave the alcoholic beverage the name of Bon V!V. The timing couldn’t have been better as this came about just before the big boom of interest in hard seltzers began to sweep America.
1. White Claw Hard Seltzer
Mark Anthony Brewing Group’s original lineup of White Claw hard seltzer products has firmly established itself among the best in the business, as well as among the healthiest. Each can of hard seltzer is only 100 calories and only 1 gram of carbs. The alcohol content is five percent for North American consumers, but in Canada, the hard seltzer is vodka-based while in the US it’s beer-based. In foreign markets, the alcohol percentage is slightly lower at 4.5 percent and is also beer-based. In every region with the exception of Quebec, Canada, the hard seltzers coming from White Claw are guaranteed gluten-free. Furthermore, there are no known common allergens, which makes this a safe enough alcoholic beverage of choice to be served at organized functions. In popularity and quality, White Claw is a very difficult company to beat with its hard seltzer lineup. There is also a decent variety of choices when it comes to flavor, which includes Black Cherry, Lemon, Mango, Natural Lime, Raspberry, Ruby Grapefruit, Tangerine, and Watermelon.
