Hard Seltzer :: Taking the Hard Out of 2020

I’m going to be honest. I was not a fan of hard seltzer when they first hit the shelves a couple of years ago. I’m a big sparkling water drinker and worried that I would mess that up if I hopped on the hard seltzer train. Ya know — separation of church and state.

But then 2020.

At some point during Quarantine, I was looking for a drink that would be easy, low in calorie, and perfect by the pool or on a walk or bike ride. I decided to give hard seltzers another shot.

Insta Fam

I put a question sticker on my Instagram stories and asked my Insta Fam for their recommendations. It went something like — “Ok cool kids. This mama needs help. I’ve had Truly and I am not a fan. But y’all are feelin’ the White Claw. Which flavors should I try?”

Well, the cool kids really do be feelin’ that White Claw.

I got soooo many recommendations. So many people love the Lime White Claw. Mango White Claw was probably second recommended. Amy Peltier in all her glory said — “to hell with the White Claw — go Lime LaCroix with Tito’s!” Several recommended the Lemonade Truly Variety box. Some even said they could only drink seltzers in a glass on ice. Some need a straw, and others add water.

For research . . .

So, I set out on a quest to try as many hard seltzers that I could get my hands on. Below I will rank from favorite to least favorite. I am not even going to list Truly because as you can tell, I have already written that off.

  1. High Noon — ok y’all. High Noon is SOO GOOD. Expensive, but sooo good. High Noon is my favorite by far. I did not care for the watermelon (which is a flavor I gravitate to) but loved the grapefruit (which is a flavor I usually do not choose). If I were buying boxes of single flavors, I would choose Grapefruit and Pineapple.
  2. White Claw — I will likely always keep some White Claw on hand. I think this is the exact drink I was looking for when I started out. I liked each flavor enough and enjoyed them. My favorite is the lime. The raspberry is good but probably my least favorite. It reminded me of Ras-ber-ita from my college days . . . maybe that is why it was my least favorite.
  3. Bon & Viv — I think this brand is now just Bon V!v. Some suggested some really interesting flavors. I think there is an elderflower one? Which I think I would be OBSESSED with. I was not able to get my hands on anything other than the basic variety pack. These were OK, but not my favorite. I would choose the White Claw variety pack over the Bon V!v.
  4. Cape Line — I hunted these puppies down. The flavors really got me. They have flavors like blackberry mojito and strawberry lemonade. The calorie count is higher on these, sometimes by 40-50 calories. And in my opinion, the flavors didn’t justify the uptick in calories. They were just ok. Again, I would choose everything above over these.

There were a few others suggested to me — the Bud Light, Smirnoff, and Absolut Seltzers. I did not get around to trying these. I mean whatcha expect?! 😉 But I am pretty satisfied with High Noon and White Claw and will definitely purchase again.

After all this “research,” I will say that I am not at all a convert. I will always be a red wine girl. Always. I may buy a seltzer here and there especially during the blazing Louisiana Summer heat, but if I have a choice, a tall pour of red is where it is at.

Did I leave your favorite seltzer off? Let me know. Happy healthy drinking, y’all.

Rebecca Autin
Rebecca is an attorney by day and a toddler wrangler by night. She is a product of divorced parents and grew up in both Thibodaux and Franklin, Louisiana. Rebecca attended Loyola University of New Orleans and Southern University Law Center. Rebecca married her high school bestie in 2012. Quinton and Rebecca went through months of infertility before giving birth to Maxwell Lincoln in 2015. In 2016, they were surprised by a baby boy due in June 2017. But, in February 2017, they suffered with incompetent cervix and delivered sweet Theodore Paul too soon. In October 2018, after an incredibly difficult pregnancy, a cerclage, and a whole bunch of bedrest, Fitzgerald Joseph was born -- a happy, healthy, and perfect rainbow. If you can't find Rebecca, you can summon her with pot of freshly brewed coffee or look for her in Target or behind the kitchen island where she is hiding from her kids with a very generous pour of red.

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